image courtesy by: bbc.com
Cats like Bun may look cute, but their distinctive features can cause serious health problems
A cat charity is calling on people to be careful buying cats with distinctive traits they have seen on social media.
Cats Protection said there had been a “huge increase” in people buying pedigree breeds in the past five years, but warned cats with traits such as flat faces, folded ears or no fur can come with serious health issues.
They said the rise was being driven by their popularity with celebrities and influencers, and fear this could lead to many of them being left at rescues when their owners cannot afford to care for them.
Nottinghamshire vet Janice Dixon said there was “nothing more depressing” than dealing with the consequences of a shortened face, such as breathing problems.
“These strange looking breeds, which you don’t see many of, they’re quite rare,” she said.
“Things are rare for a reason and they quite often go wrong. When they go wrong, that leads to expensive vets bills.”