The RSPCA and Cats Protection have issued an urgent warning over a surge in designer Frankenstein cats suffering from severe lifelong health issues in Britain.
Animal welfare experts warned that domestic cats could soon bear little resemblance to traditional moggies unless immediate action is taken against cruel cat breeding practices. Popular breeds with extreme physical features, including Scottish Folds, Persians, Sphynxes and newly created XL Bully cats, are leaving animals to suffer unnecessarily for cosmetic traits that humans find desirable.
Alice Potter, senior scientific and policy officer in the RSPCA science and policy group, said: "Cats must not be forced to suffer unnecessarily because of physical traits that some humans find desirable."
Rising popularity of designer cat breeds
The RSPCA, formally the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Cats Protection reported that social media trends and celebrity endorsements have fueled massive demand for cats bred with folded ears, shortened limbs, flat faces, or missing hair and tails. Scottish Folds, which are owned by celebrities such as singer Taylor Swift, now account for up to two per cent of the entire cat population in the United Kingdom.
Madison Rogers, associate director of advocacy at Cats Protection, noted that while feline body shapes remained broadly similar for hundreds of years, the structure of domestic cats has changed dramatically in a relatively short period. Between 2016 and 2025, RSPCA figures revealed a 200 per cent increase in British Shorthairs and a 180 per cent surge in Persians across the country.
Both British Shorthairs and Persians are brachycephalic, meaning they are selectively bred for flat faces that result from extreme skull deformities. Meanwhile, the XL Bully cat has experienced booming popularity after first appearing in the UK in 2024. Created by crossbreeding hairless Sphynx cats with short-legged Munchkin cats, the XL Bully feline lacks whiskers needed for navigation and communication, suffers painful limb deformities that restrict movement, and cannot safely spend time in direct sunlight.
Extreme physical traits and health defects
Rogers warned: "If action is not taken quickly, we are likely to see more alarming examples of what we are calling 'Frankenstein' cats - who bear no resemblance to our beloved moggy and, tragically, come with multiple health issues."
According to Cats Protection, the deliberate genetic mutations behind these breeds inflict severe medical conditions on the animals throughout their lives. Persian cats suffer from abnormal skull shapes that lead to flat faces, eye problems including conjunctivitis and ulcers, dental misalignments, and severe breathing difficulties that limit their ability to exercise. Sphynx cats lack fur, leaving them exposed to harmful ultraviolet radiation and prone to serious skin infections. They also struggle to regulate their body temperature, which poses severe risks during summer heatwaves.
At the RSPCA Millbrook cattery in Surrey, staff are working around the clock to keep two abandoned Sphynx cats, named Spongebob and Pearl, cool and comfortable. Claire Jones, cattery supervisor at RSPCA Millbrook, explained: "They are struggling in the heat due to their inability to regulate their temperature, as they don’t have a coat that can help keep them cool - by deflecting heat, or trapping air against the skin."
Scottish Folds inherit an incurable genetic disorder affecting cartilage that creates their signature folded ears while causing abnormal bone development, chronic pain and severe lameness. Munchkin cats carry traits linked to severe limb deformities that restrict natural movement and cause ongoing pain.
The financial and emotional burden on owners
Prospective pet owners are frequently unaware of the complex care requirements and overwhelming veterinary bills associated with designer breeds, leading to an increase in cats surrendered to rescue shelters. Claire Chafer, a resident of Staffordshire, adopted a Scottish Fold named Fenella from the Cats Protection Derby adoption centre in 2024.
Chafer said: "We’ve had a blind, three-legged cat before, and another one with a neurological condition, but neither of them have needed the kind of help that Fenella needs, and both enjoyed much more normal cat behaviour." Due to malformed joints, Fenella cannot groom herself, while her flattened face causes food to build up on her muzzle without the ability to clean it off. Chafer added: "I see celebrities owning Scottish folds, but it’s not at all glamorous."
Regulatory gaps and calls for legislation
Commercial cat breeding in the UK operates largely without specific legal oversight, allowing breeders to select for extreme and harmful traits without restriction. The only current exception is Scotland, where licensing regulations apply to breeders producing three or more litters per year. In the rest of the UK, no rules restrict breeding animals with painful genetic defects.
In response to growing welfare concerns, both the RSPCA and Cats Protection are calling for urgent intervention from the UK Government to enact a ban on breeding cats with known harmful traits. The charities are also urging members of the public to stop purchasing designer breeds that suffer from extreme physical mutations.
Understanding feline behavior and signals
As charities campaign against harmful breeding practices, animal behavior experts emphasize that cats are highly communicative animals rather than distant or solitary pets. In her book Kitty Language: An Illustrated Guide to Understanding Your Cat, author Lili Chin, working alongside animal behaviorists, details how cats actively communicate feelings of affection through facial expressions, tail movements, whisker positioning and body language.
