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”.
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.
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.
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.
Well said Sally. My thoughts are the same as yours.
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”.