Flat-faced cats are spending more than double the time in rescue centres than other breeds, research from the RSPCA has revealed.
On average it takes 68 days before a persian cat is adopted, compared to domestic shorthair breeds, who usually spend around 29 days in protection before finding their forever homes.
It is suspected that this lack of interest from potential adopters boils down to the complex health needs of the brachycephalic breed.
In fact, the Royal Veterinary College found that almost two thirds of Persian cats suffer from at least one health condition.
With the general public becoming increasingly aware of these health problems, flat-faced cats are being overlooked as potential pets.
Alice Potter, cat welfare expert at the RSPCA, said: “Unfortunately, this could be a case of cute versus truth – an online kitten ad is unlikely to tell potential cat owners about the possible issues they will suffer from, whereas reputable rescue centres will inform potential adopters about their complex needs.
“Someone who impulse buys a kitten online because they thought their ‘flat-faced’ features are ‘cute’ is far less likely to be given information on the issues because the seller simply wants to make a profit with some kittens being sold for more than £1,000 online, or they may not even know themselves.
“This means they are still increasingly popular pets and more are being bred to meet this demand – but the challenging reality of caring for them can mean they end up in rescue centres where they are sadly then often overlooked for adoption.”
The RSPCA has launched the #SaveOurBreath campaign to raise awareness of the healthcare issues associated with flat-face animals.
It hopes to prevent further breeding of this type of ‘designer’ pet as to protect animals from unnecessary suffering.
“While many face long waits in rescue centres, we know that the popularity of these cats with unsuspecting, impulse buyers is increasing. This is something we’re concerned about as often these ‘flat-faced’ cats suffer from brachycephaly, which means they struggle to breathe, suffer from eye and dental issues, and have difficulty sleeping and grooming themselves.
“The latest rehoming figures reveal that it takes much longer to rehome these cats than your typical ‘moggy’ and one of the reasons for this could be the often severe health issues they struggle with and the information potential cat owners are armed with before rehoming versus buying,” Potter added.
Flat-faced cats are spending more than double the time in rescue centres than other breeds, research from the RSPCA has revealed.
On average it takes 68 days before a persian cat is adopted, compared to domestic shorthair breeds, who usually spend around 29 days in protection before finding their forever homes.
It is suspected that this lack of interest from potential adopters boils down to the complex health needs of the brachycephalic breed.
In fact, the Royal Veterinary College found that almost two thirds of Persian cats suffer from at least one health condition.
With the general public becoming increasingly aware of these health problems, flat-faced cats are being overlooked as potential pets.
Alice Potter, cat welfare expert at the RSPCA, said: “Unfortunately, this could be a case of cute versus truth – an online kitten ad is unlikely to tell potential cat owners about the possible issues they will suffer from, whereas reputable rescue centres will inform potential adopters about their complex needs.
“Someone who impulse buys a kitten online because they thought their ‘flat-faced’ features are ‘cute’ is far less likely to be given information on the issues because the seller simply wants to make a profit with some kittens being sold for more than £1,000 online, or they may not even know themselves.
“This means they are still increasingly popular pets and more are being bred to meet this demand – but the challenging reality of caring for them can mean they end up in rescue centres where they are sadly then often overlooked for adoption.”
The RSPCA has launched the #SaveOurBreath campaign to raise awareness of the healthcare issues associated with flat-face animals.
It hopes to prevent further breeding of this type of ‘designer’ pet as to protect animals from unnecessary suffering.
“While many face long waits in rescue centres, we know that the popularity of these cats with unsuspecting, impulse buyers is increasing. This is something we’re concerned about as often these ‘flat-faced’ cats suffer from brachycephaly, which means they struggle to breathe, suffer from eye and dental issues, and have difficulty sleeping and grooming themselves.
“The latest rehoming figures reveal that it takes much longer to rehome these cats than your typical ‘moggy’ and one of the reasons for this could be the often severe health issues they struggle with and the information potential cat owners are armed with before rehoming versus buying,” Potter added.