International Cat Care has said that it is “delighted” to hear that the Flemish part of Belgium has banned the breeding of Scottish Fold cats.
Image: A Scottish Fold.
A spokesman said: “As a charity we have already taken a stand and said these cats should not be bred. We have known since the 1970s that breeding Scottish Fold cats is ethically indefensible.
“The Scottish Fold’s ear-shape is due to abnormal ear cartilage which is not rigid enough to support the ears in an upright position.
“The gene that causes the cartilage problem in the ears also results in defective cartilage in joints, and abnormal bone development elsewhere in the body (known as osteochondrodysplasia). The result of this is crippling arthritis. This has been confirmed by a number of scientific studies and, depressingly, Scottish Folds develop this painful condition so reliably that they are even used as a model for research on human arthritis
Shortly after the breed was introduced in the 1970s, The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) removed it from its list of recognised breeds because of the deformity and suffering evident in the cats.
The spokesman continued: “Please join iCatCare in spreading the message that these cats are suffering, because of continued defence of, and support for this breed.”