The International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), has joined forces with the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA), the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) and the Union of European Veterinary Practitioners (UEVP) to urge companies to stop using images of cat breeds with extreme conformation in their advertising.

The four organisations have written a template letter which anyone can send to any company they see using brachycephalic breeds, such as the Persian, or Scottish Folds, in its marketing materials.

The letter urges companies that use images of cats to work collaboratively with veterinary professionals and pledge to avoid using such breeds in the future.

Dr Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, said: “Seeing a cute cat in an advertisement can often be a trigger for people to seek out acquiring a cat of that breed without understanding the welfare concerns associated with some pedigree breeds.

"A rise in demand can lead to an increase in breeding practices that result in severe conformational issues and poorer welfare in these breeds.

"We encourage people to download this letter to use when they see breeds of concern being used in advertising, as health is always more important than looks.”

https://icatcare.org/app/uploads/2023/09/ISFM_FECAVA_FVE_UEVPAdvert_Letter.pdf. 

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