I posted abt some really awful cat breeds yesterday and I want to expand on a couple things A few people were asking about scottish folds and the pain they’re in. With Scottish Fold cats, the bones and cartilage do not form properly, and as a result they have the overly large head, short face and jaw. They also have short, bandy legs and thick immobile tails. The cartilage is not strong enough to work as a shock absorber in the joints and as such it wears out very quickly leading to severe arthritis and spinal issues. Cartilage is what keeps a cat’s ears standing up, and since folds have major issues in that department, that’s why their ears are floppy. The floppy ears are DIRECTLY related to the pain. Because here’s the other thing: kittens born from scottish fold litters that DON’T have the fold? Also don’t have the pain. The ear fold is a symptom of a much more body-wide, painful problem. A kitten with the Scottish Fold gene from both parents will show signs of arthritis on X-ray from as young as seven weeks old. Scottish fold cats gained serious popularity after a few celebrities (Thanks Taylor Swift, thanks Ed Sheeran) got them and these particular cats recieved a lot of visibility on social media.
Great going, guys. On the note of famous cats, you know Maru? You probably do, they’re the kitty that got famous by jumping into boxes a bunch. As you do!!
Maru is technically a scottish fold too, but without the fold, which is why Maru can lead a better, less painful life than other scottish fold cats. Chronic pain begins for folds in kittenhood and follows them for the rest of their lives. Maru is lucky, and has lots of energy, like a healthy cat would. Cats display pain differently than humans. While another animal may limp, or cry, cats will act “”””calm””””, and opt to lay down and sleep rather than display normal signs of agony. That’s why Scottish folds are so “”calm”“. Folds who are given doses of painkiller at the vet will also suddenly perk up, displaying a personality you might not even know they had. For the cats that get this experience, this will be the first time they’ve ever felt normal in their lives. So yeah! That’s a little more detail. Please don’t encourage the viral spread of popularity among unhealthy pure-breed cats like the fold. If you have the resources to care for a Fold (or any pure-breed animal with health problems for that matter) that you find at a shelter, by all means give it all the love you can, but don’t encourage their popularity, and don’t pay breeders.
