This section will be added to as time permits, as you can appreciate it is a section that could easily have an entire website dedicated to. It will be a section that is dedicated to educating people about feline diseases and busting the many myths that some breeders try to tell you. It will be a collection of proven scientific fact, personal experiences and truth.

It is not a section to fuel fear about what can go wrong with your kitten or cat but as a tool for education, as it is through education and speaking openly and honestly about these problems that we can overcome them and acheive what is most important - the well being of your furkid.

Thank you for your patience.

Osteochondrosis and The Scottish Fold

"Osteochondrosis" is a disorder of bone formation in the growth plates (areas where bone grows in length in the young cat) of the bone; it is a disease process in growing cartilage, primarily characterised by a disturbance of the change from cartilage to bone (known as "endochondral ossification") during bone development that leads to excessive retention of cartilage. 

The gene that causes folded ears also makes Scottish Fold cats susceptible to polycystic kidney disease (PKD), OSTEOCHONDRITIS, and cardiomyopathy. However, with responsible breeding and screening for genetic diseases, Scottish Fold cats tend to be robust and healthy, manifesting the heartiness of their barnyard ancestors.

The gene that causes the folded ears is dominant, so if the cat receives the gene from one parent, its ears will be folded. However, if both parents carry the “fold” gene and the kittens receive two copies of it, they will be at risk for genetic defects that can result in lameness and other problems. For this reason, two Scottish Fold cats should NOT be bred together.

Scottish Fold cats can only safely be bred with non-Folds (either with Scottish Shorthairs or British Shorthairs), and owners who are not breeding their pets should have them spayed or neutered to reduce the risk of passing the gene along to street cats, where uncontrollable breeding could result in a doubling up of the fold gene. It is for this reason we will never sell an entire kitten to anyone except a Registered Breeder we trust that has the same ethics and breeding protocols as ourselves.

Clinical signs of stiffness and lameness occurs usually between 4-8 months with diagnosis generally shortly after. Although we take all measures possible to ensure the genetic soundness of our kittens, we are dealing with living animals and this can go wrong through no fault of anyone and can be just a natural annomally. Scottish Fold kitten buyer must also be aware that they are purchasing a kitten breed that can occasionally have problems and must factor that into their decision making process.

We as breeders are striving to irradicate such conditions from the breed however there are many unscrupulous people around that are not doing the right thing by this breed, in fact are just down right irresponsible and reckless not only with the cats involved but the hearts and emotions of the people who are welcoming these kittens into their lives and families.

You can be assured that when dealing with Siratsa Cats if any genetic anomalies should ever occur with our breedings we will do whatever we can to work with you and remedy the situation.

Ensure the the breeder you are dealing with is doing the right thing.