Scottish fold
The Scottish Fold descends from a single white barn cat called Susie, found on a farm in Perthshire in 1961 with ears that folded forward against her skull.
The look is distinctive and the breed became popular worldwide.
The fold is caused by a dominant mutation affecting cartilage throughout the body, not only in the ear. That is the central fact about the breed: every folded cat has a cartilage defect, and every folded cat develops osteochondrodysplasia, a painful degenerative joint disease affecting the tail, ankles and knees. It is a question of degree and timing rather than whether. The breed is banned from registration in Scotland by its own founding registry, and breeding it is prohibited in the Netherlands and restricted elsewhere.
- Origin
- Perthshire, Scotland, 1961, from a single cat
- Size
- 3–6 kg
- Lifespan
- 11–15 years
- Coat
- Short or long, in most colours
- Temperament
- Placid, quiet, affectionate
- Health
- Osteochondrodysplasia affects every folded cat
Related: Scottish straight
3 scottish fold photos, newest first
Living with a scottish fold
Understand what the folded ear means before buying one. The gene that folds the ear affects cartilage everywhere, and the resulting degenerative joint disease is painful, progressive and incurable. Homozygous cats — two folded parents — are affected severely and early, which is why responsible breeders never pair two folds; but heterozygous cats are affected too, later and more variably.
Cats hide pain. A Fold that is reluctant to jump, sits oddly, has a stiff or thickened tail, or moves less as it ages is very likely in discomfort rather than simply mellow, and the breed's reputation for placidity may partly be that.
If you have one: ask a vet for X-rays of the tail and hocks as a baseline, and expect long-term pain management. Joint supplements and weight control help; nothing reverses it.
A straight-eared cat from Fold lines is unaffected and lives a normal life.
Regular ear cleaning, since the fold restricts airflow.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual cats vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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