# Both of the parents of my scottish fold got folded ears



## csat (Mar 24, 2013)

I have just realized that.
So far, my kitten and his littermates seem fine, they are 2 months old now.
But what about in the long run? Will he have any health issue?
Is there anything I should do to take special care of my cat?
Will he live long?

:-(


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## spotty cats (Sep 23, 2011)

This is not a mating a reputable breeder would do, and it's not allowed by many registries - the kittens wouldn't be able to be registered in many associations. 

I would back out now, even if you forfeit your deposit and choose another breeder. 

I'd expect spine, joint and tail issues to show up at a fairly young age. This can sometimes be managed with daily pain medication, other times it's kinder to put them down.


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## maewkaew (Jun 27, 2012)

I am sorry to hear that. This breeder must be very uninformed and /or greedy and unethical. And if the breeder is so irresponsible about one major health problem, chances are they are also not careful about any other health issues. This is a breed that, if bred at all, should be bred very carefully. There is some evidence that all folded ear cats may suffer to some extent, even if they have only one folded ear parent. 

At least it is a good thing you found out in advance . I agree with spotty cats. I would back out of this now, even if it means forfeiting a deposit and even if it will be difficult emotionally because you want the kitten and you are already thinking of him as "my kitten" . 

The reason good breeders do not breed 2 folded ear cats to each other is because it's been found that many of the offspring develop serious problems with their joints, and may even become severely crippled and in pain within a few years. 

Here is some info from the cattery website of the CFA Scottish Fold Breed Council Secretary; she is a physician who breeds Scottish Folds and has some good information on her site about health matters in the breed. 


> *Osteochondrodysplasia* is a disease that is unique to Scottish Folds. It was discovered that if a folded ear was bred to another folded ear, many of the offspring developed a severe crippling lameness early in life.


 
Here is a more in-depth article about Osteochondrodysplasia in SFs OSTEOCHONDRODYSPLASIA SCOTTISH FOLD

With the Osteochondrodysplasia, the risk is that in a few years or even sooner he may start to be in pain. It may be able to be controlled ( or at least the pain may be reduced) through medication including glucosamine and chondroitin . 
For a cat with this problem, it may help to provide comfortable beds and ramps / small steps for the cat to get to favorite chairs/ window ledges etc. 
Sometimes surgery may be needed, depending on what exactly is wrong in the particular cat. 
Or as spotty cats said, in some cases it may be kinder to have the cat euthanized -- but I know that many vets in Thailand do not believe in euthanasia until the suffering is very severe. 

That Amber Snow link (the first link above) also includes information on other health problems in the breed -- HCM ( a kind of heart disease) and PKD ( a kind of kidney disease) and the testing Scottish Fold breeders should be doing. These problems will NOT show up from just a basic vet exam. Both of those diseases could cause a cat to die young. In some cases I know of cats dying by 4 or 5 years. 

Personally I would feel it is not good to buy from a breeder like this because you would be encouraging more irresponsible breeding, which increases the risk of more cats with health problems. 

And there is no way to tell you how to make SURE a kitten will not suffer from it. 
But if you are determined to get a kitten from this breeder, you can try to look for some signs that might be present now: 
1. Watch the kitten run and jump to see if it is moving normally.
2. Look at the paws. Some cats with severe osteochondrodysplasia have toes that are more splayed (spread out) instead of neatly tight together. 
3. Look at the legs -- unusually short legs might be a sign of this disease. 
4. Look at and feel the tail. You want to see a long, flexible tail, not a tail that is shortened and stiff.
( Note: This is NOT the same as the kinked / twisted/ shortened tails of many cats in Southeast Asia. If you are in Bangkok you probably see many cats with tails like that who are not lame. but that is from a different gene and is not associated with disease. Same with the Japanese Bobtail, that's a different gene that is not harmful. 
But in the Scottish Fold, a short stiff tail IS associated with disease.) 

5. You could have radiographs ("X-rays") done and have them examined by a veterinarian experienced at identifying normal and abnormal structure in the bones and joints. 

For PKD you could have genetic test done on the kitten , by sending a mouth swab sample to a veterinary genetics lab. 
For HCM there is a genetic test too. but there is more than one gene involved. so that's why it is also best to have scans done on the parents before breeding. 

But I would just say no to such irresponsible breeding. 

Some links to studies Osteochondrodysplasia in Scottish Fold cats. [Aust Vet J. 1999] - PubMed - NCBI
Osteochondrodysplasia in three Scottish Fold cats

P.S. - Wow , if I were there in Thailand, I would get a lovely Si Sawat or Wichien Maat or Thong Daeng! I'm a great admirer of the cats of Thailand as you can guess from my user name here. My cat's paternal grandfather, and a great-grandmother on her maternal side, are both Wichienmaat cats born in Bangkok Researchers have found that the cats of Thailand ( or the Thai-Malay peninsula) are genetically very unique, very different from the rest of the cats in the world. Thailand has a special gift in its native race of cats. 

But I guess it is human nature to like something different, and you might have your heart set on a Scottish Fold. But please do be careful.


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## 3gatos (Nov 28, 2012)

Woah, I would back out NOW! This is not a breeder you want to association with


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## coyt (Jul 15, 2012)

agreed with all of the above.

i would back out now. not only will you avoid future heartbreak but you will not be supporting a back yard breeder who does this totally irresponsible practice.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

I have just read this thread and it is very scary. If there are so many potential problems even with only one parent being a fold, why is it a trait that is being deliberately bred? It may look cute but if it's detrimental to the cat......


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## maewkaew (Jun 27, 2012)

Arianwen, I honestly do not think they should be bred. I think the GCCF ( the major cat association in the UK ) was right to withdraw recognition when the risks started to become apparent. I believe that there are some breeders , like the one site I linked, who do make a big effort ..... But it still just does not seem like a good idea to me to have a breed in which you can't even breed together cats who meet the standard without them having health problems. 
Every time there is a mutation someone thinks is "cute" or unique, it does not mean it needs to be a breed!


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