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Breed guide · Cats
She watches the whole flat from the sofa. I made sure she never has to jump to get there.
Last updated 14 October 2026
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What they brought with them.
Tap a card to see what is going on.
At home
Ears folded forward and flat, and that round, owl-like face.
What's going onThe gene that folds their ears also affects the cartilage in joints throughout their body. It is called Osteochondrodysplasia (OCD, a painful bone and cartilage disorder), and every cat with folded ears has it to some degree, at every age, often showing first in the tail, ankles and knees. That is why they need attentive joint care and a good vet from the start.
At home
Happy on the sofa, watching the room, rarely in a hurry.
What's going onFolds are placid by nature. A cat with sore joints also moves less, and the two look the same from the sofa. If they have stopped jumping up, it may be their joints, and a reason to contact your vet the same day.
At home
Sitting at the foot of the cat tree, looking up at the top shelf.
What's going onHeight is how a cat feels safe, and a Fold wants it as much as any cat. Every landing loads their joints, so ramps and steps to the sofa, the bed and the window give them the view without the jump.
At home
A tail that looks short and thick, and does not swish the way other cats' do.
What's going onThe same cartilage disorder can make their tail short, thick and stiff. Never bend it to see how far it goes, because it can hurt them.
At home
A shake of the head, a scratch at one ear, or a smell you had not noticed before.
What's going onA folded ear lets less air in, and ear wax build-up is something Folds are prone to from their junior years. Look inside their ears once a week. If they shake their head, scratch or their ears smell, contact your vet.
At home
Looking perfectly well, asleep in the same warm spot every afternoon.
What's going onHypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM, a thickened heart muscle) and Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD, cysts in the kidneys) are on their health record from kittenhood. A heart scan and a kidney ultrasound in their junior years give you their normal.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their ears
Built for: Bred for the fold.
In Dubai: The fold is not only in their ears.
Their joints
Built for: Cartilage in every joint they have.
In Dubai: Changed by the same gene, in every folded cat.
Their pain
Built for: A cat who hides it, like every cat.
In Dubai: They jump a little less, walk a little differently, and look calm.
You cannot undo the fold.
You can take the load off their joints every day, learn what their normal looks like, and have their joints and heart looked at on schedule. The ten things below are how.
Your plan is built around what a Scottish Fold is prone to at every age, from their joints to their heart and kidneys, and the care that goes with each one.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
They are still a hunter, but leaping and landing are hard on their joints.
Every age, gentler from 11 years
Why
They are still a hunter, but leaping and landing are hard on their joints.
What to do
Drag a wand toy along the floor, away from them and behind the sofa. Five to ten minutes, two or three times a day. Let them catch it, then feed them. A Fold who stops joining in may be sore.
They want height like any cat, and every landing loads their ankles and knees.
Every age, start as a kitten
Why
They want height like any cat, and every landing loads their ankles and knees.
What to do
Ramps or steps to the sofa, the bed and their window. A low-sided tray on every floor. If they pee just outside the tray, the side may be too high for them. Set the ramps up while they are a kitten, so they use them before they need them.
They hide joint pain, and a short film shows what they will not show in the clinic.
Every age, start as a kitten
Why
They hide joint pain, and a short film shows what they will not show in the clinic.
What to do
Film them walking and climbing their ramp. Reluctance to jump or a new way of walking can all be signs of sore joints. Never bend their tail or legs to test them. Show the films to your vet. A skeletal and orthopaedic evaluation (joint and bone exam) is in your plan from kittenhood, with X-rays of the bones and joints from their junior years.
Stiff joints feel worse in a cold draught.
Every age, most of all from 11 years
Why
Stiff joints feel worse in a cold draught.
What to do
A warm, soft bed away from the air conditioning vents, with a low entry so they step in rather than climb. Older cats feel the cold more, so add a second warm bed as they age.
A stiff back and tail make it hard to groom their rear end, and longhaired Folds mat easily.
Every age, most of all from 7 years
Why
A stiff back and tail make it hard to groom their rear end, and longhaired Folds mat easily.
What to do
Comb them gently once a week, more often if they are longhaired, and wipe under their tail if they can't reach. Keep it short and end with a treat.
Every extra gram sits on joints that are already under strain.
Every age, most of all from 7 months
Why
Every extra gram sits on joints that are already under strain.
What to do
Weigh their daily food. Use a puzzle feeder for part of it. Ask your vet to reset their portion from the day they are neutered. Weight-management counselling is in your plan from their junior years.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM, a thickened heart muscle) and Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD, cysts in the kidneys) are on their record from kittenhood, and cats hide both well.
Every age, start as a kitten
Why
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM, a thickened heart muscle) and Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD, cysts in the kidneys) are on their record from kittenhood, and cats hide both well.
What to do
Their plan includes listening to their heart as a kitten, then a baseline heart scan and a kidney ultrasound in their junior years. If they drink more or lose weight, contact your vet the same day. Fast or shallow breathing while resting should be discussed with your vet immediately, within the same day. Breathing with their mouth open, or struggling for breath, is an emergency: contact your vet now.
With joint X-rays and heart and kidney scans on top of the usual visits, a calm arrival makes each one easier on them.
Every age, start as a kitten
Why
With joint X-rays and heart and kidney scans on top of the usual visits, a calm arrival makes each one easier on them.
What to do
Leave it out, door open, with a warm blanket inside. Once a week, touch their paws, ears and mouth for a second, then a treat. Lift them in gently, supporting their back legs.
Their folded ears let less air in, and ear wax build-up is on their record. Dental disease comes later.
Every age, most of all from 7 months
Why
Their folded ears let less air in, and ear wax build-up is on their record. Dental disease comes later.
What to do
Once a week, lift their lip and look at their gums, then look inside their ears for brown wax or redness. Clean only the part you can see, as your vet shows you. Tell your vet about head shaking or scratching. Start brushing as a kitten, a few seconds at a time, with cat toothpaste. Ear cleaning, a dermatological evaluation (skin exam) and an annual dental evaluation (teeth and gum check) are in your plan from their junior years.
Weight change and less climbing are often the first signs of pain, kidney trouble or, later, an overactive thyroid.
Every age
Why
Weight change and less climbing are often the first signs of pain, kidney trouble or, later, an overactive thyroid.
What to do
Scales with them, scales without them, write down the difference. Notice if they stop using their ramps or start yowling at night, and call your vet about any steady loss or gain.
Four of these are in your plan. The rest you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 6 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
11 to 14 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
15 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
Scottish Fold shorthair or longhair
Scottish Folds come in a dense short coat or a longer one, and the longhaired Fold needs combing more often. Every one carries the same gene, the one that folds their ears and affects the cartilage in their joints.
Colours
A Scottish Fold can come in any colour or pattern a cat can have, from white and grey to black, ginger, cream and tabby. Whatever their colour, their joints need the same care.
The first six months
Their vaccinations, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first, and their first visits include a skeletal and orthopaedic evaluation (joint and bone exam) and listening to their heart. Put the ramps out now, so they learn to use them before they need them.
Kitten health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the home ready
Ramps or steps to the sofa, the bed and a favourite window, a low-sided litter tray on every floor, and a warm, low bed away from the air conditioning vents. A wand toy for games along the floor helps too.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
The folded-ear mutation is a cartilage disorder that also affects the joints throughout the body, so the breed carries a serious inherent welfare concern. Prospective owners should understand the skeletal implications of the breed. Britain's main cat registry, the GCCF, does not recognise the Scottish Fold for this reason. If a Fold is already part of your family, attentive joint care from the start makes a real difference to how they feel.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
If it's a kitten: First 30 days with a new kitten · Kitten vaccinations in the UAE
When it is not behaviour.
She'll still watch the whole flat from the sofa. If she stops using the ramp, call your vet.
Before they were yours.
1961
A white farm cat called Susie had ears that folded forward. A neighbour, William Ross, took one of Susie's folded-ear kittens and started a breed.
What they still carryEvery Scottish Fold descends from Susie.
Early 1970s
Folds were showing bone problems and lameness, and the GCCF, Britain's main cat registry, stopped registering them.
What they still carryA breed the GCCF still does not recognise.
1978
The Cat Fanciers' Association gave the shorthaired Fold championship status in 1978, and the longhaired Fold in 1992.
What they still carryRecognition in America, and none in Britain.
2016
Researchers traced the fold to one change in a gene that affects cartilage and bone throughout the body.
What they still carryOsteochondrodysplasia, on their health record at every age.
Today
They are here in the UAE too, a calm, affectionate cat who suits a quiet indoor home.
What they still carryA calm nature that can hide sore joints, so their joints are watched closely.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Scottish Fold suits you, so might these.
British ShorthairThe closest cat to look at: the same round face, full cheeks and calm nature, on a sturdy body with straight ears
ChartreuxAnother plush, sturdy look, in a quiet blue cat with straight ears and copper to gold eyes
RagamuffinThe same gentle, affectionate and quiet temperament, in a bigger semi-longhaired cat with straight ears
Domestic ShorthairA similar size and an easy coat for flat life, in the everyday house cat with no pedigree and no folding gene
