I’m a vet – 4 cat breeds I would never buy, including a ‘wild and aggressive’ pet which is ‘dangerous to handle’
A VET has shared the four types of cats he would never personally buy after working on them.
From behavioral issues to an array of health conditions, the feline expert explained the reasoning behind his picks.
TikTok user Ben (@ben.the.vet) explained that he would still adopt any breed of cat but he wouldn’t support the breeding of some.
For his first pick of the video, the TikToker named the exotic-looking Bengal cat as a personal no-go.
“They are beautiful looking cats [with] gorgeous coats, I can see why people like them,” Ben told his followers.
However, he continued: “What a lot of people aren’t aware of is they’re a hybrid between a wildcat called an Asian leopard cat and domestic cat breeds.
“So they’re still quite wild in terms of their behavior and temperament and at a vet’s, they have a reputation for being quite aggressive,” the expert said.
The content creator also revealed that he would never own a Sphynx cat.
“Nothing against them, they’re nice cats. I would just prefer to cuddle a fluffy cat,” he explained.
For his next pick, Ben advised his followers to look into the common health issues of a Scottish wildcat before buying one.
“Their curly ears, which is actually their most distinctive feature, are actually because of a cartilage disorder,” he told viewers.
Ben added: “The problem is that this defective cartilage is also found in most of their joints and this means that they commonly develop painful arthritis at a young age.
“For me, that is just cruel and unfair and I could never support their breeding,” he concluded.
For similar reasons, Ben shared that he would never purchase a Persian cat.
“I’ve seen Persian cats whose noses look inverted into their face and their eyes bulge beyond their nose. People don’t realize they can struggle to breathe just as badly as flat-faced dog breeds,” he said.
Ben explained: “Their nostrils are too small, all the bones in their nasal passages are crowded together and they often have too long of a soft palate in the back of their throat.
“Their tear ducts usually don’t work properly so all of their eye bogies collect around their eyes. Because of the shape of their heads, they’re very prone to eye issues such as cornea ulcers,” he added.
The vet also named heart disease, polycystic kidney disease, and dental disease as common issues faced by the Persian breed.
“They’re a hit of a health disaster overall and for that reason, I could never buy one,” he concluded.
TikTok users took to the comments section to share their thoughts on the expert’s advice.
“Poor Persians, people really need to open their eyes,” wrote one viewer.
Another follower said: “The poor Scottish wilds. Such sweet cats but [they] live in pain.”
“My Persian cat has a nose, it’s not totally flat but it’s true that they tear more. They have a great personality though,” commented a third person.