Cats With Folded Ears
The Scottish Fold is a breed of domestic cat with a natural dominant-gene mutation that affects cartilage throughout the body causing the ears to fold bending forward and down towards the front of the head which gives the cat what is often described as an owl-like appearance.
Cats with folded ears. Some feline ear abnormalities are genetically transferred from parents to offspring. Among these is an inherited condition known as fold-ears in which the tip of a cats pinna is bent sharply either toward or away from the skull. Folded ear tips in cats are usually associated with the longterm use of anti-inflammatory steroid drugs usually in the form of daily eye or ear medications.
Scottish Fold cats have really small ears that bend forward and down towards the front of their head with rounded ear tips. The only widely recognised fold-eared cat is the Scottish Fold and its longhaired version the Highland Fold Coupari. This is a very special and unique breed of cat.
The Scottish Fold is the most well-known folded ear cat. These cats are healthy cats with a lifespan of 12 years. Some of the various names of folded ear cats are Highland Fold Scottish Fold and the Coupari.
But the folded ears that this breed is named for are caused by a bone and cartilage distorting gene mutation that results in these cats often having crippling and debilitating pain and arthritis. That is if two Scottish Fold cats with folded ears are mated. The degree of the folding ears varies.
This gives them a big floppy look. Though if your cat is on pred it can be Exogenous Cushings due to the corticosteroids. Their ears will fold at three to four weeks.
Cats with their ears low and facing out are likely to be feeling unwell. These cats are not bred due to ethical concerns. By 11 to 12 weeks breeders will know for sure if the Scottish Folds quality is a pet breeder or show cat with only cats with folded ears allowed in.