Warning over popular hairless 'bullycats' being bred in the UK

An animal charity has issued a warning to cat lovers in the UK over a breed that is becoming popular on social media.

Bullycats are "unnatural hairless sphynx-like cats with shortened, bowed legs and heavily wrinkled skin" which often suffer serious health problems, according to the Naturewatch Foundation. The charity said the cats have recently gained a "disturbing following" on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

The cats are named 'bullycats' because of their likeness to the Bully dog breed. Experts are urging Brits not to buy into the trend, as bullycats are likely to suffer "serious health and welfare issues", according to the charity. Experts say the unnatural cats are likely to have a shortened life, as well as conditions like skin infections and joint issues.

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Naturewatch Foundation said the extreme body shape of bullycats originated in the United States, but has the breed is now being reared in the UK as well.

A spokesperson for the animal charity said: "It’s shocking to see that these poor cats are starting to appear in the UK. We’ve seen increasingly extreme breeding practices in the dog world in recent years, and it appears unscrupulous people are now turning their attention to exploiting cats in the same way, all in the pursuit of greed and social media likes."

They added: "Bullycats are an animal welfare disaster unfolding before our eyes and this kind of breeding is just cruel."

Dr Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), commented: "The RVC has generated huge volumes of research over the past decade showing the enormous suffering that