Dr Ben Simpson-Vernon explained that there are certain breeds he wouldn’t choose based on his experience
A small-animal vet has named five cat breeds he wouldn’t buy. The UK-based vet explained that his opinions were based on problems he’s experienced when treating pets.
The list was shared by Ben Simpson-Vernon, MA VetMB MRCVS. An animal expert and educator, the veterinary surgeon has amassed over 200k followers on social media, posting TikTok videos as ‘Ben The Vet’. He qualified from Cambridge Vet School in 2015, and he often works with animal charities, including Cats Protection, to help educate pet owners.
In a TikTok video, Ben named five cat breeds he would not own. Before starting the list, the vet told viewers: “This video is just to share my opinion as someone who sees a lot of cats and their health problems. It’s not intended to cast judgment over people.”
In his caption, he added: “Truly rescuing one of these cats if you have the means to care for them is different to buying a kitten, I should make clear. I’ve made a similar video to this a while ago, but some of the trends are changing, so I felt the need to revisit it.”
1. Sphynx
Ben said he wouldn’t choose a Sphynx cat because of their various health concerns, even though these cats have great personalities. He explained: “They either have no whiskers or these stubby, little, fairly useless ones.
“Whiskers are an integral part of being a cat. They use them to navigate in the dark, to sense vibrations, to communicate their emotional state. Also, no cat should have to wear clothes to avoid being cold.
“And they have a really high rate of heart disease because of their genetics, and a very low life expectancy of just six and a half years on average. Yes, they’ve got great personalities, but why make life hard for your cat?”
2. Munchkin
For his second choice, the vet urged people not to breed Munchkin cats. Ben said: “Please, let’s not let it become socially acceptable to deliberately breed cats with dwarfism.
“Pets should not just be the object of amusement. They’re a living, breathing animal that has the ability to sense pain and their own needs. Let’s not make life hard for them by giving them short limbs, which makes it hard for them to jump and means they suffer from arthritis at a young age.”
3. Scottish Fold
The vet warned against choosing a Scottish fold cat for similar reasons, explaining the breed suffers from a genetic disorder that gives them their distinctive ears. “If you just Google Scottish fold cat, practically the first thing that comes up are articles talking about the fact they all have the same genetic disorder called osteochondrodysplasia, which gives them these folded ears, but also means they have defective joint cartilage, all of their joints, and develop pain and arthritis at a young age,” he said.
“Scottish Fold cats now make up 2% of all new cats. So people either are doing no research or are seeing this information but choosing to ignore it. Either way, it’s quite sad,” Ben claimed.
4. Savannah
Ben explained that he has seen a few Savannah cats in practice, and he said he was ‘quite scared’ of them.’ He explained: “They’re a hybrid between a domestic cat and a serval, which is a kind of wild cat, and they’re being deliberately produced for the pet market.
“They’re much bigger and stronger than a domestic cat, and they retain a lot more of their wild instincts. So they’re hard to cater for in a home environment. I would say near impossible. I just think if you’re going to buy a status symbol, choose an inanimate object, and if you prefer wild animals to domestic ones, give it to a conservation charity.”
5. Peke-Faced Persian
Introducing his final choice, Ben said: “The Persian cat. Now, I’m talking particularly about the ones with the smashed faces. So these are called peke-faced Persians.
The vet explained: “I feel really sad for these cats. They can’t groom themselves properly, so they get really matted, and they get a lot of health problems.
“It’s obviously harder for them to breathe when they have tiny nostrils like this, but they get chronic upper respiratory infections really commonly, eye issues, dental problems, hydrocephalus, which is a buildup of fluid in their brain, which is related to their abnormal skull shape. If you want a happy, healthy companion, buying a kitten that looks like this is not a good choice.”
