This is an interesting cat picture from Sarah Jenkins who has an Instagram page for her odd-eyed Sphyx cats, Rosie and Poppy. Sarah is a teacher and I don’t think she is a hobbyist cat breeder but she appears to be letting her adult cats breed because how else would we get such an amazing picture of a knot of hairless kittens gazing up at the camera? Great picture by the way, Sarah.
Sarah says that she is criticised by some visitors to her social media page. I have not read their comments because I know what they’ll be about. They’ll be criticisms of the breeding of hairless cats because it is unnatural. There is an awakening by members of the public who are animal advocates of which there are very many to domestic cat welfare. There are several cat breeds which have been created on the back of a genetic mutation causing an unnatural appearance. Another, for example, is the Scottish Fold (loved by Taylor Swift). And some breeds are bred to extreme e.g. the Persian.
In Germany they call the creation of these breeds torture breeding – Qualzucht. I am not going to be critical of Sarah. The Daily Mail say that she is sensitive. I am sure that she has discovered that you have to be thick skinned to post stuff on social media as there is always a section of social media users who are very ready to have a go and who are far more insulting online than they would be face-to-face.
However, I am one of those who’d prefer to see more natural cats in the fancy. Nature knows best and humans should resist the temptation to play God in creating creatures that they find attractive or interesting and which are sold to be possessed like shiny baubles.
SOME MORE ON THE SPHYNX:
