Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Welcome to the official podcast of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, where we bring you conversations with leading veterinary experts from around the globe. Each season spotlights one WSAVA committee, sharing their knowledge, research, and insights through short, accessible interviews.
Every fortnight, we speak with two experts on a shared theme, offering concise, engaging discussions designed to spark curiosity and guide you toward WSAVA’s extensive library of educational resources, webinars, and events. Hosted by WSAVA President Jim Berry, the podcast delivers focused conversations that connect you with the latest thinking in small animal medicine worldwide.
You can find more educational resources from WSAVA here: https://wsava.org/education/
Welcome to the WSAVA podcast.
This episode asks what it really means
to create healthy dog and cat breeds,
balancing tradition, science and
responsibility to future generations.
As you listen, think about how you
advise a breeder aiming to make
better choices for their animals.
Our host, Yaiza Gomez Mejias speaks
first with Helle Friis Proschowsky
and later with Lucy Hoile.
Let's begin.
So in our email exchange, prior to
this recording, you mentioned that
the article you've recently co-wrote
and published, A new future for dog
breeding, is a horizon topic paper.
Could you explain what a
horizon paper is and share some
key messages in the article?
It was a paper that I wrote together with
colleagues from my institution in Denmark,
but also people from abroad like Dan
O'Neill and James Serpell, Brenda Bonnett
and Peter Sandøe, who is the leader of
this center for companion animal welfare.
It's a specific article type that the
journal animal welfare is using and of
course there are review articles and
original research, but this horizon
topic, it's more of a discussion paper.
It presents new ways
of considering a topic.
When you say a horizon topic,
it's something that we see as
a new important research area.
So it's a way of actually also
trying to look into the future.
It actually became quite a long article
because we started to give an overview
of the background for the current
situation within dog breeding and
the health issues that we are facing.
We wrote about domestication and
the formation of the different dog
types, which is different than our
modern understanding of breeds.
And then we wanted to describe some
of the dynamics that led to inherited
diseases in pedigree dog populations.
So we wrote about the results of
breeding in closed populations, the
use of inbreeding to make the breeds
uniform and the use of popular science.
And then there's the whole section
about extreme confirmation,
exaggerated breed characteristics.
And then what we wanted to do was
also different solutions used to
work against these problems and
some of them is that we should just
abandon the whole concept of breed.
Some people argue that these
designer breeds are free
from the inherited diseases.
We go through the literature and there was
not any solid evidence that these designer
breeds were healthier than pedigree dogs.
We defended the concept of breed
saying that there are benefits from
keeping different types of dogs
because it's important for future
dog owners to know what they buy.
How much time can you spend on
exercising, grooming, washing,
or taking care of the dog?
So it may help anticipate welfare
problems and prevent them.
Yeah, especially if there's a mismatch
between the needs of the dog and the
expectation of the owner, then it's
very unhappy situation for both.
Of course, you should always look at
the individual dog, but still some
dogs need more exercise than others.
There's an urgent need to change dynamics
within the dog breeding community,
prioritizing health and moving away
from exaggerated features because they
are harmful to many dogs, and it's
a widespread responsibility because.
As it is now, a lot of the
responsibilities are put upon the
organized kennel clubs or the FCI,
the international organization.
But in many countries there are also
people who produce a lot of puppies
for family dogs and they have an equal
responsibility to produce healthy dogs.
Not only when it comes to
genetics but also when it comes
to socialization and the welfare
of the bitches used for breeding.
Some countries, they have taken
legislation into use to try and
provide better health for dogs.
Actually, in Denmark, the new legislation
came into force 1st of July this summer.
So it's brand new and according
to this legislation, some specific
dog types or breeds go through
health screening, hips and elbows,
examination of the heart and so on.
And this new legislation is covering
all people who want to breed a litter.
It's not commercial breeders or registered
breeders, every person who breeds a
litter has to apply to these rules.
So if my neighbor has a Labrador and he
decides that this Labrador should have a
litter, then she has to have this Labrador
x-rayed for hip dysplasia, for instance.
So it's gonna be very exciting.
There's a huge communication task
to get this information out there.
But yeah, we will see how it actually
will benefit the dog breeding
in the long run, but I think it
has some very promising aspects.
That's really really interesting.
How do they approach for breedings tests?
Is there a test specifically for every
breed, or is it regardless of the breed?
There's a list of breeds, if we take hip
dysplasia, there is a list that these
breeds should have a specific hip score
before they are allowed for breeding.
If you have crosses with at least 50%
of a specific breed, it's mandatory
for them to have hip screening.
And then there are some tests, for
instance, the heart screening for
the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
They have to go through a screening
for the specific heart disease
that they are suffering from.
So that's only one test for one breed,
and that's the only breed who has a
mandatory examination of the heart.
And so far you've mentioned phenotypical
traits that can be X-rayed or scanned.
Are genetic tests included in
those pre-breeding screening?
It, it's not included in the legislation.
If you look at the Danish Kennel
Club, they have some breeding
rules for specific breeds and their
genetic tests are included, but
it's not part of this legislation.
What's your view on that?
Would it be more efficient?
Would it be another barrier because
of what it entails from a financial
point of view, or would it be good?
Yeah, it's a difficult question
because some of the genetic tests,
they test for diseases that are
relatively widespread in the population.
Other tests are very breed specific
and maybe more relevant to use within
a pedigree population where you know
what you've got and specifically that
this breed is really this breed, but
if you can imagine that a very solid
genetic test will be developed for the
MMVD heart problem in the Cavalier, it
might change from scanning to DNA test.
But I think we need some really solid
evidence that the DNA test is doing
a better job in this specific area
because in other areas, if you look at
the progressive retinal atrophy in some
breeds, the Labrador, for instance, you
have the PRCD and you have a genetic
test and it's possible to identify
the carriers and that's a good thing.
But it works very well in,
in a pedigree population.
But it might be more difficult
to use as part of a legislation.
It's very interesting when we talk
about this future, I think it's a very
interesting and relevant topic also for
the whole veterinary profession because
it's just developing so fast, new tests
and new ways of looking at things.
And I understand as a general practitioner
maybe to hang onto all these new
things because genetics is not the
only area where things are developing.
It's developing all over the place.
So I think it's a huge task also for
the veterinarians and for instance,
when this new legislation is coming into
force in Denmark, they will probably
be approached by breeders or others
saying, I want to breed this dog, what
should I do to fulfill the legislation?
Actually, this spring I had a veterinary
masters student that made her final
thesis as a questionnaire study among
Danish small animal practitioners looking
at their role with regards to genetic
counselors or breeding consultants,
because it's not previously been a very
big part of the small animal profession.
I think that many general practitioners,
when they have a dog in front of
them, they are very focused on this
individual dog, and that's logical.
But if you think about breeding, that
individual is part of a population and
if this animal is used for breeding, it
might be a benefit for the population as a
whole, but it might also be the contrary.
So we were interested in how
they were looking at this.
Most of the veterinarians that answered
said that they really wanted to be
asked, they wished that, that the
breeders had come to them and asked
them because often they were involved
when the meeting had already taken place
or the puppies were born with defects
or whatever, and they really, they
would like to be used as counselors.
But on the other hand, many of them,
they actually expressed that they were
not quite confident that they had the
competencies to perform this counseling.
Especially when we were talking
about DNA tests, how to interpret
the results of DNA test.
Most of them said that DNA testing was
something that they did when the clients
or the breeders requested it, they
came and said, I want to have a blood
sample or cheek swab for this test.
And then they said, yes, we will do that.
But they were not quite confident
to go into a discussion and
say, is this the right DNA test?
Should we do something else?
So they really wanted to get involved,
but they also had a great interest in
some continuing education on this topic.
And I think that's something we will
approach the Danish Veterinary Association
about and say, could we try to set up
course because they were quite interested.
And I also think actually that some
of them also mentioned that it could
be a good thing as professionals,
you have to get paid for the services
you offer, and they actually were
very positive about providing a
service that was genetic counseling.
So you could actually, as a
breeder said, I want to make an
appointment with my veterinarian.
I want them to go through my
animal from nose to tail and say,
is this a good breeding animal?
Which kind of tests physical
or DNA should be performed?
How could we actually be as
sure as one can be that this
is a good breeding animal?
So if they could offer this as a service,
because it was usually some conversation
that just came in on the side, it was not
something that they really had the time to
go into details with and I think that was
interesting as well that the veterinarians
expressed their interest in this field.
I think that proves that's very
promising because the veterinarians
have the possibility to have an
impact on the future for dogs, for
dog welfare, and in this aspect of
breeding, they have the competencies.
I can't see anyone else who could be
better skilled to evaluate the health of
an animal, but of course they have to be
confident also if they discourage breeding
from an animal, because communication is a
very big part of the veterinary profession
and you need to communicate this in a good
way to a breeder standing there with a
dog that they think is a very good dog,
and then the veterinarians say theres this
and this, this is the reason why I would
not recommend this dog to be bred from.
I wanted to ask you something
about the new legal implementation.
How does it get enforced?
We've been involved in the preparation
of this legislation, both me and my
colleagues from the center, and also
people from the Danish Kennel Club
and from the Animal Welfare Denmark,
different welfare organizations.
And of course we discussed
it with the authorities.
How could you be sure that the
breeders do what they must do?
And they said that all kinds of
legislation, it's difficult to be
sure that everyone is doing the
right thing, but it sets a direction.
And of course you could say
that you could have some checks.
It's not something that the breeders have
to register the results in a database
where the authorities go in and check.
It's a process.
There is no obligation.
The veterinarians should not call
the authorities and say, we have
someone here who broke the law.
And that was very important for
the veterinarians because they
have this relationship with their
clients and a confident relationship.
So that was important for the
veterinarians that they were not forced
to do that, but, on the other hand,
the authorities said that they hope
the veterinarians would say, okay,
you should have done this and this,
but remember, if you are going to have
another litter, remember to do this.
So right now, it's a matter of trust.
It's certainly also a question that
the puppy buyers, they should be
asking for these certificates or proof.
For the Pedigree dogs, it's easy because
within the Danish Kennel Club, for
instance, they have a database, dog
web, where all results go in, they're
publicly available and you can see what
are the hip status, for instance, for
the parents of this litter of Labrador
Retrievers, but of course in the
remaining population we don't have this.
Maybe there is some work in
progress on making a database.
Actually, the Danish Kennel Club has
offered to make a parallel database.
That's great.
The fact that they're considering
registers for none pure bred dogs as well.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's brilliant.
Yeah.
But, but of course people need to know
that it's there and there again, also,
the veterinarians have a very important
role in communicating because all the
systems, when we talk about evaluation
of hip x-rays, for instance, there is a
specific way of doing this and there are
some approved scrutinizers and things
like that for the pedigree population,
but it's much less regulated when we
are outside the pedigree population.
So, I think it's a very good thing
that the new legislation covers
everyone because I think that would be
of benefit for the whole population.
It's part of the new Danish
legislation also that brachycephalic
breeds, they have this BOAS testing.
This exercise test that is developed
by Jane Ladlow in Cambridge where a
veterinarian, specially educated or
certified veterinarian, they look at
the dog and then they perform a three
minute exercise test and the veterinarian
make a auscultation of the lungs and
score the breathing before and after.
And they have to have a score
of zero or one to two before
they can be used for breeding.
And that's the Pug and the English
Bulldog and the French bulldog.
So these three breeds have mandatory
BOAS testing from 1st of July.
Yeah, it is interesting.
So based on your extensive
experience in this field, what type
of actions do you think veterinary
institutions, like regulatory bodies
or professional associations or
academic institutions, could start
to empower veterinary professionals
to unify their voices and advocate
for better welfare around breeding?
That's a very good question because I
think that, at least the results from
the questionnaire study I mentioned,
showed that the veterinarians, they are
interested in getting some education
and increase their competencies in this
area, and I think that the veterinary
organizations is a relevant place to
offer this kind of continuing education.
And we have also considered that
there are a lot of other specialties.
There is the European College of Eye
Diseases, or there are veterinarians
working in specific areas, but compared to
human medicine, we don't have a clinical
genetics college or specific education to
be a genetic counselor or a person who's
giving advice regarding genetic diseases.
And maybe it would be interesting
to actually have some kind of
a diplomat in clinical genetics
or master of clinical genetics.
Maybe it would be interesting
to, to develop that.
We've been discussing this back and
forth where I work and the other thing
is also to look at the veterinary
education to see, at the curriculum we
have the day one competencies document
from different vet schools and see how
could we actually increase the knowledge
that the vet students have when they
graduate within the field of genetics.
And then of course, there is this
possibility to educate the general
practitioners, and I think it
would be nice like an organization
like the WSAVA, that they could
actually go forward within this.
We work together in the Hereditary
Disease Committee trying to define what
are the competencies that are needed
for a general practitioner to meet the
demands for the future or to increase the
welfare of dogs when it comes to breeding.
I think that would be very interesting.
And when the WSAVA Congress was
held in Copenhagen, there was this
document that was a focus on healthy
breeding and we had a lot of talks
about brachycephalic dogs afterwards.
There was a document that says,
vets must dare to speak out.
And that was actually, I
think it still holds true that
vets must dare to speak out.
But of course if you speak out,
then you need to know that you're
actually on solid ground, that
your competencies are really high.
After Helle Friis Proschowsky,
Yaiza is joined by Lucy Hoile for
the second part of this episode.
What are your main concerns regarding
the ethical and welfare around
keeping and breeding hybrid cats?
So for me, I think there are two things.
It's the welfare of the animal and
making sure we are able to meet
their needs effectively and to
give them a good quality of life
in their very unique environment.
So what they're used to in terms of, if
we think about the wild side, they're
used to a free living environment
or a wild environment, especially if
we think about the Savannahs who are
a domestic cat bred with a serval.
So the servals aren't living in domestic
homes at all and so it is trying to
balance those needs, like the wild
side with the domestic home, because
cats meet so many different challenges
in a normal, regular household.
So it's making sure if it's possible
for us to meet those needs and how
we can do that and then on the flip
side, it's making sure that the
person can live happily with that
cat as well because the cat will then
pose challenges for that person too.
So we know cats can be aggressive.
Any cat can be aggressive and cat bites
can be serious, it can be dangerous.
And then with upscaling that so that cat
is bigger, that cat is more territorial,
so those risks are then bigger as well.
So I'm coming from the place where I
want to make sure that cat is happy,
but also that person is safe and that
person knows what they've got and
that knows what they're dealing with.
Yeah, it definitely is a really complex
issue, but those are the two sort
of main risks that I can foresee.
It is not just about the
physical injuries, isn't it?
It is about the fear the people
experience when they live with an
animal that they're afraid of which
obviously modifies the human cat bond.
Yeah.
If we're talking about Bengals, they
are quite well established by now.
So if we are thinking about the
breeding process for Bengals it's
a little bit easier now because
there are plenty of Bengals around.
It's not such an early process, so
with like Savannahs and the newer
breeds, we are still having to
breed really early on in the lines.
So they've still got a lot of
that wild nature about them.
And I hate the thought of the F1s,
the very first pairing because if
you think about a breeding pair,
so you've got serval and you have a
domestic cat, a domestic male wouldn't
be able to make with a serval female
just 'cause of the size difference.
So that process must just be absolutely
harrowing for that domestic female.
Can you imagine your cat just being
closed into an enclosure with a
serval male who's ready to mate?
I can't think of anything more petrifying.
The female can get hurt.
So that's a massive welfare
concern from my point of view.
Then on the flip side of that is, okay,
so we could do artificial insemination,
we could impregnate the serval in
that way so the serval can then birth
Savannahhs, but then you are having
these kittens raised by the serval, so
that removes any scope of being able
to socialize them properly and what
environment will they be bought into?
Even if a domestic cat is carrying
serval kittens, is she gonna be
able to carry them successfully
because there'll be a bunch bigger
than your normal domestic kittens.
The mating process itself, I think it's
different for Bengals now 'cause you
could make two Bengals, but starting
off these new breeds and these new
lines and getting your really wild
cats and mating them to domestics.
It's just so unethical from my
point of view, and I just can't see
how anyone's on board with this.
Is there any regulation?
Is anyone actually looking at this
stuff or is it just happening?
And then we are just feeding into that
by buying the kittens and taking them on.
It's stressful.
It is concerning.
Yeah.
So in, in your experience, how do
hybrid cats behavioral traits affect
their welfare in the domestic settings?
Which are the most common
behavioral problems you find in
these breeds in your daily work?
So just in my experience, it
seems to be either they're super
aggressive and territorial.
So for example, if you have quite
a confident cat, then some people
think that's because they're bigger
and because they're full of energy
and they've got high energetic needs.
Then it leans into rough play
because they are bigger, because
they like to pounce on things.
For that cat they might start off
with feeling like it's play, but
if they're pushed too far or it
becomes too intense for them, then
they move into aggression because
they're like, actually I was liking
this, but I don't like this anymore.
And even if they do like it, their
bites and their play can still hurt
that person because their claws are
involved, their teeth are involved.
But then if they are pushed too far,
how do they get that person to stop?
They will have to bite that bit harder.
They will have to use claws
to defend themselves and
say, I've had enough of that.
So that's definitely one area that
I would be very worried about.
On the flip side, those cats that are
super scared, which is another thing I've
seen particularly with Savannahhs, is
they're not suited to a home environment.
I know there will be plenty of examples
where theres happy Savannahhs, but I have
seen Savannahhs that have been raised in
cages or in houses that just don't give
them all the socialization they need in
terms of meeting people, meeting children,
getting used to household noises.
They then can become very scared
because they're not prepared for this.
Their socialization window
will have closed by then.
So all that learning they did as
a kitten happens with the breeder,
which sets them up for adult lives.
I've seen plenty of Savannahhs or
other breeds that are hiding a lot of
the time, and they only come out at
night and they're not lovely lap cats.
If you try to pick them up or
if you go to them and you try to
interact with them, they're not
coming out and attacking people.
They just wanna be left alone.
It's a massive of welfare concern because
they're scared and they're stressed.
So in that scenario, it is easy to
overlook their needs and be like,
oh, he doesn't come out much, but
he's happy, he's fine, when actually
he probably isn't happy and he needs
a different environment to thrive.
And we're such a visual and
tactile species, aren't we?
Yeah
We feel impressed by anything
that we perceive through our
eyes and we want to touch it.
That's precisely where I think we
encountered so many problems with the
human cat interactions, that desire to
establish like a physical interaction.
Yeah definitely and I also
think that, why do we want cats?
If you want a cat that you can stroke
and will sit on your lap and you can
pick up and cuddle, there are cats
out there that also love that stuff.
If you want to have a Savannah because
it's cool and it will look good, then
we can't expect that cat to be snugly,
and we have to make that distinction
between those cats that love all their
physical, tactile attention that we
want to give, and the cats that just
want to live in your house and do
their own thing because if we have that
distinction, then that's much better
for the cat that we have in our lives.
It would be great to have your dating
app for cats and potential prospective
owners because what I've noticed is
that people don't really think very
much of what they wanna get from
that relationship with their cat.
It's a bit complicated sometimes
but that would facilitate a lot, the
selection of that kitten that you're
going to, adult or the adult cat as well.
I was looking through how to select
the kitten that the part of the
iCatCare website this morning.
And I think that's a beautiful tool for
people to look at before getting to chose
their cat because a lot of clients I
find in general practice are not aware
of their wrong reasons for getting a
Bengal or any purebred cat in general,
they just look what they look like and
then when they find out health related
problems or behavioral problems that
they may have, then they're obviously
very disappointed but they don't know.
When someone says to me that their
cat is showing a problem, and it's a
breed specific thing, like for example,
a lady had got in touch and said
that her Siamese was meowing a lot,
and I thought, that's not a behavior
problem because that's what they do.
They're very vocal, they're very sociable.
You definitely need to know what you're
getting and even if it's a rescue or
a mog and it doesn't have a particular
breed, you can still get to know them.
You can ask questions about if it's
a breeder, what they've been like up
to that point, and if it's a rescue,
what they were like with their
previous owners, and make sure it's
definitely a right match for them both.
Yes, the matching process
is so important, isn't it?
Yeah.
You mentioned before that some behavioral
traits have been selected in Bengals,
and those later generations of Bengals
have a greater tolerance to physical
interaction, at least that's my impression
working in first opinion practice
based on the patients I've seen in the
last two decades, have you observed
a similar trend, and if so, has this
helped to avoid problematic situations
in the household where they live or
are still some behavioral problems
persisting despite this selection?
Yeah, I think I would agree with you.
I've definitely seen a similar trend in
that, there are plenty of Bengals out
there living happy lives and with no
problems at all, but I would say they
are more sensitive to certain things
that other cats are more resilient to.
So for example, the Bengals and
other hybrids are quite territorial,
more so than some of the other
breeds like Ragdolls or some
of the more easygoing breeds.
For Bengals, if you introduce a new
cat to the household or if you have a
lot of environmental change, then in my
experience they can be more sensitive
to that and I think because they are
more territorial naturally, then they
might lean towards urine marking and
other territorial behaviors that are
quite tricky for us to deal with.
They're trying to establish their
territory while trying to share
with another cat that they didn't
sign up to share with, and they
have no choice in that matter.
Also, I would say that generally people
tend to keep their Bengals inside
because you know, you're worried about
their safety and it's risky outside, but
because they have so much more energy
and they have more requirements for more
stimulation, then they can struggle more.
There's a mismatch there and they need
a lot of stimulation, but they have
a very restricted environment then
that can manifest in problems too.
So you might have your Bengal that's
ambushing your ankles in the night because
they want something to chase, or they're
scaling the kitchen cupboards because they
want to get up high and they want to do
all that fun stuff they can do outside,
but they're doing all that inside.
So that can cause a lot of problems for
us and again, in my experience, if your
cat's being a little bit difficult and
if we don't respond in the right sort of
way, so we might punish them for that.
If your cat's attached to your ankle in
the night when you're trying to go to
the toilet, you'll shake them off or you
might shout at them, don't do that, or
you might punish them and some people
will punish them with water sprays or
smacking them and all that horrible stuff
that we hate to think anyone actually
does but obviously it does happen.
Once we manage that problem through these
methods, everything gets so much worse.
And then we do have genuine aggression
because the cat's now stressed or scared
and then this stress can then again
manifest in way more urine marking, peeing
outside the tray and it can affect their
relationships with other people in house
and other animals that they're with.
Yeah, it might need a cat tree, they
might need a catio, something that
would resolve the initial issues.
How do you feel when you're facing
something as difficult to solve as that?
Because you're talking about
the importance of the physical
environment, but also the importance
of the social environment.
People nowadays are very used to have
a short term solution for a lot of
things, especially when it comes to
mental wellbeing or physical wellbeing.
There's an expectation of drugs helping
and changing things very rapidly.
What tools do you use to talk to
people about this major changes that
the lifestyle of their cats need?
Oh, it's really hard, it is and
sometimes I think cats are in
very difficult situations that
many cats will struggle with.
Might be a really big multi cat household
where there's eight or nine cats trying
to get their place in that territory
and I do think when I go to someone's
house and it's that sort of situation,
or it's something that there's almost
no hope of resolving it, because
sometimes that change isn't doable.
If I'm telling somebody, you need plenty
more cat trees, you need to put shelving
up on your walls to make sure that your
hybrid has somewhere they can climb,
they can jump, they can run at top speed
if they need, and they can help create
that sense of territory while sharing
with other animals in the home, then
some people will go, I'm not up for that.
I don't want to change my whole house
to suit my cats, and I get that as
well because not many people want
their house to be a cat playground,
but this is what your cat needs.
So then it's a difficult conversation
to be like, these are your options.
You make the changes to make it work,
or that cat suffers, or that cat finds
a different environment where they
would be happier, it's really tricky.
Do you work with someone specialized
in building catios or a cat playground,
or do you direct new clients to
particular services with information
about designing these kind of spaces?
I have places that I recommend, but I
don't work with anyone specifically.
And even the places I recommend,
it doesn't tick all the boxes.
So there's definitely scope there for
a company that designs cat things that
specifically focuses on the cat's welfare,
so there's plenty that look beautiful
and they're designed to be in your home
but not really look like cat furniture.
And then we want to make sure
that the cat's needs are met.
So just one example is when you
find some of the cat trees, their
platforms one above the other.
So it is hard for a cat to get from
one platform to the next 'cause they
almost have to jump straight up.
So you want them staggered, like
left, left, right, so they can hop
up or a series of steps type thing.
So something as easy as that and they're
definitely really good companies out
there but they're not really easy to find.
Sometimes it can take a
little bit of research.
If you had to summarize the
characteristics of those physical
and social environments for hybrid
cats, so what would you highlight?
If I was trying to create the ideal
environment for a cat from scratch,
for the more wild type hybrids 'cause
like I say, some Bengals, they're
fine with a little bit of stimulation
or a little bit of extra space.
But for the more wild ones like the
Savannahs and the other breeds, I
would be careful on their social needs.
So if you have a cat already then
that's gonna be very difficult and
I would give thought to whether your
existing cat wants to live with a
Savannah or a different hybrid cat,
because I bet the answer is no.
Unless, you know, that they're also a
Savannah and then I would also think a
cat is a lifelong 20 year commitment.
You have to factor that in.
So what changes are you gonna
go through in that 20 years
that are gonna affect your cat?
Are you going to move house?
Are you going to have children one day?
Will you have people staying?
Do you want a dog one day in
that 20 years, what challenges
will that cat face in that time?
Because you must have an awareness of
that, and you must be able and open to
helping your cat adjust to those things
because if you have a hybrid cat and
then you bring in another cat later
on, they are territorial and they're
gonna need a very slow introduction.
You are gonna have to be really
careful to mitigate the risks because
they're bigger, they're stronger.
One fight might be enough to really
injure your new cat coming in.
In terms of other cats, I would
recommend getting a bonded pair
of hybrids or two kittens from the
same litter 'cause they'll have the
best chance of getting on long term.
In terms of the actual physical
environment, again, we're back
to that issue of like they,
they need lots of stimulation.
So the outside world provides all
that in terms of trees to climb and
fences to scale and bugs to chase,
and unfortunately, wildlife to chase.
It's impossible to give some hybrids
that option because particularly
with the Savannahs, they will
hunt and they'll make a massive
dent in the wildlife in the area.
If you live in a quite built up area,
there's a lot of cats in one space.
Any cat will find that
difficult, especially hybrids.
They're more likely to fight and the
risk of injury is high so I would
say that they shouldn't have any
free outside access, it's too risky.
Plus, what if someone
tries to pick them up?
What if they walk in somebody else's home?
What if someone's mean to them?
Even your regular domestic cat has the
potential to act aggressively if someone's
mean to them, that's perfectly reasonable.
So there's just bigger risk because
they are bigger and stronger.
So I would say not to have
outside access in that way, but
a catio, an enclosed garden.
If that's not available, then
they need high places to scale.
You'll have to play with them for a long
time to make sure you're using up that
energy and that would be play with toys.
Do not play with a Savannah or
another hybrid with your hands,
because if it goes wrong, that's the
most severe aggression I ever see.
Please don't do that even from day one.
Know what upsets them, if they don't
like kids, don't let any kids in.
If they don't like loud noises, then
make allowances on fireworks night.
The stereotype for cats is that their
low maintenance, they just live in
your house, as long as they've got
food and water, they'll be fine.
That definitely is not the case for
Savannahs and for other hybrids.
They need a lot of understanding.
They need sensible owners.
They need someone to have their back.
If you're gonna take on that commitment of
having a hybrid in your home, then for as
long as they live, you need to make sure
that their needs are met 100% of the time.
Because if they're not, where do they go?
There's no rescue that's happy to
take on a Savannah because it's
difficult to meet their needs.
I would go as far as to say, I don't
think hybrid cats, Bengals aside,
but other than that, I don't think
we should be breeding them at all.
I would be supporting a ban
because it's just so difficult
and the risks are so high.
If we get it wrong, then there
are big risks and consequences
for that cat and for the people.
So that's my feeling at least.
Thanks for joining us on the WSAVA
podcast where we are transforming
care, one episode at a time.
We hope today's discussion was
helpful, wherever you are in the world.
You'll find more information and further
resources on the topics discussed in the
show notes and we look forward to sharing
our next conversation with you very soon.