Every Scottish Fold's folded ears are caused by osteochondrodysplasia, a cartilage and bone-growth disorder that International Cat Care confirms affects the whole skeleton of every cat that inherits the gene to some degree — this is a genetic disease, not a cute quirk, and it is why major veterinary and welfare bodies consider deliberately breeding for the trait unethical, and why the breed is banned or restricted from breeding in several countries.
Health tests to ask the breeder for
There is no CHIC program for cats. These are the DNA and screening tests that the testing laboratories and cat health bodies name for the Scottish Fold. A breeder who tests will show the certificates; a DNA result of "clear" for one variant is not a guarantee against the disease.
- Scottish Fold / osteochondrodysplasia (TRPV4 c.1024G>T) DNA test (UC Davis VGL) identifies the fold mutation; every folded-ear cat carries it and 'may also have cartilage- and bone-related health problems'; two copies cause more severe disease
- PKD1 DNA test (UC Davis VGL / Langford Vets) screens for autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (VGL lists Scottish Fold among Persian-derived breeds for PKD1)
- PRA-rdAc (CEP290) DNA test (UC Davis VGL / Langford Vets) screens for late-onset progressive retinal atrophy / blindness (VGL lists Scottish Fold among rdAc-affected breeds)
When to spay or neuter: by five months, whatever the breed. That is the one answer the AVMA, the feline practitioners and AAHA all give, and the spay and neuter page has why, and the two weeks after.
The folded-ear gene itself causes the bone and cartilage disease, so no test produces a healthy folded cat. International Cat Care's position: it is unethical to continue to breed cats with a genetic mutation that is known to cause significant painful disease.
Sources: icatcare.org · vgl.ucdavis.edu · vgl.ucdavis.edu · vgl.ucdavis.edu. Checked September 2026. Check a breeder has the questions.
Adopt a Scottish Fold near you
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Living with a Scottish Fold
Scottish Folds are gentle, quiet, adaptable cats that are genuinely easy to live with day to day — but the folded ears that define the breed come from a lifelong, incurable skeletal disease, and even a mildly affected cat is likely to develop stiffness, reduced mobility, and arthritis as it ages, sometimes needing daily pain relief. This is arguably the clearest case in the cat world where the physical trait people are buying and the cat's actual welfare are directly in conflict, which is why International Cat Care states plainly that ending the breeding of folded-eared cats would eliminate the disease within a single generation.
Health you should know about
- Osteochondrodysplasia — the same dominant gene mutation that folds the ears abnormally thickens and malforms cartilage throughout the body. International Cat Care and UFAW both state that all folded-ear cats develop this to some extent, ranging from mild stiffness to severe, progressive, painful arthritis with fused joints in the tail, ankles, and knees; there is no cure, only pain management, and it is lifelong and worsens with age.
- Cats that inherit the gene from both parents (homozygous) are affected far more severely, often showing changes on x-ray by 7 weeks old; responsible registries require folded-ear cats to be paired only with straight-eared cats, which avoids that more severe double-dose form but does not prevent the disease in the folded kittens themselves — every folded kitten produced will still have some degree of it.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and polycystic kidney disease have also been reported as additional concerns in the breed.
Read the full Cat Care Guide first — costs, daily time, and everything a cat needs before you choose a breed.
Naming a Scottish Fold? Scottish dog and cat names, 79 of them, with what they mean.
Sources — 4 references
Last reviewed October 2026. 4 sources listed below. Written and maintained by Petdeals.io. General care information, not veterinary advice — for a sick animal, call a vet.