UK could ban part-wild hybrid cats after social media fuels boom in popularity | Animal welfare

Aspect-wild hybrid cats could be banned by the United kingdom government, soon after social media aided deliver these serious breeds to recognition.

With their substantial dimensions, highly effective muscle groups and spotted coats, hybrid cats are observed by some as the great pet for the social media age. But the escalating trade raises problems more than animal welfare and the wildlife black market place.

Govt sources reported they prepared to overview the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Functions Involving Animals) (England) Rules 2018.

A supply reported: “During this review we will look at regardless of whether there is a need to have to introduce licensing preparations for cat breeders which includes limitations on the breeding of particular forms of cats.” Present-day Uk legislation does not control the hybridisation of unique felids with domestic cats.

Campaigners have argued that breeds that are aspect wildcat are unsuitable for most pet owners owing to their complicated wants, and set tension on uncommon felines in the wild since an amplified desire for these cats implies some breeders vacation resort to the illegal wildlife trade to come across wildcats to breed from.

Savannah cats, a cross in between a domestic cat and an African serval, have develop into notably common on social media owing to their striking search. 1 these kinds of cat, Stryker, has much more than 800,000 followers on Instagram. A “luxury cattery” advertising and marketing the breed has 44,000 followers.

The savannah cat breed was only recognised in 2001 and given that then there has been a surge in its level of popularity as a trophy pet, with “F1 hybrids” – a cat with a serval as a guardian – fetching up to £20,000 a kitten.

In accordance to study by the Wildheart Have confidence in, there are 259 modest and medium exotic cats registered as pets in the United kingdom. A big selection of these cats are applied for breeding, making hybrids this kind of as the savannah.

A spokesperson for the animal charity said: “Urgent legislative motion to make this sort of hybridisation illegal will protect against the suffering of personal animals caught up in this trade and mitigate in opposition to future threats to wild populations of exotic felids. The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary has around 40 yrs of working experience caring for unique felids. We see 1st-hand the physical and psychological hurt inflicted on animals at the palms of human beings.”

Bengals, such as that owned – and kicked – by the disgraced footballer Kurt Zouma, have been designed by breeding domestic animals with the Asian leopard cat. While these days the breed is set up, most are bred with each and every other relatively than wildcats. Several are uncovered dumped at rescue centres simply because their superior-energy personalities are also a lot for their entrepreneurs to tackle. These bengals that have a wildcat dad or mum or grandparent could be topic to a ban, but lots of of the breed are now so interbred that wildcats are considerably again in their lineage, so experts have stated these could still be allowed.

A spokesperson for Battersea Puppies and Cats Residence mentioned it supported a ban on breeding hybrid cats in the British isles. They mentioned: “In new years desire has grown for designer hybrid cats such as savannah cats, a cross amongst a domestic cat and an African serval. Unsurprisingly these cats are not ideal for a domestic home environment, due to their wild cat DNA, their dimension, and their really potent predatory instincts.

“We have noticed so lots of examples of animals remaining bred for their seems relatively than welfare, creating several welfare challenges. It is crucial that we clamp down on this apply and cease further more animals struggling at the arms of indiscriminate breeders.”

The RSPCA is also calling for a crackdown on the breeding of these cats, mainly because it will involve a need for unsafe wild animals. This has implications both equally for human security and animal welfare.

The RSPCA scientific officer Evie Button explained: “We have problems about the breeding, trade and holding of wild – or ‘exotic’ – animals kept as animals, including those people categorised as unsafe wild animals, such as servals. We consider that animals ought to only be held in captivity if very good welfare can be confident and this can be quite hard.

“Exotic animals are wild, non-domesticated animals retained in captivity and so their requirements are fundamentally no unique to the exact same species living in the wild. Some species – like servals – are unsuitable to be stored as animals due to the fact their desires are too complex to be satisfied in a household surroundings.”

She said the charity was pushing for a broader evaluation into the retaining of exotic animals as pets.