CHINESE are putting their dogs and cats through painful surgeries following the popularity of the cruel “Mickey Mouse” ears trend.

Leading vets and animal experts have warned pet owners against the cosmetic procedure- and are now demanding the practice be stopped.

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Pet owners are forcing their cats and dogs to undergo a cruel procedure of chopping up the earlobes so that they can look more like Disney’s popular character Micky Mouse.

And pet clinics across China are offering the service for as little as £33.

According to animal expert Liu Yundong, there are two parts in the process.

First, the pets’ ears are surgically chopped and crafted – which requires heavy anaesthetic doses.

The second step – which could take as much as two months to be completed – involves designers shaping the ears in a way they permanently remain in an upright position.

According to leading vets and other experts, the entire process is extremely painful for the animals – and could inflict serious psychological trauma.

Chen Yong from Shenzhen Lianhe Pet Hospital warned the procedure could also lead to self-mutilation behaviour among pets, the South China Morning Post reports.

He added: “Damaging the natural structure of the ears can cause psychogenic problems in some pets. For instance, some sensitive pets may scratch repeatedly due to excessive pain.”

While big hospitals in tier-one and tier-two cities rarely offer such services, it is becoming a common practice in breeding facilities and dog kennels.

Locals have reported they have found multiple online outlets that sell tools for pet owners to carry out the process at home – a much worse alternative.

One leading advert that offers “Mickey Ears” for sale has sparked outrage among the Chinese people.

These clamps are understood to restrict blood flow to parts of the animals’ ears, causing them to die and fall off eventually.

Currently, there are no laws in China that forbid the cruel procedure.

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