Research overview: Scottish Fold osteochondrodysplasia

The folded ears that define the Scottish Fold breed result from a cartilage mutation that also causes a painful skeletal disorder, and this overview surveys the resulting welfare controversy. It examines how the dominant mutation affecting cartilage produces both the characteristic ear fold and osteochondrodysplasia, a degenerative joint and bone disease that can cause lifelong pain and lameness, with homozygous cats most severely affected. The survey discusses radiographic and clinical findings, the genetics that make the desired trait inseparable from the disease, and calls by veterinary and welfare bodies to stop breeding cats for folded ears. It presents the Scottish Fold as a stark example of a breed defining feature being directly tied to inherited disease, illustrating ethical concerns about breeding for appearance when the trait itself entails predictable harm.