A designer cat favoured by celebrities from Taylor Swift to Molly-Mae Hague could be banned after a government report finds they experience ‘painful’ conditions.
The Scottish Fold cat is well known for its unique appearance with a rounded ‘owl-like’ face and small folded ears.
However, scientists say the cute features that have won so much adoration on social media condemn these cats to a shortened life of near-constant pain.
The genes which give the Scottish Fold its unique look also cause defective cartilage formation leading to crippling pain when they run, jump, or play – leaving many almost unable to move.
Yet despite their well-known health issues, the breed’s popularity has surged thanks to endorsements from some of the world’s biggest celebs.
A new report by the Animal Welfare Committee (AWC), a body which advises the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has called for a ban on the breed.
Dr Dan O’Neil, associate professor of companion animal epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College, told MailOnline: ‘It is indisputable that breeding Scottish Fold cats leads to a lifetime of incurable crippling suffering from the disease mutations that define these cats.
‘There is an argument that being defined as a Scottish Fold cat is a disease description in its own right.’
Scottish Folds are a designer cat breed favoured by celebrities like Taylor Swift, but scientists say this breed carries health issues that could lead to them being banned. Pictured, Taylor Swift (left) poses with Paula Abdul (right) and her Scottish Fold cat
Like many purebred animals, the Scottish Fold experiences a number of health issues related to inbreeding and the forced selection of aesthetically pleasing or ‘cute’ traits.
This includes the skeletal disorder osteochondrodysplasia which leads to deformities such as thick, inflexible tails and shortened splayed feet.
Dr O’Neil says: ‘The Scottish Fold cat breed was invented by deliberately breeding from cats with a serious genetic disease mutation that now affects all of the cats of this breed.
‘This osteochondrodysplasia mutation changes the way their cartilage forms and gives Scottish Fold cats their characteristic folded ears.
‘But the folded ears are the tip of an iceberg of suffering that includes skeletal deformities and severely painful arthritis.’
Cats with this condition are unable to live a full and healthy life, being unable to move properly or even display normal cat body-language.
Dr O’Neil adds: ‘Many people consider Scottish Folds to have “calm” and “laid back” personalities but these behaviours may reflect the lifetime of joint pain.
‘Their reluctance to move, jump and play is less about a calm personality and more about it being too painful to behave as a normal cat.’
The same gene that gives Scottish Folds their soft ears also causes bone deformities and arthritis. The government’s animal welfare body is now calling for a ban on their breeding. Pictured: Taylor Swift and her Scottish Fold
Since the gene which causes Scottish Fold’s to develop arthritis is dominant, any offspring from their breeding will also develop this condition. This leads to a mistaken belief that they are naturally quiet when, in reality, they are in too much pain to play or run. Pictured: Taylor Swift’s Scottish Fold
In the case of the Scottish Fold, these harmful traits are particularly problematic since they are carried on a dominant gene.
When two animals reproduce, their offspring will always display the dominant gene even if only one parent carries it.
Dr Alison Richards, head of clinical services at Cats Protection, told MailOnline: ‘This painful degenerative joint disease is common in Scottish Folds, and they will often go on to develop arthritis.
‘Many of these cats will suffer a lifetime of pain due to their selective breeding, but because they are masters of disguise, they usually hide this from us and suffer in silence.’
For example, in humans brown hair is generally caused by a dominant gene so children will frequently have brown hair if just one parent is brunette.
Similarly, any offspring from a Scottish Fold cat will inevitably develop these painful and debilitating conditions if a single parent is purebred.
This also means that Scottish Fold’s health issues cannot be removed through selective breeding.
Dr Richards points out that Scottish Folds develop arthritis so reliably that they are being used as a model to study how the condition develops in humans.
Yet, despite these health issues being extremely well known, the popularity of Scottish Fold has only increased in recent years.
Earlier this year it was estimated that one per cent of the UK’s 10.6 million cats could be Scottish Folds, with the breed making up three per cent of all cats acquired last year.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA told MailOnline: ‘There’s also been rising demand for cats bred with exaggerated features such as Scottish Fold, Persian or Munchkin breeds, but sadly all these breeds are prone to health issues.
‘Unfortunately cat breeding is becoming an increasingly accessible and lucrative business but there are no legislative safeguards in place to protect cats as there currently are for dogs.’
This demand is partly driven by the publicity that these exaggerated breeds receive in the media and in the social media feeds of celebrities.
Taylor Swift’s two Scottish Fold cats, named Olivia Benson and Meredith Grey after characters from US TV shows, often appear on her social media accounts.
Ed Sheeran also owns a Scottish Fold named Callipo, which has its own Instagram page.
And Molly-Mae Hague owns two of the breed named Eggy and Bread.
Despite the health issues being well known, Scottish Folds have become more popular thanks in part to ownership by celebrities such as Ed Sheeran (pictured)
Molly-Mae Hague owns two of the breed named Eggy and Bread (pictured)
A spokesperson for the Scottish RSPCA told MailOnline: ‘Including breeds of animals which have conformational extremes, inherited diseases or negative behavioural traits that cause significant animal health and welfare issues in the film and TV industry sadly draws attention to those species and encourages the public to think that these animals are a good choice of pet to have.
‘This could then lead to a greater demand for that particular breed and subsequently some unscrupulous breeders will seize the opportunity to put profit over animal welfare.’
However, that rise could soon come to an end if the government chooses to ban the breeding of Scottish Folds.
In the AWC report, Scottish Folds are singled out as a possible target for a ban due to their inevitable health issues.
The move has been supported by Cats Protection which is calling for the government to ‘urgently introduce regulations’.
Earlier this year, a Cats Protection petition calling for regulation of cat breeding gained more than 50,000 signatures.
Dr Richards concludes: ‘We want to see a ban on the commercial breeding of certain breeds with extreme characteristics like the Scottish Fold, the Munchkin and the so-called XL bully cats, as well as regulation of cat breeding in general.’
Likewise, the Scottish RSPCA says it does not support the breeding of Scottish Folds.
There are now growing calls for the breeding of Scottish Folds to be banned under animal welfare laws. Pictured: Tommy Furry with Molly-Mae Hague’s Scottish Fold
The AWC has recommended a ban on licensing legislation to prevent the breeding of Scottish Folds in the UK.
The report points to existing bans on breeding and sometimes even sale of the cats in countries including Austria, Belgium and Norway.
The report’s authors write: ‘Breeds should not be perpetuated where they suffer from health and welfare problems linked to characteristics selected for or associated with that breed.
‘Licensing legislation should explicitly prevent licensing of those breeding these animals throughout the UK.’
