Scottish Fold

The Scottish Fold, Scottish Fold also called, is a short-haired cat whose main feature, so-called forward hanging ears are folded ears. This feature is the result of a stable and heritable genetic mutation. The breed Scottish Fold originated through breeding efforts since the early 1960s in Britain. It is now grown in the United States due to the different recognition by breed associations worldwide mainly.

History

Cats with genetic anomaly " folded ears " were described in the 19th century in China and at the beginning of the 20th century in England. The history of the Scottish Fold cat breed began in 1963 as the litter of five puppies from a breeding a faltohrigen faltohrigen hangover and a British shorthair cat. The parents of the cat were doing normal domestic cats with no known genetic abnormalities.

Manifestations

There are in addition to the short-haired Scottish Fold nor the semi-longhaired variant, the Highland Fold or Coupari is called. Since the breed British Shorthair ( BKH ) and British Longhair Cats ( Highlander ) is mated, all colors are allowed, which are also recognized in Britain. In the throws of about 50% and 50 % fall faltohrige puppies puppies with standing ears. These are then called Scottish Straight and may only be used for breeding with Scottish Fold. In appearance the Scottish Straight resemble the BKH, but often the standing ears are slightly larger.

Description genetics

The typical forward and down, folded ears of the Scottish Fold cat are hereditary. The kittens are born with normal ears, but grow after four weeks no longer in the air, but bent forward. Together with the round head and round eyes are this cat their particular facial expression. The body is stocky with strong legs and a thick tail.

The folded ears are as an incomplete dominant ( symbol Fd) inherited. This cat is usually heterozygous ( FDFD ); the homozygous cat ( FDFD ) carries a high probability of a genetic defect in the development of the growth plate, the growth zone of the bone. This leads to joint deformities and resulting in painful movement disorders. In the heterozygous Scottish Fold cats, there are no such problems. For this reason, only heterozygous Scottish Fold cats can be bred.

Breeding

Starting from the first litter of puppies faltohrigen began breeding work of the Scottish Fold. The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy ( GCCF ) recognized Scottish Fold in 1966 as a new race, joined the Stud Book in 1971 but provisionally it was unclear to what extent the characteristic of folded ears favors health problems such as mites or hearing problems. In response, the breed of the Scottish Fold shifted to the USA. There, the recognition by the Cat Fanciers' Association ( CFA) in 1974 applied for, issued in 1978. The TICA recognizes the breed, but not predominantly European breeding organizations such as the Fédération Internationale Féline ( FIFe ) or GCCF. Today, the popular Scottish Folds especially in the U.S., but also in Europe ( Germany ), Russia and Australia bred.

Problems in breeding Scottish Folds ( SF)

After the emergence of the natural mutation of the folded ears soon critical voices were raised demanding a ban on the breed, because the folded ears would lead to ear mites and deafness. The GCCF stroked the cat out of the stud book, so that the breed from 1973 in England was forbidden. Although deafness has in most cases to do with the coat color and the ear mite infestation ( in fact, the first SF cats were pure white ) a question of the nursing state. Paradoxically, the further growth is due to a real problem. A breeder noticed in some pups skeletal changes ( shortened vertebrae of the tail, thickened bone ). A kitten got the geneticist O.Jackson for examination, the bred with the defective cat and inbreeding experiments operation. This morally and scientifically questionable experiments were published in 1975 in a study that is still cited uncritically today. Jackson found out after all that the Fd gene inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Interestingly, he recommended not outlawing the breed but only the breeding of folded ears - with Geradohr cats.

1974 was founded in the United States International Scottish Fold Association ISFA, which coordinates the breeding of the SF, the recognition of the SF by the Cat Fanciers Association was a little later

After it became known that homozygous (Fd / Fd ) Cats were particularly affected by skeletal abnormalities, it was decided by regular Fremdeinkreuzungen the health of the SF to stabilize. Today, short-haired cats are particularly British taken for breeding with Folds, and the mating of Folds with each other is omitted. In " Robinson's Genetics for Cat Breeders " is then described also logical that the bone defects through selective breeding in SFs have fallen sharply. Nevertheless, there are publications that describe Osteochondrodysplasias at SF cats and calling for a ban of breeding.

Takanosu describes heterozygous cats with mild phenotype of the joints and cartilage in a cattery in Japan. Hubler describes a palliative treatment by X-ray radiation at a 3 year old cat with SF Osteochondrodysplasia that was largely free of symptoms after the treatment. Chang describes three cases in South Korea and recommends chondroprotective agents such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for arthritis and joint pain of the animals. Malik describes six cases in an Australian SF Cattery that up to 6 years were 14 months old and all had skeletal abnormalities. However, most of the animals were related to each other here. In addition, the animal population in Australia is so small that inbreeding cases or illegal matings are likely to play a role. On a genetics conference in 2000 called his results contradict forth.

Although the GCCF and the Federation International Feline continue to refuse to register as a race because of the bone defects, it is still extremely popular.

A spoiled breed?

Although the opinion on the interpretation of § 11b of the Animal Welfare Act (prohibition of torture breeds ) recommends the prohibition of breeding, but is unmistakable proof that folded ears also lead to bone defects still not given. Also, the argument goes, the animals were restricted by their folded ears in their social contact is not sustainable. Another remark on the report:

On closer examination of this subject of intense, one comes to the conclusion that the authors have arbitrary and biased traded against certain breeds. The study of sources is extremely superficial, the data are sparse, partly researched and with respect to the information content of obsolete or erroneous, for a research paper, which presents itself as an opinion, totally inadequate ..

Due to the fact that there is relatively little literature with very few affected animals, a general ban on breeding is poorly justified. A literature study on the subject torture breeding showed in 2001 that the breeding program has to be controlled, but not prohibited.

Is criticized, inter alia, that the proper inheritance of the SF transition is still not known and a DNA screening to identify genetic disorder is essential. In the literature study, the presence of a genetic predisposition to cartilage and bone damage is doubted. A coupling of the folded ears of a gene that is inherited skeletal defects has not been established.

SF breeders describe is no increased health problems of Folds in comparison to others.

In 2001 also, a representative sample of the health of Scottish Fold / Highland Fold was performed cats:

To this end, more than 50 cats were examined, partly by radiographic measures, partly by animal or exhibition doctors and appraisal by qualified judges. The age of the animals was on average 3 years, the oldest cat was 15 years old. With no cat there were 1000 studies with negative results, ie Bone or other defects. In the summary of the study, the director Ortrun Wagner writes:

" 56 cats / litters of the breed Scottish Fold from 22 farms from 5 countries were examined by veterinarians and breed judges from 11 countries. A total of 1000 times was the result: The Scottish Fold enjoy excellent health, species-specific body type, especially full range of motion of the limbs and tail and have no characteristics of a spoiled breeding for the purposes of § 11b of the Animal Welfare Act. "