[Thecrowmuse11]

Scottish folds are a really adorable breed of cat, I know. Who can resist those giant eyes, that always startled expression, and of course those velvety folded ears. We've all seen and loved them, and they are everywhere on the internet, and celebrities from Taylor Swift to Ed Sheeran show off their own pretty scotties.

The sad truth however, is that scottish fold cats are not healthy, those folded ears are an indication of something much more sinister - a crippling genetic disorder known as Osteochondrodysplasia. Scottish folds live with incurable debilitating pain and discomfort from as early as three weeks old. They live shortened lives, and suffer from arthritis, infections, and abnormalities in the cartilage and bone. The damaged cartilage is what causes those iconic folded ears, as unlike dogs, no cat naturally has folded ears - not even the scottish fold, who is born with straight pointed ears, but develops the folded ones as their cartilage begins to warp and break down.

All scottish folds are descended from the same mother, a barn cat in Scotland from the 1960's. If you know anything about genetics, you know that this is very bad news. Most breeding pairs are closely related, and those kittens who have two scottish fold parents often have it even worse, as they develop severely degenerative joint disease before they're even fully grown.

Now, if you happen to own a scottish fold, I'm not saying that you are a bad person. However, you should be aware of the challenges that are facing your cat - and the difficulties that they will have in the long run. If you do have one of these cats though, I would encourage you to speak out about the practice of breeding scottish folds, or to at least educate yourself.

The fact is that we just can't justify knowingly condemning a living creature with a lifetime of suffering just because we think they look cute. It's inhumane, and frankly pretty disgusting.

Don't just take my word for it though, here are some resources where you can read about it:
http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-br ... s-owl-suit
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-39717634
http://cattime.com/cat-breeds/scottish- ... s#/slide/1
https://iheartcats.com/5-things-you-did ... tish-fold/

[Mistfox]

I think it’s really sad that my favourite cat breed suffers so much, I read about this before and I nearly cried. I don’t understand cat genetics though. Do you know if the pain is really bad? Would it help if people bred in some other breeds? Just curious because I’m considering cat breeding as a job when I’m older, not seriously but if there was a way to straighten the ears then I would probably help.