Scottish fold cats and Scottish fold kittens are perhaps one of the most popular cat breeds out there. However, their unique physical appearance results from a genetic mutation, which also gives rise to many painful diseases. This is why there is currently an ongoing debate regarding whether fold cats should be banned altogether, even though currently their breeding is allowed by law.
What are Scottish Fold cats?
Scottish fold cats are a rare breed of cats that have recently increased in popularity. The distinguishing feature of these cats is that their ears are folded. This is due to a disability in them because of which their cartilage does not develop properly, and their ears are not standing up. Their ears are the source of their name as well: their ears appeared to be “folded.”
These cats were discovered almost by accident in the 1960s. A farmer spotted a barn cat named Susie while she was living on a Scottish farm. A shepherd noticed that this cat had a peculiar feature: rather than having ears standing up, they seemed to be folded forward. Since then, the shepherd and his family started breeding this cat and even got the breed formally registered with the UK registry of pedigree cats called Governing Council of the Cat Fancy. However, due to concerns about their health and safety, many people started arguing that Scottish fold cats should be banned. This is because you cannot breed pets merely because they look “cute” without any concern for their health and quality of life.
How did Scottish fold cats increase in popularity?
These cute felines increased in popularity over the past few years. This is because their big round eyes and folded ears give them a very innocent look. They make great pets because of their docile nature and chubby appearance. Moreover, singers like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran have also contributed towards increasing the popularity of these cats since they have adopted felines from this breed.
Popular social media celebrities also pose with Scottish fold cats since they provide good content for really cute photos! A particular Scottish fold cat is living in Japan named Maru. This cat is so popular that people have watched its videos more than 300 million times on YouTube. This shows how people seem addicted to watching these cats and devouring any content related to them.
However, in the 1970s, the British authorities became reluctant to encourage the breeding of these cats due to concerns about their health. However, by that time, Americans had already heard of the Scottish fold cats and started breeding them in Massachusetts by using one of the direct descendants of Susie.
Are Scottish fold cats in pain?
Given that Scottish fold cats derive their unique appearance from a disability, it may not be surprising to know that they are often in pain. Since the ears are not properly developed, these adorable felines often have hearing problems. Since cats are famous for their acute sense of hearing and smell, life is a little hard for them when their hearing is impaired.
What health issues should you expect?
Due to the deformity in the cartilage of Scottish fold cats, they are more prone to developing health conditions than other felines. The most common problem found amongst this particular breed is arthritis in the tail area. This can be an extremely painful condition, and you may see your Scottish fold cat shifting its tail constantly as a symptom.
Other issues that are commonly found in this breed, according to a survey carried out in 2016, include diabetes, respiratory problems, and conjunctivitis—the number of problems that plague this breed show how sensitive it is.
How to take care of them
If you already have a Scottish fold cat, do not worry! We understand that it is hard to let go of a pet once they become a part of your family. However, we would suggest that you take extra care of them now that you know the number of health issues bothering them. Since cats cannot communicate with us, stay on the lookout for behavioral cues when it comes to your cats.
See if your Scottish fold cat is meowing excessively or looks agitated. If it does, visit the vet to see which issue is bothering it. Even if your pet Scottish fold cat is not displaying any outward symptoms, you should still keep in touch with a veterinary doctor to ensure no hidden health conditions disturb your pet.
Social Media Sensations
Now that we know that Scottish fold cats often remain ill and have a poor quality of life, why do people continue to breed and adapt them today? Well, the sole reason for this appears to be their popularity on social media. In an age where people are obsessed with how things appear on the screen rather than real-life experiences, it is sad to see that Scottish fold cats are being used as mere props to increase the number of likes people get on social media. Given the high quality of care these cats require, it is perhaps best that they are treated by experts and their breeding is stopped so that no cats are subject to such painful lives as Scottish fold cats are.
Are Scottish fold cats banned?
Currently speaking, Scottish fold cats are not banned. However, there is a strong lobby of activists who are working on getting the breeding of Scottish fold cats banned. This is because they believe that cats known to have a painful and incurable disease should not be specially bred. Breeding these cats, while knowing that their quality of life is low, is simply cruel, and people cannot be allowed to do this merely for the sake of looking good on social media.
We hope that our guide regarding Scottish fold cats tells you the origin of this unique breed and why there is a strong argument about why they should be banned.
