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Brachycephalic cats taking longer to rehome, RSPCA says
A breeder may not make new owners aware of brachycephalic health issues in an effort to improve their chance of a sale.
The rescue charity believes severe health problems cause them to be overlooked.

The RSPCA has reported that flat-faced cats are spending longer in their care than other cats, potentially due to their associated health problems.

This includes some breeds of brachycephalic cat waiting over twice as long as non-brachycephalic breeds for a suitable home, with Persian cats taking an average of 68 days to be rehomed.

Other flat-faced breeds that are following this trend include British shorthairs and Birmans, which wait 46 and 40 days to be rehomed respectively. These figures contrast with the rehoming rate of domestic shorthair and domestic semi long-haired cats, which take an average of 29 and 27 days respectively.

The RSPCA believes that this could be due to differing awareness of the health problems associated with brachycephalic breeds.

In order to responsibly rehome these cats, the rescue charity is transparent about their health problems on their adoption website. This includes informing potential owners of the cats’ breathing difficulties, eye and dental problems, and issues with sleep and grooming themselves.

However a breeder may not make new owners aware of these issues, in an effort to improve their chances of a sale.

The RSPCA believes that this could explain why so many flat-faced cats are being surrendered, but far fewer are being adopted.

These statistics have been released as part of the charity’s ‘Save Our Breath’ campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the difficulties that flat-faced cats deal with. As breeders continue to sell these breeds, the RSPCA receives more surrendered cats from owners who cannot afford the treatments associated with the breeds.

The RSPCA is asking that breeders consider the welfare of these cats, rather than breeding them for traits which are harmful to their health.

Alice Potter, a cat welfare expert at RSPCA, said: “Someone who impulse buys a kitten online because they thought their ‘flat-faced’ features are ‘cute’ is far less likely to be given information on the issues because the seller simply wants to make a profit with some kittens being sold for over £1,000 online, or they may not even know themselves.

“This means they are still increasingly popular pets and more are being bred to meet this demand – but the challenging reality of caring for them can mean they end up in rescue centres where they are sadly then often overlooked for adoption.”

RSPCA is encouraging people to write to their local MP on the issue. Their pre-written letter can be found on the Save Our Breath page.

Image © Shutterstock

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FIVP Practice Matters podcast returns for Series 2

News Story 1
 The Federation of Independent Veterinary Practices (FIVP) has announced that its podcast, FIVP Practice Matters, will be returning for a second series next year.

The bi-weekly podcast will return on Tuesday, 14 January 2025 with an episode on sustainability with Alison Lambert. The second series will include a range of new and familiar guests sharing veterinary initiatives and news from independent practices.

The podcast is available on Spotify and will now also be released on Apple Podcasts. More details about FIVP and the podcast can be found on its website

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Further cases of H5N1 confirmed in Norfolk

APHA has officially confirmed that two more cases of H5N1 have been found on premises in Norfolk.

Testing confirmed that highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was present at premises near Attleborough, as well as premises near Hingham in South Norfolk. The case near Hingham follows a slaughter on suspicion which was declared on 23 December.

A 3km Protection Zone and 10km Surveillance Zone have been implemented at each premises, and all the poultry on each premises will be humanely culled.

A third case has also been identified near Beverley in East Riding of Yorkshire.

APHA is reminding bird keepers to remain vigilant and follow biosecurity measures to prevent more outbreaks. Details on the current disease control zones and biosecurity guidance can be found on the APHA website.