2023-08-07 10:47:39
The number of seriously ill pedigree cats is increasing. A current survey among Viennese veterinarians shows that the painful breeding of the Scottish Fold breed is experiencing a boom. This was announced by the Vienna Regional Office of the Austrian Chamber of Veterinarians and the Vienna Animal Welfare Ombudsman on Monday on the occasion of World Cat Day on August 8th.
“The suffering of these cats is genetically pre-programmed. Although breeding, importing, passing on and purchasing the animals are prohibited in Austria, they are omnipresent,” criticized the Viennese animal protection ombudswoman Eva Persy and Manfred Hochleithner, president of the Vienna regional office of the Austrian Chamber of Veterinarians. The experts together called for decisive action to be taken once morest this breed.
According to an analysis of the qualitative survey by the Vienna Chamber of Veterinarians, there has been an increase in Scottish Fold cats in the federal capital for around a year from “several new customers per month” to “two to three such cats per week”.
In this particular case, the animals are often bought for their “folded” ears. “They are the visible sign of an incurable hereditary disease,” explains veterinarian Hochleithner. “What looks cute means hellish agony for the animals.” The cats would be severely hampered in their lives due to joint swelling, thickened and misshapen limbs, and abnormal posture and gait. “Unfortunately, euthanasia is often the only way to end the suffering,” says Hochleithner. In addition, these animals would be abandoned more and more frequently if the symptoms of the disease appeared.
Other breeds associated with agonizing rearing would also be on the up. The veterinarians surveyed report an increase in hairless cats, short-headed breeds and animals suffering from polydactyly (“many toeds”). The Vienna Landing Office of the Austrian Chamber of Veterinarians and the Vienna Animal Welfare Ombudsman are therefore calling for stricter action once morest torture at all levels – from educational work for potential owners to punishment for breeding and trading. But cat owners who are overwhelmed with the care should also feel the consequences.
The organization “Four Paws” also called on the Austrian government to “finally pass the overdue amendment to the law and put a stop to tormented breeding”. “Torturous breeding means that the affected animals suffer from deformities or diseases throughout their lives. They are victims of the fashion craze that requires certain visual characteristics,” the organization said in a broadcast on Monday.
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