Taylor Swift helped make the Scottish Fold famous — but this cat breed should be banned

6 June 2025, 14:32

The popularity of certain cat breeds on social media leads people to unknowingly promote the breeding of cats that suffer painful health conditions.

We’re all guilty of it, especially us animal lovers. Whether it’s a fluffy duckling waddling behind its mum, a litter of puppies playfully clamouring over one another, or a snoozing cat in a basket – there’s something about animals that can make our hearts melt as we let out a squeal of “aww.” And of course, with social media we now have the ideal platform to access even more of the ‘aww factor’ - an online world where we can all become content creators and bring our pets along for the ride.

It all sounds pretty harmless, but the truth is that when it comes to animals, there can be a horrifying reality to so-called ‘cuteness culture.’ And as a vet who works specifically with cats, I’ve been increasingly worried about the popularity of certain breeds that I see regularly on Insta, TikTok and Facebook. Almost all of these cats will be owned by people who love their pets and animals more generally, but may be unknowingly promoting the breeding of cats that suffer painful health conditions.

The most obvious example is the Scottish Fold. Owned by celebrities like Taylor Swift, this is a breed of cat that was intentionally developed in the 1970s to carry a genetic defect in their cartilage which causes their ears to fold over. These cats have also been bred to have a flatter face and an owl-like wide-eyed look. On the face of it, it all seems harmless, and you’d be forgiven for thinking the Scottish Fold is simply a ‘cuter’ moggy. However, this genetic trait comes at a huge cost to the cat’s health and wellbeing, as it doesn’t just affect the cartilage in the ear, but can cause joint issues across the body such as arthritis, which in some cases will lead to a shortened life span.

All too often, this means Scottish Folds are unable to move like other cats – they can’t bend and stretch properly to groom themselves, and they can’t jump, run and play like other cats. This is likely to lead to a frustrating and painful life. Due to their evolutionary history as potential prey for larger predators, cats have developed behaviours that hide signs of pain, making it difficult for owners to realise their cat is suffering. Scottish Folds are often described as placid or laidback pets – adding to their appeal – but the sad fact is that they normally only appear this way because they are in such discomfort. Quite simply, it can be too uncomfortable for them to move around like your average cat.

At Cats Protection, we believe every cat should have a good life. The health problems associated with Scottish Folds have been understood for many years, yet breeding continues. We believe the popularity of such breeds is encouraged by their presence on social media, and this is exaggerated further if owners have a significant online following.

So how can we help to stop the breeding of these cats? Cats Protection understands that many owners will not be aware of the challenges these cats face, and we want to reassure them that we are here for all cats. We want to support them in understanding the challenges these cats face, so they can make the right choices for their cat’s health and what they might share on social media.

Whilst working with cat owners is part of the story, we know there’s more to do. Despite the health problems being well-known for many years, the Scottish Fold remains a popular breed, with around 100,000 in the UK alone. That’s why we’re calling for a ban on breeding cats with extreme traits to make sure no cat is intentionally bred with health problems simply so they can look a certain way.

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Alison Richards is the Chief Vet for Cats Protection.

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