The Scottish Fold descends from a farm cat with folded ears found in Scotland in 1961. The gene that folds the ears also causes a painful disorder of bone and cartilage.
The main British registry has refused to register the breed since the 1970s, and veterinary bodies advise against breeding or buying it.
The Scottish Fold is a round-faced cat whose ears fold forwards and down. The fold is caused by a defect of cartilage that also affects the joints, and the main British registry does not recognise the breed for that reason.
The breed descends from Susie, a white farm cat with folded ears found near Coupar Angus in Scotland in 1961. A local shepherd and his wife bred from her daughter, and the cats were registered in Britain in 1966. Within a few years the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy stopped registering them because of concern about deformities, and it has not reversed the decision. Breeding continued in the United States, using British and American Shorthairs, and the breed became widely popular there and later on social media.
Kittens are born with straight ears. In those that carry the gene the ears begin to fold at about three weeks, lying forward like a cap; the rest stay straight-eared and are called Scottish Straights. The body is rounded and medium-sized, with a short neck and a round head with large, round eyes, which gives an owl-like look. Coats are short or long, in most colours.
Folds are placid, affectionate and undemanding, and adapt easily to different households.
The gene that folds the ear is dominant and acts on cartilage and bone throughout the body. The resulting condition, osteochondrodysplasia, affects every cat with folded ears to some degree. In cats with two copies of the gene it causes severe, crippling deformity from a young age. Cats with one copy develop abnormal bone growth and arthritis of varying severity, most often in the tail, ankles and knees; a short, thick, stiff tail and a reluctance to jump are typical signs. The condition is painful and cannot be cured.
The British Veterinary Association and feline welfare charities advise against breeding or buying Scottish Folds, and several European countries have banned or restricted their breeding.
The Scottish Fold is recognised by the American registries. It is not recognised by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy or by the main European federation.