Creating Healthy Dog and Cat Breeds
What does it really mean to create healthy dog and cat breeds in the 21st century? In this episode, host Yaiza Gomez Mejias speaks with two leading voices working at the frontlines of breeding, welfare, and behaviour: Helle Friis Proschowsky, Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen, and Lucy Hoile, feline behaviourist and author. Together, they explore the challenges of pedigree breeding, hybrid cats, and the shifting role of veterinarians in shaping the future of animal welfare.Helle Friis Proschowsky opens the discussion with insights from her recent horizon topic paper “A new future for dog breeding”, co-authored with international colleagues including Dan O’Neill, James Serpell, and Brenda Bonnett. She explains how modern dog breeding practices evolved, the problems of exaggerated conformation and inherited disease, and how Denmark’s newly implemented legislation seeks to raise health standards across all breeders—not just kennel clubs or commercial operations. Proschowsky emphasises the need for veterinarians to become confident breeding counsellors, with continuing education in genetics and welfare assessment, while also acknowledging the importance of sensitive communication with breeders.In the second half, Lucy Hoile brings the conversation into the world of cats—particularly hybrid breeds such as Bengals and Savannahs. Drawing on her work as a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist, she highlights the ethical concerns around early-generation hybrid breeding, including the welfare of domestic cats paired with wild species. Lucy describes the behavioural challenges hybrids may pose in the home—from territorial aggression to chronic stress—and outlines how physical and social environments must be adapted if these cats are to thrive. She argues that hybrids demand dedicated, knowledgeable guardianship and raises the question of whether such breeding should continue at all.By the end of the episode, listeners are left with a powerful call: breeding choices carry profound welfare implications, and veterinary professionals, policymakers, and owners alike share responsibility for ensuring the next generations of dogs and cats live healthier, happier lives.Resources & LinksWSAVA Hereditary Disease CommitteeWSAVA Educational ResourcesProschowsky HF, Arendt ML, Bonnett BN, Bruun CS, Czycholl I, Fredholm M, O’Neill D, Serpell JA, Sandøe P (2025). A new future for dog breeding. Animal Welfare 34: e1. Read the paperBOAS (Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome) functional testing – University of CambridgeInternational Cat Care – behaviour and choosing the right catContributors:Yaiza Gomez Mejias MANZCVS (Medicine of Cats) — Veterinary Community Co-ordinator, International Cat Care Veterinary SocietyLinkedIn | XHelle Friis Proschowsky DVM, PhD — Associate Professor, University of Copenhagen; Member, WSAVA Hereditary Disease CommitteeLinkedIn | ORCIDLucy Hoile MSc CCAB — Feline Behaviourist; Author of The Book Your Cat Wishes You Would ReadWebsite | LinkedIn | X | InstagramClick here for the full transcript
This podcast was edited and produced by Contento Media Ltd.
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