German Court Orders Whiskerless Cat to be Castrated

A short note to illustrate Germany’s attitude to the creation of cat breeds which they consider to be inherently unhealthy. They call it torture breeding or “Qualzucht”.

Big eyed Sphynx Cat
Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats

Big eyed Sphynx Cat. Note: this is not Willi

The Associated Press very recently reported the case of a German court ordering a cat breeder to castrate (neuter) her cat because he doesn’t have whiskers. It sounds odd but it fits in with the principles of Qualzucht because the cat, Willi, is a Sphynx, the well-known almost hairless breed.

Sphynx cats have broken whiskers. All cat lovers know that a cat’s whiskers are amazing. They are incredibly sensitive and an important part of the cat’s anatomy. They enhance the cat’s sense of touch – you can read more on cat whiskers on this page.

The Sphynx cat breeder had appealed a decision by local veterinary authorities (implying that vets can enforce this aspect of German law). The Appeal court in Berlin rejected the breeder’s appeal and decided that the breeding of a cat without whiskers was cruel.

Useful links
Anxiety - reduce it
FULL Maine Coon guide - lots of pages
Children and cats - important

The court left the door open for a further appeal so watch this space!

Personally, I love the concept of Qualzucht. I believe it should be incorporated into the legal systems of all countries. If it was it would have a monumental impact in countries such as the USA and the UK. It would be a very positive impact as it would force humans to better respect the companion animal. It would help alter the relationship between domestic animal and human caretaker. Many dog breeds would fall within the ambit of the concept and probably end up being banned at the end of the day. As for cats, it would weed out the unhealthy ones such as the flat-faced Persian.

Useful tag. Click to see the articles: Cat behavior

Note: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified.

Michael Broad

Hi, I'm a 74-year-old retired solicitor (attorney in the US). Before qualifying I worked in many jobs including professional photography. I love nature, cats and all animals. I am concerned about their welfare. If you want to read more click here.

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3 Responses

  1. Dee (Florida) says:

    It’s no secret that I abhor breeding when there are so many wonderful cats without homes.
    I support a ban on all breeding until there is a better outlook for moggies.
    But, to purposely breed cats that are certain to have genetic health issues or are as completely “uncat-like” as a hairless sphynx is criminal to me.
    For the most part, all cats are beautiful to me. But, a manmade “rat-cat” may turn a lot of people off.

  2. Sally Cutts says:

    I am absolutely disgusted by the deliberate breeding of cats to accentuate deformities. I absolutely agree with this decision on the part of the German authorities. Cats should NOT be bred simply for rich idiots to have a cat to satisfy their need to have something “rare and special”.

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