#unethical cat breeds

[carn1epretzelz]

entirely unrelated to anything ive seen/read recently, just a thought that i have every so often, relating to dog/cat/other animal breeds that are "unethical." first off, 100% without a doubt, i do not support unethical breeding. i absolutely think that a lot of these breeds should be outlawed from being continued to be bred purposely. breeding an animal with life long diseases and illnesses and ailments and anything similar to that, just to make them "cuter", is cruel. HOWEVER. i've seen multiple people before say that these animals are "ugly" and "disgusting" and "should be put out of their misery". And i want you to pause for a moment, and really think about that sentiment. and then think about how it can be applied to other human beings. just because someone- may they be a pet or a person- does not deserve to be put down (literal and figurative) just because they are physically (and mentally) disabled. this sentiment is disgusting to me, even if it's a "simple animal". because it's not just a simple animal. if you really sit with those kinds of thoughts and opinions long enough, they are going to twist your world views and suddenly you'll be thinking and snowballing these thoughts to be eugenics adjacent. an animal did not CHOOSE to be bred with debilitating arthritis, or such a smooshed snout that they have extreme difficulty breathing, or to be born with skin cancer and cysts because of the genes that make your fur look "like a werewolf". the currently living animals still deserve love and care just the same as ANY other animal. hell, there are "ethically" bred dogs, for example, that still have a higher chance to have physical disabilities. for example german shepherds! their hind legs are too short and they get arthritis in their hips, or something similar to that. tying up this point; swap "animal" with human here, and thats the point i'm trying to make. if humans don't choose to be born with their disabilities and still deserve love and care and affection, WHY is the opposite true for an animal. is it because they're just an animal? why do you think that way? why is it okay to put down the animal and not the human, hmm? all currently living creatures with disabilities deserve love and affection. that goes for ANIMALS and HUMANS. there should be no exceptions. also, i will not be discussing the ethics of euthanasia with animals here, because thats not the point im trying to make.

[the-adventures-of-dave]

What's wrong with bombay cats ethically? Hadn't heard of that one.

Bombay cats, as a breed created by crossing the Burmese and American Shorthair breeds, are known to have a genetic disorder called “Burmese Head Defect”. One copy of the gene gives the Bombay cat the desired brachycephalic head shape and large eyes as required by the breed standard, whereas two copies of the gene cause lethal deformities of the skull (incomplete development of the skull above the jaw, missing eyes and ears, double whisker pads, protrusion of the brain from the skull, and more). Kittens with this defect are born stillborn or require immediate euthanasia as they would not be able to survive with any quality of life. You can read more about the condition here.

All that to say that, like Munchkins or Scottish Folds, it is “desirable” to breed cats with a single copy of a lethal trait, as it has aesthetic aspects encouraged by the breed standard. While not all bombay cats have this gene and not all breeders intentionally breed cats with this gene I don’t think it is particularly ethical to purposefully breed cats to a breed standard that encourages the aesthetic of genetic defects. Even though the single gene version of the cats are able to survive, brachycephaly has been proven to lower a cat’s quality of life significantly, and their large eyes also make me question whether or not they have vision problems. In bombay cats even without the gene, they will still suffer from the brachycephaly present in the breed standard and show circles, which comes with its own health problems.

(These are all show/breeding quality bombays- thanks @catsindoors for sharing them with me!)

If your breed standard is inherently tied to traits that limit a cat’s quality of life, I don’t think it is ethical to breed those cats. This goes for Burmese, Munchkins, Scottish Folds, extreme Persians/Himalayans/Exotics, and unfortunately Bombays.

[arcsin27]

Sorry it’s so wordy, just explaining how clingy (affectionate) he was! He was the best, I loved him a lot!

My cats came up in a discord and I edited these pics of me with the one that I bonded with like crazy

He did this all the time, I even have more pics that are just lower quality. Eventually he even began sleeping on my bed every night, and then upgraded from that to nuzzling under the covers to sleep next to me every night! (Wasn’t gonna add a pic because I was embarrassed of my sheets color but then I realized I don’t care)

Bonus: while writing the tags I remembered that along with constant snuggling he also just loved following me around, nuzzling my legs, meowing at me, and just sitting near me. Here’s a pic of him trying to curl up next to a keyboard I was gaming on (note it’s not a laptop so it wasn’t like he was looking for warmth from the computer)

[kagemane]

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[twinkrundgren]

i really wish unethical cat breeds were taken seriously by animal lovers as unethical dog breeds. we rightfully condemn what they've done to pugs, but persians, munchkins, and lykoi cats still get posted everywhere like they're normal breeds. its so heartbreaking

[fallowhearth]

It really upsets me that keeping big cats as pets is both horribly unethical and also suicidal. I would love to have a large kitty cat in my house. I'd prefer an animal with the form factor and personality of a common housecat, large enough to put its front paws on my shoulders, but I'll take anything at this point. Dog lovers can have a very large dog as a pet. It's so unfair cat lovers cannot have a very large kitty. Instead of breeding horrible squashed noses and long hair, cat breeders should be trying to create the feline great dane.

[homunculus-argument]

Would it be unethical to start doing cat grabbing as a hobby? Like every time you encounter someone's outdoor cat you take it into custody, wait for the "missing" posters to go up, and see if there's a reward for returning it?

And if there's no reward you just keep the cat. Or sell it if it's a fancy breed and you know someone who'd take better care of something that valuable.

[psychronia]

Duly noted. Fucking cat breeding.

looks at the cat breeds blog and gets mad about cat breeds all over again

[pangur-and-grim]

Do you have any advice on finding ethical cat breeders? I've only ever adopted, but I'm hoping to get hairless (or slightly haired) breed in the future due to my partner's allergies.

oh sure, here's what sold me on the breeder I'm currently wait-listed for:

she lists the 40+ health tests her animals have gone through, and has the results uploaded onto her website

each cat has their coefficient of inbreeding visible

it's not a kitten factory. there are set times of year when breeding occurs (in this case, spring and fall)

breeding animals have short careers and then are retired, to avoid strain on their bodies, and allow them to live as pets

she attends cat shows to ensure her animals are meeting breed standards

there are rarely any kittens 'for sale', as most sales are done through a waitlist. this means that even before being born, most of the kittens she produces already have waiting homes.

she requires buyers to sign a contract saying that this will be an indoor cat, and that there will be no declawing

also in the contract: if for whatever reason you can no longer care for your cat, she will take it back and find a home for it.

doesn't breed for any unethical traits (extreme brachycephaly, manx tails, folded ears, lykoi fur mutation, munchkin legs, etc.)

doesn't make outlandish claims - anyone who breeds lower allergen cats should be forthright about the fact that no cat will truly be hypoallergenic, only less allergenic

requires the cat to have a feline companion if it is of a more social breed (oriental, siamese, devon rex, etc)

has a 2 year congenital health guarantee

there's probably more, but that's off the top of my head!

EDIT: as for your particular situation, aim for breeds that produce less of the protein in their saliva that triggers allergies. Devon Rexes (the breed I'm getting) are a double whammy in this regard, as they produce less of the protein, and shed less fur into their environment.

[thehmn]

I haven’t seen anyone talk about this but everything about Perrito from Puss in Boots 2 implies that he comes from either a puppy mill or some very unethical backyard breeders.

He tells us that him and his “litter mates” lived with a “family” that would first throw him in a dumpster and when that didn’t work they tried to drown him in a river.

First, “litter mates”? Why not siblings? That suggests that inbreeding was probably a thing and they called each other “mates” to disguise that. (Edit: I’ve been informed that in English “litter mates” is used to distinguish a litter from the “siblings” a dog or cat will have later when they’re sold off which add a whole other level of sad because it means he was taught from the start to not get attached to his parents or siblings if he use that word despite never being sold off)

Second, he was the runt of the litter so the “family” just threw him away, most likely because they wouldn’t be able to sell him for a lot of cash and didn’t want to waste money on feeding him.

Third, he’s a merle chihuahua.

The merle gene in chihuahuas comes with so many health issues that most kennel clubs won’t allow you to register them no matter how purebred they are, and the few who does will only allow it under very specific conditions. The coat is considered so unethical that a lot of chihuahua fan forums won’t even allow you to join. If you breed two merle chihuahuas the puppies are fucked. And chihuahuas can carry the gene even if they don’t have the merle coat meaning even ethical breeders risk breeding two merle chihuahuas without meaning to. And Perrito clearly has a lot of birth defects like lopsided ears, underbite, wobbly run, and some kind of internal issues that required an operation at some point if the scar on his stomach is any indication.

A lot of Puss in Boots 2 fans are so dedicated to hating chihuahuas that, because they like Perrito, they refuse to acknowledge that he’s a chihuahua and instead prefer to think he’s a mutt or even an Australian sheepdog puppy (nevermind that Kitty asks if he’s part of a chihuahua gang or that Perrito says he USED to be a puppy) not understanding that him being a merle chihuahua is another subtle hint to his horrible past.

[bunjywunjy]

Probably ironic asking someone with a goldfish as an avatar, but are fancy goldfish unethical? Because some of the breeds have no dorsal fin and, idk, isn't a dorsal fin important for a fish? Also those telescope-eyes look kind of awkward and uncomfortable, and even more those bubble-eyes that have weird sacs growing from their faces that seem to obscure their vision. It just seems cruel sometimes.

fancy goldfish like moors and orandas have existed for hundreds of years, and their body issues don't cause actual health problems like say a pug or flat-faced cat does.

the real issue is keeping them with other types of goldfish that can easily outcompete them for food or bully them, so as long as you have them in groups with only their own kind they're allowed to move at their own pace and do whatever and they're fine.

NOTE: there are a few newer fancy goldfish breeds like pearlscales that DO have health issues, but the ancient weirdo breeds are okay.

[valcaira]

Bad news! :(

the African wild cat (from which house cats are descended) looks like a normal house cat but with uncomfortably longer legs

[followthebluebell]

Do ragdolls have any particular unethical issue to them? I absolutely adore them, but I'm worried they may be unhealthy in some major way

They're relatively healthy, at least physically. Their biggest health issue is heart stuff. They've got a higher rate of various heart problems, especially hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (thickening of the heart vessels).

They're also BIG cats, and that has led to more hip problems, especially since people keep trying to breed them to be even bigger :/ So that's not great.

But the biggest problem I see in the breed is anxiety, specifically separation anxiety. I swear every ragdoll i see is either a perfect angel who could walk through a minefield or is an absolute wreck. I've had rescued ragdolls fall into these deep, DEEP depressive states where they won't eat for days, and I've had ragdolls who just bounce back from everything.

So if you do go to a breeder, you need to ask about heart health and anxiety issues in their lines. There is a genetic test for HCM.

Ragdolls also have a very... interesting history, to say the least. There's a significant amount of inbreeding and I firmly believe THAT is why there's such a high incidence of anxiety issues in the breed. There's a lot less inbreeding now since the founder has passed away, but it is part of the breed's history.

[bonefall]

I understand being upset by the moonpaw dog post but i dont think talking about some random teen publicly (on a pretty big fandom blog) as opposed to like, dming them about it, is a very nice thing to do? Would recommend keeping that kinda gossip in dms going forward personally.

??????? "That kinda gossip???"

Saying that it's fucked up that a publicly posted incest joke about how deformed she should look went to the top of the Warrior Cats and Moonpaw tags, is gossip???

TRENDING TAGS?? GOSSIP?

I'm not talking about "some random teen," I have not even dropped a username and been VERY clear I don't want harassment of anyone. During this discussion about wider ableism against Moonpaw, I've directly answered two anons about the contents of a post that was/IS extremely popular to the tune of nearly a thousand notes.

One of those two asks was an anon who only stumbled in to say that the post was funny in a display of SHOCKING tonedeafness, while I was talking about how shitty it is to compare people who are the products of incest to unethical dog breeds, especially in the context of WC. The other was an actual XX/XY chimera who expressed that the extremely popular post hurt their feelings, and when they tried to express discomfort to someone, got told they "probably killed their twin in the womb."

It's not just one rando weenie little blog the minute half of the Tumblr space is openly laughing at a joke about deformed incest kids and hoping Moonpaw dies because she's so "gross." Not nice?? Your feelings are hurt? OTHER people's feelings were ALREADY hurt.

NOTHING about this was "nice" to begin with!

Difference is, when YOU cry me a river, you can build me a bridge, and get right the fuck over it. A person who's the product of incest cries and has to go right back to every shitty banjo-hunchback-hapsburg joke they've heard before, just feeling more unsafe about a space that PRETENDS to care about the abuse they experienced. If you feel guilty about that, maybe you should!

If you were under the impression I was ever "nice" about bigotry, you were mistaken. I don't appreciate calls for ME to be more polite when I'm at a trend of fandom ableism and calling it fucked up. I've named NO names. Sounds like what you ACTUALLY want is for people like me who have a platform to shut up.

[despazito]

So I definitely thought Lykoi cats were cute, having seen you talk about their health issues a couple of times now though I'm obviously not in support of the practice of breeding them. I'm curious if you have any thoughts on if there's a balance where we can think animals like Lykoi cats are cute while not perpetuating the conditions that encourage breeding them?

You can think anything you want in your own head, I'm not the thought police lol. I think cavaliers are very cute dogs even when their burden of disease is so bad their breeding has now been banned in Norway.

Unfortunately I think posting and sharing cute photos of unethically bred animals will inevitably encourage people to buy them no matter how much of a disclaimer you add. It follows the whole "do i say not as I do" thing, same with exotic animals. For example if somebody uploads a video of themselves playing with their pet fox then spends the last 30 seconds talking about how bad it is to have a pet fox, you've still shown people it's fun to play with a pet fox!

No matter how much warning you give there will always be idiots who ignore the bad stuff and just want a cute animal, so I just keep those thoughts to myself on the DL

[normal-with-adhd-is-a-joke]

the funniest part of this is that it actually might work. I follow a youtuber who works with snakes and they ended up having to strap a small vibrator to a new snake they got in because he was so constipated that it had formed a visible lump in his body. Impaction (constipation caused by swallowing a non-food object) can be deadly for reptiles so this was actually a pretty neat experiment, he passed the lump and continues to be a healthy boy!

obviously the method mentioned in this post raises so serious issues, but vibration as a cure for constipation isn't actually that wild of a concept.

very excited about this new medical option where we swallow a vibrator