It’s not just fashionable dog breeds that find themselves the focus of unscrupulous breeding and under-prepared owners.

Dubbed ‘designer’ cats, pedigree breeds such as Maine Coon, Persian and Ragdoll are being seen in increasing numbers in RSPCA centres across the UK.

Sadly, as with flat-faced dog breeds, the characteristic features of cats like Persian, Himalayan, Scottish Fold and Maine Coon means they too can have potential breathing difficulties and specialist care needs. New owners who thought they were buying into a ‘cool cat’ soon discover grooming and vet fees are too costly and time consuming for them to keep the cat, and so they end up being abandoned or surrendered.

In some instances, these designer cats are un-neutered and over bred, causing distress, pain, poor quality of life and possibly death of the mother or kittens.

High numbers of pedigree cats in care

The most common pedigree cat in RSPCA care is the Persian, with a 92% increase since 2018.

This is followed by Ragdolls (61% increase), Bengals (22% increase), and Maine Coons, which have seen a whopping 300% increase over the last six years.

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

'Over the last few years, we have seen an increase in certain cat breeds coming into our care as a result of "designer" breeds becoming more popular with owners,' Ms Potter said.

'Sadly, many of these cat breeds have exaggerated physical features, some of which have become so extreme that they can cause pain and suffering.

'Some can make cats prone to particular disorders, and some prevent them from behaving normally.

'Persian cats are bred to have "flat faces" which often causes them to have brachycephaly which means they struggle to breathe, sleep and even give birth.'

Do your research

The RSPCA urges enthusiastic cat owners to do the proper research into the care needs of any breed they choose to give a home to. For example, Maine Coons can grow to be as large as a dog, with the smaller females weighing between 12 and 18 pounds and measuring up to 1 metre in length. They have long hair which requires daily grooming and may require bigger litter trays and more food than your average cat…

The good thing about adopting a cat from the RSPCA is that you know they have been assessed by experts who are happy to tell you all about their personalities as well as their needs.

So, to help prevent the numbers of designer cats in care going up any further, please think twice about whether they are the right breed for you, and if they are, please look online at our rescue centres to consider adoption before buying a kitten.