Veterinarians have named popular breeds of cats that you should not get in any case

Recently, animal rescue centers in the UK have been getting more calls from owners of "expensive breeds" of cats. The number of referrals has increased by 300 percent since 2018 alone.

As the Daily Mail reports, citing RSPCA data, owners of many of these cats, which have exaggerated physical features such as flat muzzles or hunched backs, are unable to provide them with proper care.

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"We know that owners want their pets to be happy and healthy, and people may not realize that cats bred with exaggerated features can have extremely serious health problems," said Alice Potter, cat welfare expert at the RSPCA.

Popular breeds of cats entering rescue centers include Persians, British Shorthairs, Himalayan cats, Maine Coons, exotic shorthairs and Burmese.

"Over the past few years, we have seen an increase in the number of certain breeds of cats that come into our care, due to the fact that 'designer' breeds are becoming more popular with owners," Potter said.

She added that, unfortunately, many of these cat breeds are experiencing significant health problems due to artificially altered genetics.

"Some of which have become so extreme that they can experience constant pain and suffering due to disorders... Persian cats in particular are bred to have 'flat faces' which often leads to brachycephaly, meaning they have difficulty breathing, sleeping and even giving birth," the experts said.

Data released by the RSPCA shows that Scottish lop-eared cats have a genetic disorder that causes them to have severe and painful lameness.

Experts from the RSPCA are urging anyone breeding cats to prioritize health, welfare and temperament over appearance when people choose which animals to breed.

We suggest finding out why cats play with mice before killing them.

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