Why Scottish Fold cats stand on two legs and sit in strange poses: shocking reasons

Folded-eared cats are quite funny because of their habits of standing like gophers or sitting in positions that are usually associated with humans.

Although it seems that this is one of the strange quirks of this cat breed, it can be the result of a genetic disease, according to experts from Hepper.

In particular, Scottish Folds sometimes sit on their lower backs with their legs stretched out in front of them, just like humans. This is due, in particular, to an abnormality of the joint bones and cartilage. "Sitting on the hind legs can be painful and even uncomfortable," experts say. It is also possible that the cat suffers from osteochondrodysplasia, a condition that these cats inherit.

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Experts add that Scottish Folds have a genetic disease that affects their cartilage (hence their folded ears), which unfortunately leads to many problems with bones, joints, and cartilage throughout the body.

"A gene mutation affects the cartilage and joints in their bodies, allowing them to rotate their bodies in seemingly awkward positions. This is due to a condition known as osteodystrophy, a bone and cartilage abnormality found in Scottish Folds. It is an inherited disease, and it is officially known as Scottish Fold Osteochondrodysplasia (SFOCD)," the publication writes.

How the gene was discovered

In 1961, a kitten with folded ears was found in Scotland. It was named Susie. The cat gave birth to kittens with the same ears. It turned out that Susie had a genetic mutation that caused skeletal deformities, folded ears, and fused bones.

"This makes cats with this disease incredibly flexible and even bigger than normal cats. All the cats bred from Suzy and her descendants over the years have led to the breed of cat we now know as the Scottish Fold. Because Scottish Folds have skeletal and cartilage deformities, they are at a higher risk of developing arthritis than other cats," the report says.

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Experts explain that Scottish Folds may also avoid sitting on their hind legs because the extra pressure can be painful if they have arthritis, and other strange ways of sitting may be more comfortable for this breed.

Why lop-eared cats are not active

Scottish Fold cats can suffer from a painful degenerative joint disease throughout their lives. It occurs because a mutation in these cats negatively affects the cartilage. During the development of the disease, the joints crack, the bones fuse, and it becomes heavier and more painful for the cat to move. Cats begin to limp and then avoid the need to move at all.

Earlier, experts named the parts of the cat's body that should not be touched.

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