Position Statement - Hybrid cats

Hybrid cats are produced by crossing the domestic cat with other non-domestic cat species. Hybrid cats less than five generations removed from the wildcat parent are considered the most at risk from welfare problems when kept as domestic pets[1].

PAAG has concerns about the sale, breeding, and importation of hybrid cats:

• These cats retain many wild-type behaviours and can be more aggressive and territorial in their interactions with their owners, other pets, and wildlife[2]. As a result, hybrid cats often need to be confined in the home, but this is usually detrimental to their own well-being. The lack of research and public understanding of the needs of hybrid cats is likely to lead to abandonment and relinquishment of these cats to shelters; many of which are ill-equipped to appropriately meet the environmental and behavioural needs of hybrid cats.
• Non-domestic cats may be brought into the UK illegally to produce hybrid cats for the increasingly lucrative pet market[3]. Smuggling wild cats inevitably creates conditions of poor handling, poor nutrition, and poor housing, and risks the spread of infectious disease.
• Concerns also exist around the welfare of the domestic cat parent during mating, pregnancy, and birth[4].

If an advert suggests that the animal for sale or stud, is a Dangerous Wild Animal, or an F1 or F2 hybrid, the advert should be removed and the seller flagged for careful moderation of any future adverts. If it is unclear whether the animal falls into these categories, the advert should be temporarily removed while the seller is contacted to verify whether it falls under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act.

Due to welfare issues, PAAG does not support the breeding of wild cat hybrids. We also do not support the keeping of them as pets.

Current legislation does not regulate the hybridisation of exotic cats with domestic cats. Therefore, PAAG is calling on the government to implement the recommendations of the Animal Welfare Committee’s 2024 report[1]:

211. Legislation should be enacted banning any further deliberate breeding of domestic cats with any non-domestic felid species, or breeding with first two generation hybrid cats (F1 and F2).

212. Legislation should be enacted banning the importation of any domestic wild cat hybrids, with the exception of low hybrid generations of Bengal cats (generation F5 or later).

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1. DEFRA Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) (2024) Independent Report - Opinion on cat breeding practices, GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/opinion-on-cat- breeding-practices. (Accessed: 18 February 2025).
2. Martos Martinez-Caja, A. et al. (2021) ‘Behavior and health issues in Bengal cats as perceived by their owners: A descriptive study’, Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 41, pp. 12–21. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2020.10.007.
3. SERVIVAL | The Wildheart Trust (no date). Available at: https://wildheartanimalsanctuary.org/servival/. (Accessed: 18 February 2025).
4. Eckermann-Ross, C. (2014) ‘Small Nondomestic Felids in Veterinary Practice’, Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, 23(4), pp. 327–336. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jepm.2014.07.016.