For first-time pet owners of any kind, choosing which animal you want to welcome into your family can be a tough decision but a vet has recently weighed in with advice for those considering a purebred cat.
Amir Anwary is a veterinarian from South Africa who uses his TikTok account to share pet advice with more than 438,000 followers.
Vet has key piece of advice for first-time cat owners
In a recent video, Amir shared his thoughts on whether first-time owners would be better with a purebred cat or a domestic shorthair, which he jokingly dubs ‘trash panda’ cats.
“Why do you want to get a purebred cat, why?” he asks at the beginning of the video. “Because it’s really not necessary.”
“From my perspective as a veterinarian, there [are] two segments of cats,” he explains. “There [are] the trash panda cats, which are basically these cats that you find in the gutter, that someone gave to you, the cats that found you at your house. Then you get the purebred cats, the Siamese, the Bengals, your Munchkins.”
Anwary then explains that so-called ‘trash panda’ cats are less likely to suffer from long-term health issues. Something which may not be the case with purebreds.
“From a vet perspective, your trash panda cats are going to come to the clinic for usually three reasons,” he says. “One is going to be their vaccinations, two is going to be kidney issues when they’re older and three is usually going to be vomiting because the owner changed the food too [quickly] or they ate a gecko, that’s it.”
“But your purebred cats, like your Siamese with asthma problems, like your Scottish Folds with cartilage issues and heart problems. Those breeds are going to come into the clinic significantly more with issues that are far harder to deal with and cost so much more,” he adds.
“So, if you’re considering getting a cat, don’t get a purebred cat,” he advises first-time owners. “It’s really not necessary unless you really have your heart set on one of these breeds.”
If that is the case, “then do it right,” the vet explains. “Go through a really good breeder, make sure you know what you’re doing because you could end up having to treat a cat with chronic issues for the rest of their lives.”
“If it’s just sort of a, ‘I just want a cat,’ get a trash panda cat,” Amir advises. “You’ll find a cat at a rescue shelter. Those will do you so much better and have far [fewer] medical issues, as compared to your purebred cats.”
These sorts of cats are far more common than purebred varieties, with domestic shorthairs making up as much as 90-95% of the feline population in the US.
Commenters react
Amir’s video has prompted plenty of comments from viewers on TikTok, with many sharing their own stories of their felines.
One commenter said: “I believe in the cat distribution system! The right cat will find you.”
A second added: “I have three rescue cats. They have the best personalities and one Ragdoll who is boring but I love her.”
“I got the random one we found in the trash,” said a third.
“We have such a trash cat. He is a member of the cat Mafia,” joked this commenter. “His name is Vito the Mafia cat.”
“I rescued a purebred American Curl from the SPCA and I can confirm, wayyyy more problems than her trash panda siblings,” said a fifth.
And finally, this TikTok user warned that domestic cats may still have their own health issues: “I have two SPCA trash panda cats and I can tell you they cost me money. One has urinary crystals and bad teeth. The other has a permanent cat cold and snots all over us and the house lol.”
