The rescue of a rare cat has led a West Sussex animal charity to raise the alarm over “extreme” social-media-fuelled breeding practices.
The Cat & Rabbit Rescue Centre in Sidlesham said Alfred, a bambino cat, was dumped in a cardboard box in some bushes near Portsmouth and left to fend for himself.
His unique “eye-catching” characteristics are the result of combining genes for hairlessness and dwarfism, which may cause long-term health issues and reduce his quality of life, the centre says.
“Extreme breeding driven by aesthetics, social media trends, and profit comes at a cost to the animal’s health and wellbeing,” said the centre’s general manager Ian Hughes.