Welfare problems in breeding extend beyond pedigree dogs to cats, rabbits, and other small animals. Understanding the scope of companion animal breeding welfare challenges informs a more comprehensive advocacy approach.
Companion animal breeding welfare extends well beyond brachycephalic dogs — a recognized welfare crisis — to encompass cats, rabbits, and other species where selection for aesthetic traits has created health and welfare problems. Scottish Fold cats carry a genetic mutation affecting cartilage throughout the body, not just the ears: all folded-ear cats experience progressive joint disease causing chronic pain. Brachycephalic cats have breathing difficulties analogous to dogs. Lop-eared rabbits have anatomical ear canal deformities from selection for dropping ears, causing chronic pain and dental problems from the same genetic factors. These welfare problems share a common cause — selection for appearance over health — and a common solution — breeding standards and regulatory requirements that prioritize function over aesthetics.