Flat-faced cat breeds like Persians and Exotic Shorthairs suffer from inherited health conditions directly caused by selective breeding for extreme skull shape.
Brachycephalic cats live their entire lives with compromised breathing as their baseline normal. They cannot cool themselves efficiently through panting, making them highly vulnerable to heat stress. The skin folds around their flattened face trap moisture and bacteria, causing recurrent infections that require ongoing management. Sleeping and eating are effortful for severely affected individuals. The breeding of extreme brachycephalic traits represents a deliberate choice to normalize suffering for aesthetic reasons. Veterinary organizations worldwide have called for breed standards that prohibit the most extreme conformations causing predictable health harms.