Scottish Fold Cat

I've been around cats for about 18 years. I've owned six cats in total, four different breeds. People ask me all the time which breed is the best. I used to have an answer. I don't anymore.

My first Scottish Fold came into my life in 2009. I paid $1,800 for her from a breeder in Ohio. Her name was Mochi. She had the classic folded ears, round face, big copper eyes. She would sit in that Buddha pose they're famous for, hind legs stretched out, front paws on her belly. I have about 400 photos of her doing that.

Mochi was not like other cats I'd owned before. She followed me from room to room. She slept on my chest every single night for seven years. When I came home from work, she'd be waiting at the door. Not running to it when she heard the keys. Already there. Waiting.

I got my second Fold in 2012. A male, $2,200, from a different breeder in Pennsylvania. His name was Taro. Same personality. Same attachment. He and Mochi would groom each other for 20, 30 minutes at a time.

The Fold Gene

Here's what breeders don't tell you upfront. Some do, most don't.

The gene that makes their ears fold is the same gene that affects their cartilage. All their cartilage. Not just in the ears. The joints. The tail. The spine.

Some Folds show symptoms early. Some show them later. Some breeders will tell you that if you breed a Fold with a straight-eared cat, the kittens won't have problems. This is not true. Studies from the University of Sydney confirmed this in 2016. Folded ear or straight ear, if one parent is a Fold, the offspring can develop the joint disease.

I didn't know any of this in 2009.

Mochi

Mochi started limping when she was 4. I took her to the vet. X-rays showed abnormal bone growth in her ankles. The vet said it was common in the breed. He'd seen it dozens of times.

I spent $340 on those X-rays. Then $85 per month on pain medication. Then $120 every three months for checkups. By the time she was 6, she couldn't jump onto the bed anymore. I bought pet stairs. $45. She used them for about a year before the stairs became too much too.

Her back legs got worse. The bone growth spread to her spine. By age 7, she walked slowly, carefully. She still followed me room to room. It just took her longer.

I spent roughly $11,000 on Mochi's medical care over her lifetime. She died at 9. The average lifespan for a cat is 15 years.

Taro

Taro showed symptoms at age 5. Same pattern. Limping. X-rays. Abnormal bone growth.

His case was worse. By age 6, he had trouble walking. A specialist in Chicago recommended a surgery called OCD lesion removal. $4,800. I did it. It helped for about 8 months. Then the symptoms came back.

Taro is still alive. He's 12 now. He can't walk without pain. He takes gabapentin twice a day, $65 a month. He takes adequan injections, $89 every three weeks. He has a heated bed that cost $120 because cold makes his joints worse.

I've spent over $18,000 on Taro's medical care. He might live another year. Maybe two.

The Breeding Problem

Scotland banned the breeding of Scottish Folds in 2024. Belgium banned it earlier. Several Australian states have restrictions. The Cat Fanciers' Association in the US still recognizes the breed. TICA still registers them.

I joined some breeder forums back in 2015. Wanted to understand the genetics better. What I found was a lot of denial. Breeders insisting their lines were healthy. Blaming owners for overfeeding. Blaming owners for not providing proper exercise. Saying the joint problems were rare when the veterinary literature says they're universal.

I left those forums.

The Instagram Problem

Scottish Folds are everywhere on social media now. Taylor Swift has two. Ed Sheeran has one. The breed has become more popular in the last 10 years than in the previous 50.

The cats photograph well. The round faces. The owl-like appearance. The sitting poses. They get likes. Breeders charge more. $2,500, $3,000, I've seen $4,500 for rare colors.

The shelter population of Scottish Folds has increased too. People buy the kittens for $2,000, then surrender them at age 3 or 4 when the vet bills start. A rescue coordinator in Los Angeles told me they get 15 to 20 Fold surrenders a year now. Ten years ago it was 2 or 3.

What I Have Now

I adopted a domestic shorthair from a shelter in 2019. Orange tabby. $75 adoption fee. He's 6 years old, no health problems. Annual vet visit costs about $180.

I also have a Maine Coon I bought in 2021. $1,200. She's 4, healthy so far. Maine Coons have their own genetic issues. Hip dysplasia, heart disease. I got her tested for both. $450 for the genetic screening. Both tests negative.

The Maine Coon doesn't sit in Buddha pose. She doesn't have folded ears. She doesn't look like an owl. She sheds constantly, hair everywhere, I vacuum every two days.

I don't have any Scottish Folds anymore. I won't have another one.

The Point

I'm not saying don't get a Scottish Fold. I'm saying know what you're getting. Know that the ears mean joint disease. Know that the joint disease is progressive. Know that you will spend thousands on pain management. Know that your cat will likely die younger than average.

If you're fine with all that, get one. They're wonderful cats. Mochi was the best cat I ever had. I mean that. I think about her probably once a week, still.

Taro is lying next to me right now as I type this. On his heated bed. He can't get on the couch anymore. I pick him up and put him next to me when I sit down. He purrs when I do that.