Is Ben the Vet right about the four cat breeds he would never own?

Ben the Vet is a UK veterinarian with a healthy social media presence. He can speak to his followers and it gets picked up on the news media. It's always interesting to hear the views of a veterinarian. They can have a slightly different perspective on companion animals because they interact with them in their clinic's consulting rooms.

They see a different aspect of animal behaviour and of course they are tuned into the health of these animals including inherited diseases. Ben criticises: Bengal cats, Sphynx cats, Scottish Fold cats and Persian cats.

He's picked out four purebred cat breeds but, to be perfectly honest, he could have picked out more. But is he right to be critical of these four cat breeds?

Ben the Vet would not purchase 4 cat breeds. Image: his TikTok page.

Bengal

He makes it clear that this is his opinion. He finds the Bengal cat too aggressive. This is why he wouldn't adopt this purebred cat. And he says that the aggressiveness comes from the fact that this is a wildcat hybrid, and the wildcat component of this hybridisation is the Asian leopard cat, a very independent-minded small wild cat species living in Asia.

When this breed came out as long ago as the late 1960s (Jean Mill founded this breed), the cat fancy was reluctant to accept it because of what they perceived as its inherited aggressive character. The breed standard stated that Bengal show cats must not show any aggression. It was unusual for a breed standard to specify a standard concerning aggression. This indicated that this cat breed could be aggressive.

Things have moved on and the F5 Bengal cats are now considered to be like standard domestic cats. But Ben has a point. And also, many people have higher filial Bengal cats, and they possess more of the leopard cat's DNA which means they potentially import more of that instinctive aggression. So, Ben is essentially right in respect of the Bengal cat.

What do Bengal cat owners think of their cats?

Sphynx

With respect to the Sphynx cat, he doesn't particularly like them because there's no fur on them! He prefers a fluffy cat. He wants to feel the fur. Perhaps he likes cats to be more natural and hairlessness is distinctly unnatural. He doesn't mention the other quite extensive problems with hairless cats namely that they need washing all the time because they become grimy because, in turn, the sebaceous glands deposit oil on the skin where it picks up grime.

In addition, hairless cats can't go outside normally because they get sunburned or get too cold. The Sphynx cat is basically an indoor cat and not everybody wants to confine their cat to the home full-time. There are other problems with this hairless cat namely the ear canals get dirty because there is no hair in the ear canals to repel dirt coming into them.

That means you have to clean the ear canals and you have to do this with extreme care and expertise. Ben is correct.

18 facts about the Sphynx cat

Scottish Fold

The Scottish Fold is well known to be a problem cat breed. The recessive genetic mutation affects the production of cartilage to the point where it loses stiffness which means the ears gradually fold down a certain time after being born. This makes the face of the Scottish fold attractive to some people. It is because these cats have an owl-like or baby-like appearance.

But the problem with the cartilage affects other parts of the body and this can be a major disability and a source of pain and discomfort for a Scottish Fold. The Germans would call this torture breeding. They don't allow this cat breed to exist in Germany as far as I remember.

Scottish Fold cats health problems. Beware.

Persian

The Persian cat, too, has health problems to do with extreme selective breeding where the flat face of this popular breed affects the anatomy of the cat to the point where it is detrimental to their health. There are several issues namely tear duct overflow and poor breathing.  And the Persian cat suffers from a high preponderance (35%) of polycystic kidney disease.

The Persian is popular, but people are often unaware of the extent of the health issues concerning this cat breed. If they were they might think twice.

Conclusion

My conclusion is that Ben the Vet is correct in his unwillingness to adopt cats of these breeds. Although Bengal cat followers of which there are many, might argue that he is being a little bit unfair with respect to Bengal cats because over many years of selective breeding the cat fancy has created a beautiful cat with a good character. 

They just tend to be a little bit more aggressive on occasions and certainly compared to another breed mentioned here, the Persian, which is unassuming but a bit nervous. The Bengal is more active and demands more input and consideration as to a suitable environment. So called 'environmental enrichment' is more of an issue for Bengals.

Are Persian Cats Healthy?

Postscript: Ben also makes it clear that if an individual cat of one of these cat breeds was available at a rescue centre, he would not be against adopting that animal. It is just about purchasing a purebred cat of one of these breeds from a breeder. That is a different matter because you are adding to the sum total of domestic cats when there are already unwanted cats in rescue centres.