An honest account of the breed, and how we breed it.

The folded ear of the Scottish Fold is produced by a dominant mutation in the TRPV4 gene (Fd). Because the same mutation affects cartilage development throughout the body, every Fold carries a degree of risk for a condition called osteochondrodysplasia (SFOCD).

Two important facts shape what responsible breeding looks like:

• The condition is dose-dependent. Homozygous cats (Fd/Fd) develop severe, painful skeletal deformity. Heterozygous cats (Fd/fd) have markedly lower expression.
• Heterozygous cats are produced only by pairing a folded-ear cat with a straight-eared cat — what we call Fold × Straight pairing.

• We never breed two folded-ear cats together. Every Aurelian litter is a Fold × Straight pairing.
• Both parents are DNA-tested for PKD and screened for HCM by echocardiogram annually.
• Breeding cats receive annual orthopedic radiographs of the tail base, tarsal joints, and metatarsal region.
• Any kitten showing radiographic or behavioral evidence of skeletal abnormality is placed as a non-breeding companion with full disclosure and veterinary follow-up paid by the cattery.

Our practice is co-managed with Dr. Helena Whitfield, DVM, DACVS-SA (orthopedic surgery), and Dr. Marcus Lee, DVM, DACVIM (feline medicine). Both consult on every litter and provide independent oversight of our screening program.

Kittens receive their first FVRCP vaccination at six weeks and a booster at nine weeks. Rabies is administered at sixteen weeks per AAFP guidelines. Kittens are fed a mother-and-babycat formula from weaning, with a transition to a joint-supportive adult formula at six months.

• Two litters per queen per year, maximum. Retirement at age five into a vetted family home.
• No sale to brokers, pet stores, or homes intending to declaw.
• Kittens placed no earlier than 12 weeks of age.
• Lifetime contractual right of return — we will always rehome rather than allow surrender to a shelter.

Every claim on this page is drawn from peer-reviewed veterinary literature, breed-registry standards, and cardiology/orthopedic specialty guidelines. The primary sources we rely on:

• TICA — Scottish Fold Breed Standard (registry standard, pairing rules, disqualifications).
• CFA — Scottish Fold Breed Standard (structure, coat, ear-fold grading, allowable outcrosses).
• Malik R., Allan G. S., Howlett C. R., et al. "Osteochondrodysplasia in Scottish Fold cats." Australian Veterinary Journal, 1999;77(2):85–92. — the foundational clinical and radiographic description of SFOCD.
• Takanosu M., Takanosu T., Suzuki H., Suzuki K. "Incomplete dominant osteochondrodysplasia in heterozygous Scottish Fold cats." Journal of Small Animal Practice, 2008;49(4):197–199.
• Gandolfi B., et al. "A dominant TRPV4 variant underlies osteochondrodysplasia in Scottish Fold cats." Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2016;24(8):1441–1450. — identifies the causative gene.
• British Veterinary Association — Position on the breeding of Scottish Fold cats.
• International Cat Care — Scottish Fold Disease (Osteochondrodysplasia).
• AAFP / AAHA Feline Vaccination Guidelines — the FVRCP and rabies schedule cited above.
• UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory — Feline PKD1 DNA test (the PKD panel we use on every breeding cat).

Full PDFs of the peer-reviewed papers above are available on request for families researching the breed.