I’m a vet – I would never buy these four breeds of cat, one stunning variety even has a wild streak
A VET has revealed the four cat breeds that he would never adopt, including one that has a wild side.
Choosing a flurry friend can be an exciting, but also stressful time with so many cat breeds to choose from.
An animal expert, known as Ben the Vet on TikTok, weighed in with his own thoughts on which cats he would be less geared towards when pet shopping.
He said to avoid the Bengal in the TikTok video saying that although they are pretty, they can act up.
“They are beautiful-looking cats. They have gorgeous coats. I can see why people like them,” Ben said.
“But what a lot of people aren’t aware of is that they’re a hybrid between a type of wildcat called an Asian leopard cat and domestic cat breeds.
“So they’re still quite wild in terms of their behavior and temperament.”
Ben said they have a bad reputation at the vet as they can be aggressive during their visits.
“Usually, it’s out of fear, but they can actually be really quite dangerous to handle,” said Ben.
He added: “They’re highly intelligent. They need a lot of stimulation, and unfortunately, a lot of homes just aren’t right for them.”
Ben also said he would not want to get a Sphynx, just because he would like a fluffy cat to cuddle with.
MEDICAL ISSUES
The vet warned against getting a Scottish Fold because of their health issues.
Ben said: “The reason is that their curly ears, which is their most distinctive feature, is actually because of a cartilage disorder called osteochondrodysplasia.”
“The problem is that this defective cartilage is also found in all of their joints, and this means that they commonly develop painful arthritis at a young age,” he added.
Ben shared that the breed he is least likely to adopt is the Persian cat because of its flat face and the medical problems associated with it.
“As with the Brachycephalic dog breeds like French Bulldogs and pugs, there are some breeders that are trying to breed Persian cats with less extreme features,” he said.
The vet continued: “But in my experience, they’re in the minority, and on the whole, people are just far too accepting of the health problems that these cats have.
“I have seen Persian cats whose noses look inverted into their face and their eyes bulge beyond their nose.
“People don’t realize they can struggle to breathe just as badly as some of the flat-faced dog breeds, and that’s for the same reasons on the whole.
He added: “Their nostrils are too small, all the bones in their nasal passages are crowded together, and they often have too long a soft palette at the back of their throat.
“Their tear ducts usually don’t work properly, so all of their eye boogers collect around their eyes.
“Because of the shape of their heads and the fact that they have these bulging eyes, they’re very prone to eye issues such as corneal ulcers.”