BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Pudge the cat , a fluffy Persian with a flat face and calm demeanor, has become an unlikely celebrity in Bowling Green State University’s football locker room. But his growing fame is now drawing criticism from animal rights advocates.

Senior football player George Carlson first brought Pudge into the locker room to cheer up a teammate. The visits soon became routine, with the cat’s appearances making their way onto social media and even into national headlines.

Not everyone is amused. The animal rights group PETA sent a letter to BGSU this week, calling the new tradition inhumane. The organization argued that Persian cats, like Pudge, often suffer from breathing difficulties, eye problems and other health issues caused by selective breeding.

“Pudge is a breed of

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