Flat-faced cat breeds including Persians and Scottish Folds have significant heritable health problems that compromise welfare throughout their lives.
Brachycephalic cat welfare parallels the situation in dogs: selective breeding for extreme flat-faced conformations has created heritable health burdens that cause lifelong suffering. Scottish Fold cats present a particularly concerning case because the gene mutation causing their distinctive folded ears also causes painful osteochondrodysplasia that affects all cartilaginous tissue — these cats live with chronic joint pain as an inevitable consequence of their genetics. Persian breeding for increasingly flat faces has similarly created respiratory and dental problems that require ongoing management. Consumer demand drives these breeding choices — purchasers attracted by appearance must understand they are choosing health problems as an inherent consequence of the conformation they find appealing.