Inside the strange world of 'XL Bullycat' breeding

Everyone's heard of XL Bully dogs, but a fearsome feline equivalent is making animal rights campaigners 'incredibly concerned'. Abnormally large, sphynx-like cats are being engineered by breeders to look a particular way, and experts argue that their "extreme body types" could cause health issues.

Like XL Bully dogs, XL cats are bred to look intimidating. They come with short and stocky bodies, and they are hairless, with wrinkly bare skin, and large pointed ears. They are thought to have originated in the US, but are increasingly common on this side of the pond. Owners have shown off the new breed, sharing photos across social media sites, resulting in a disturbing trend, reports The Mirror.

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Animal welfare activists fear the cats could become the new 'designer' obsession, which could have severe consequences. Head of Clinical Services for Cats Protection, Alison Richards, told the Mirror: "We're incredibly concerned about the breeding of cats with extreme body types and have seen some sellers advertising 'Bully cats' on online selling sites. Our veterinary assessments of the photos and videos we have seen of these cats have raised serious welfare concerns."

Talking about their DNA make-up, she said their lack of fur will predispose these cats to skin disease, while their shortened legs will lead to joint abnormalities, potentially resulting in arthritis. They can also be at risk of illnesses like cat flu, flea and worm infestations and ongoing behavioural problems.

"Breeding for deformity causes unacceptable suffering and distress and prevents these cats from carrying out normal behaviours essential for their welfare," Alison continued. "Cats with extreme characteristics are bred purely for the pursuit of profit.

"There is a rising trend towards harmful body types, which may be incredibly painful and, in some cases, life-limiting for the cats involved. Breeding of so-called Bully cats or other cats with extreme traits means inflicting a poor quality of life on an animal, and this is clearly inhumane."

She added: "Cats Protection is calling on the government to introduce cat breeding regulations to ban the breeding of cats with extreme characteristics which could have a detrimental effect on their health or welfare or that of their offspring. We’d urge anyone looking to get a cat to consider adopting one of the wonderful cats we have in our care, all cats from Cats Protection will have been health checked by a vet before being adopted."

Echoing the charity's fears, an RSPCA spokesperson outlined the cruel features of an XL Bully cat, telling the Mirror: "These Sphynx-like cats are also bred to have only a fine covering of downy hair and some may not have eyelashes or whiskers. This lack of fur can leave cats vulnerable to harmful ultraviolet light, cause difficulties keeping warm and means they won’t be able to use their hair and possibly their whiskers to explore their environment.

"The lack of a fur coat also means they need to be regularly washed as oil can accumulate on their skin. They also appear to have excess skin folds making them vulnerable to skin conditions which can cause a great deal of discomfort. There could also be further health issues associated with these cats being bred from a limited gene pool."

Highlighting that their prominence on social media could fuel demand for these kinds of cats, they said: "We would urge fellow cat lovers to consider adopting the many rescue cats in our care instead of buying from a breeder. We would also urge breeders to prioritise the health and welfare of any animal over the way they look."