# Foldex cat

A Foldex cat, also known as an Exotic Fold, is a crossbreed of cat developed in the Canadian province of Quebec. The foundation stock is Scottish Fold and Exotic Shorthair (and later Exotic Longhair). Foldexes are medium-sized cats with a rounded face, short legs, and sometimes folded ears; while the latter are intended to be the defining feature of the breed, only about 50% of them exhibit it. The eyes are rounded, the ears small, and the body stout like that of Scottish Fold, with a short face between those of the two originating breeds. The coat may be of any length, colour, and pattern. The variety is recognized as a breed in its own right by one cat registry, the Canadian Cat Association (CCA), but not by any of the major international ones. Foldexes have genetic predispositions to multiple medical disorders, primarily inherited from the Scottish Fold, and their breeding has been banned in some countries as a result.

## History

In 1995, a Foldex was first exhibited in a cat show by breed Betty-Ann Yaxley in Quebec. It was originally produced by crossbreeding a Scottish Fold with an Exotic Shorthair, resulting in a cat with a comparatively round head, shortened nose, and (ideally) folded ears.
Further breeding and promotion by Jeanne Barrette resulted in the Canadian Cat Association (CCA) accepting the nascent breed in its Experimental category in November 1998. It was promoted to the CCA's New Breed category in August 2006, and granted Championship status in 2010.

## Appearance

The Foldex is known for its signature small, folded ears with round tips. However, only half of all Foldex inherit this trait. Those with non-folded ears are referred to as "straights" (versus "foldeds"); their ears grow straight in their adult stage as in most other cat breeds. Folded kittens' ears begin to show a visible fold between 21 and 28 days old.
The Foldex's body stature is medium-built with strong muscles, short legs and a short neck. Their ears may resemble those of the Scottish Fold breed, but they only have one crease which folds forward and downwards, while Scottish Folds have multiple creases that result in their ears laying flat. Their coats are dense and soft with variety of colour, patterns, and lengths; the CCA standard permits any coat colour and pattern, and any length, since it also permits outcrossing to Exotic Longhair. The Foldex breed has a round face with wide-open eyes. Their nose is longer than an Exotic, but shorter than a Scottish Fold.

## Health

Foldex cats are genetically predisposed to a risk of feline polycystic kidney disease (PKD), which can cause renal failure. This predisposition is inherited from the Exotic ancestry, being a trait of Persian and related breeds. A Foldex cat can be pre-screened for the genetics that cause PKD.
Foldexes are also be genetically predisposed to health conditions inherited from the Scottish Fold, including congenital osteochondrodysplasia, chondrodystrophy, osteodystrophy, and epiphyseal dysplasia, caused by the folded-ear genetic mutation (the Fd or SF gene) which leads to generalized cartilage and bone malformation, not just in the ear. This gene can also be tested for (including in potential breeding stock).
Sources disagree on whether straight-eared specimens of this and related breeds can still carry and pass on the gene for it. A laboratory at University of California, Davis, states that even having one copy of the gene will cause a folded ear and a predisposition to some medical problems, while having two copies of it will produce folded ears and debilitating joint disorders, but that any straight-eared specimen will not have the gene at all. A veterinary experts group empaneled by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, disagreed, finding that straight-eared offspring may also carry the gene and simply not exhibit ear-folding; the Austrian government has also accepted the findings of the German body, and the government of Flanders (Belgium) has taken a similar position.

## Breeding, trade, and registration bans

Several countries and sub-national jurisdictions have enacted animal welfare laws or regulations that prohibit breeding of fold-ear cats, including: Germany in 2005, the Netherlands in 2014, Austria in 2020, Flanders, Belgium, in 2021, Victoria (Australia) in 2020, and even the birthplace of the Scottish Fold breed, Scotland since 2018. Some countries have also banned selling or giving away fold-ear cats, or breeding with any cat that bears the fold-ear gene mutation, including any straight-eared offspring that carry it. The Flanders ban makes no straigh-ear allowances and bans entire breeds that carry the gene.
Furthermore, some of the major cat registries, including the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) and Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFé), do not recognise, nor allow for the registry of, Scottish Folds and related breeds due to their health issues.