Rise of the XL Bully CAT: Mutant hairless felines are bred to look intimidating - but their fierce looks actually leave them at a disadvantage in fights, expert warns

XL Bully dogs hit the headlines earlier this year, after the UK government banned the muscular canines following a string of vicious attacks.

Now, a new XL Bully is on the rise in Britain - and this time, it's a cat. 

The XL Bully Cat originated in the US but has slowly made its way to the UK, where social media accounts promoting the 'mutant breed' have emerged. 

Mutant breeding involves intentionally combining genetic mutations to create cats with a specific look.

In this case, XL Bully Cats are a mix between a munchkin cat and a sphynx cat, meaning they're both hairless and have short legs. 

While this gives them an intimidating look, it can actually leave them at a disadvantage in a fight, according to Dr Grace Carroll, a Lecturer in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Queen's University. 

'Short legs limit their ability to jump, can put cats at a disadvantage in fights and can lead to painful health conditions,' she explained in an article for The Conversation.  

XL Bully Cats are at high risk of a number of health issues linked to their lack of fur. 

'Kittens already have a limited ability to regulate their body temperature and this is made even more difficult by hairlessness and makes them more suspectible to respiratory infections,' Dr Carroll explained. 

'A lack of fur can also lead to sunburn and skin cancer in hairless cats.'

Like the sphynx, XL Bully Cats lack whiskers. 

This can lead to issues with communication, navigation, and with gauging spatial dimension. 

Meanwhile, their short legs are also linked to range of health problems.

'Their short legs are a genetic defect which can lead to painful arthritis and cause problems with their general mobility,' Cats Protection explained. 

Unfortunately, while the average cat lives to 12 in the UK, the average sphynx lives for just 6.7 years. 

'Bully cats, being both hairless and short-legged, may face twice the number of challenges encountered by sphynx and munchkin breeds,' Dr Carroll said.  

Many XL Bully Cat breeders claim that their pets are healthy and undergo regular screening. 

For example, Bella Jones, who runs breeding firm BullyCats UK, insists her animals are 'health tested and completely functional'. 

In response to backlash earlier this year, Ms Jones posted on Facebook: 'All of our cats are happy, health tested and completely functional.

'Our cats live in our family home and other family homes around the UK, they jump, play, run and do just as an average cat would.

'We are going to be putting out lots of videos and positive feedback to these claims and educating many more people on this concept and breed as a whole, especially how functional and happy our babies are.'

While regular screening can help to prevent health problems, Dr Carroll claims that wider health and welfare issues with mutant breeding can't be ignored. 

'People normally find traits like round eyes and short nose length to be particularly cute,' the expert explained. 

'[But] breeding for hairlessness and shorter legs is better aligned with the concept of breeding for curiosity.

'In this case, the resemblance between bully cats and dogs is more about human-driven design, where appearance is prioritised. 

'The bully cat seems to have been intentionally bred to resemble the bully dog, perhaps due to their perception among young men as a kind of status symbol.'

In many breeds, crossbreeding programmes could help to relieve health issues. 

However, Dr Carroll warns that this likely would not work for the XL Bully Cat. 

'For mutant breeds like the bully cat – where hairlessness and short legs are defining traits – this isn’t a realistic solution,' she said. 

Instead, the expert is urging prospective buyers not to consider pucharsing XL Bully Cats. 

'We can discourage breeders from prioritising aesthetics over the health and welfare of the animals by refusing to buy breeds with extreme traits,' she concluded. 

'A fashion toward ethical breeding could ensure future cats are healthier, happier and free to enjoy natural feline behaviour like climbing, jumping and lounging in the sun. 

'We should let cats be cats.'

Cats Protection reiterated Dr Carroll's warning, and said it 'would not recommend' getting an XL Bully Cat. 

'If you are looking at specific breeds, choose one without exaggerated features,' it advises on its website.

'It is important to remember that cats with extreme breed conformities are primarily bred for looks. 

'Therefore, we need to be mindful about supporting breeding trends that lead to much lower welfare for cats, that serves no purpose other than to make them look "more pleasing" to us humans.

'Many other purebred cats are prone to health issues such as heart disease, eye problems, skin problems and other painful conditions. 

'Make sure you do your research before choosing to get a specific breed.'