'You can't call yourself a cat lover and have this cat' says vet - but there is one exception

A vet has told animal owners they can't call themselves a cat lover and have one particular breed. British veterinarian Ben the Vet says anyone who breeds a Scottish fold cat is "selfish".

And he said people who buy them from breeders have either failed to do their research - or are putting their desire for a cute cat ahead of the animal's health.

Posting on TikTok he said: "I'm a vet and in my opinion you cannot call yourself a true cat lover and have a Scottish fold cat because surely if you love cats you want your cat to be able to run and jump without difficulty and not be in constant pain. And Scottish fold cats do experience more pain than other cats because they are plagued with arthritis."

He showed x-rays from a Scottish fold cat compared with another breed and he told followers: "You probably don't have to be a vet to see that there is some abnormality here." He pointed out a large amount of extra bone formation around the animal's feet which is a sign of "severe arthritis".

Ben added: "This arthritis is the price these cats pay for looking cute. The reason these cats have folded ears is because they have a genetic mutation which means the cartilage in their ears is defective.

"It's weak and that's why the air flap can't support itself and folds over. But they also have cartilage in all of their joints and that cartilage is also defective.

"This arthritis is painful and incurable and I've seen two or three-year-old Scottish fold cats that are crippled. Now this is going to sound very blunt but someone with a Scottish fold cat will fall into one of two categories.

"Either you got the Scottish fold and you didn't now about the arthritis problem and to be honest you should have done more research. You just google Scottish fold cat and this information comes up.

"Or you knew about the arthritis and you still chose to get a Scottish fold cat and basically what you're saying there is that your desire to have a cute cat outweighs the cat's right to live a pain free life."

People rushed to agree with him. Mel said: "Well said! Unfortunately many owners get cats because they're "cute" and do not do any research into the breed. Not just Scottish Folds but other breeds too." Liz said: "We found one dumped and he crunches when we pick him up it’s so sad."

And others also pointed out there were exceptions. Several said they cared for the breed after taking them in after they had been abandoned by their original owners.

Joe said: "3rd person - you picked up a Scottish fold cat from a rehoming center as the previous owners didn't want to pay for their care." And Asiya said: "if the cats exist anyway, what’s wrong with caring for a sick cat?

Ben said these were the exception. He said: "It’s obviously 100% fine to rescue one of these cats if they have been abandoned or given up - but buying them from a breeder imo is wrong. They only exist because humans are choosing to breed them because a market exists."