A breeder of XL-sized 'Bullycats' has responded to criticism, saying the cats are just as 'happy and healthy' as other pets, despite their controversial appearance.
Bella Jones, who runs the breeding business BullyCats UK, says people need to be better informed, stressing that her animals are 'health tested and fully functional'.
She spoke out after This week warnings have been issued about hairless 'Bullycats' with 'exaggerated' features that are being bred in Britain and are attracting a 'concerning following' on social media.
The 'unnatural' sphinx-like breed has short, curved legs and heavily wrinkled skin – much like a XL Bully dog.
Experts have raised concerns about the 'terrible' growing design craze, which could lead to serious health problems for the animals, urging cat lovers not to buy cats and instead boycott the breed.
This week warnings were issued over the breeding of hairless 'Bullycats' with 'exaggerated' features in Britain
Bella Jones has responded to criticism of the breed, insisting they are 'happy' cats
The 'unnatural' sphinx-like breed has short, curved legs and heavily wrinkled skin
Ms Jones responded today to the negative comments about Bullycats and promised to share more positive recommendations for the breed to convince people otherwise.
Potential buyers are assured that cats will receive 'extensive' health checks for conditions such as heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Bully Girl Magazine has reported.
And Mrs Jones posted the following on Facebook today: 'All of our cats are happy, health checked and fully functioning.
'Our cats live in our family home and in other family homes in the UK. They jump, play, run and do exactly what an average cat would do.
“We are going to release lots of videos and positive feedback on these claims and educate many more people about this concept and the breed as a whole, especially how functional and happy our babies are.”
She claimed that she and others had been labeled “animal abusers” along with other breeders around the world and countless other false claims.
She received support from people who responded to her, including one who said, “My girls are functioning super well and have no health problems.”
Earlier this week, animal protection organization Naturewatch Foundation warned against capturing Bullycats.
They told people: 'If you are considering getting a cat, don't fall for these harmful designer fads. It is shocking to see these poor cats starting to appear in the UK.
'In recent years we have seen increasingly extreme breeding practices in the dog world and it seems that unscrupulous people are now also exploiting cats in this way, all out of greed and to get likes on social media.
The animal protection organization Naturewatch Foundation issued a warning earlier this week not to adopt Bullycats
They said: 'If you're thinking of getting a cat, don't fall for these harmful designer trends'
'Bullycats are an animal welfare disaster happening before our eyes and this form of breeding is simply cruel.'
Dr Dan O'Neill, senior lecturer in companion animal epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College, described it as “heartbreaking” that cats are now being subjected to the same suffering as dogs by people fascinated by “extreme body shapes”.
He said: 'Bullycats are likely to have similar shortened lives as reported in a recent RVC VetCompass article on Sphynx cats. These cats lived for only 6.7 years, while the average lifespan for all cats is 11.7 years.
'Deliberately selecting for disease mutations, such as hairlessness leading to sunburn, dwarfism leading to mobility problems and joint pain, and folded skin leading to lifelong skin infections, means that many Bullycats will live lives of suffering.
'The advice to anyone considering getting a cat or dog is to always put the welfare of the animal first and think carefully before getting an animal with an extreme and unnatural body shape that is not commonly found in the wild.'
A spokesperson for the RSPCA told MailOnline they were 'very concerned' about the recent trend of Bullycats, which they said could 'cause serious welfare issues for them'.
'These oversized Sphynx cats are bred to have very short legs, which can put a strain on their joints. They also appear to have excessive skin folds, making them prone to skin conditions that can cause significant discomfort, the charity warned.
'Such ailments can also lead to a visit to the vet, leaving owners with high veterinary bills.
These Sphynx-like cats are also bred to have only a thin layer of downy hair, and some have no eyelashes or whiskers at all.
The so-called Bullycat breed is believed to get its name from its resemblance to bully dogs (Pictured: an American exotic bully dog)
'Because cats have no fur, they are vulnerable to harmful ultraviolet light. They may also have difficulty keeping warm and cannot use their hair and possibly their whiskers to explore their environment.
'The lack of a fur coat also means they need to be bathed regularly, as oil can build up on the skin.
'Other health problems can also arise because these cats are bred from a limited gene pool.
'We understand that their growing presence on social media can fuel demand for these types of cats, but we would urge other cat lovers to consider adopting one of the many shelter cats available instead of purchasing from a breeder.
'We also urge breeders to consider the health and welfare of an animal more important than its appearance.'
MailOnline has contacted Ms Jones for further comment.