With the rising trend on social media, there are renewed warnings about hairless “bullycats.”

Cat owners have been urged to avoid the emerging “Bullycats,” a hybrid breed similar to the controversial XL Bully dogs.

Breeders in the US created the new cat breed by mixing the hairless gene from Sphynx cats with the short-legged gene from Munchkin cats.

However, animal welfare experts have raised concerns about possible health problems the cats could face, predicting they have an average life expectancy of six years – which is less than typical cats.

Dr. Grace Carroll, an animal behavior specialist at Queen’s University Belfast, warned pet owners to carefully consider the implications of purchasing such experimental breeds. “Consumers have purchasing power,” she said.

“By refusing to purchase breeds with extreme traits, we can discourage breeders from prioritizing aesthetics over animal health and welfare.”

She called for ethical breeding so that cats could live healthier lives and engage in natural behaviors such as climbing, jumping and sunbathing.

Despite these warnings, the cats are becoming increasingly popular on social media as breeders insist that the cats are health checked and fully functional.

Dr. However, Carrol insists that the cats’ lack of fur puts them at high risk of numerous health problems, which can lead to sunburn and skin cancer.

She added: “Kittens already have a reduced ability to regulate their body temperature, which is complicated by hairlessness and makes them vulnerable to respiratory infections and skin problems.”

Since February it has been a criminal offense in England and Wales to keep a size XL bully dog ​​without an exemption certificate, but there is no specific legislation regulating the breeding of cats.

Animal welfare groups are particularly concerned about the rise of “bully cats”, with the NatureWatch Foundation highlighting the “disturbing” trend on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

A spokesman said: “It is shocking to see these poor cats turning up in the UK. This kind of breeding is just cruel.”

Earlier this year, an RSPCA spokesman urged breeders to prioritize the health and welfare of each animal over its appearance.

They added: “We understand that their increasing presence on social media may be driving demand for these types of cats, but we would urge other cat lovers to consider adopting the many rescue cats in our care rather than them to buy from a breeder.”