Cats Protection strongly criticize Claudia Schiffer for carrying a Scottish Fold to a premiere

 You may have seen the photos of the German model Claudia Schiffer on the red carpet at the premiere of the film Argylle in which she and Chip the Scottish Fold appear.

Claudia Schiffer and Chip the Scottish Fold in a glamorous carrier but the model, cat and carrier have all be criticized by Cats Protection.

She attended the event carrying Chip in one of those fancy cat carriers with a big clear perspex window and vent holes. It was all very glamorous but behind the veneer of glamour there is sadness really if you want to stand back and not be taken in - which is what Cats Protection have done.

They see two problems with the photos:

1. Because of the presence of a mutated gene that causes the Scottish Fold ears to fall into their signature position against the head, osteochondrodysplasia is seen in all cats of this breed to varying degrees. Read about this by clicking on this link: Osteochondrodysplasia is seen in ALL Scottish Fold cats. Claudia (as has Taylor Swift) promotes and glamourises a very unhealthy breed which some would argue should not exist. You would not be able to start the breed nowadays because there is a heightened awareness of cat health.
2. Chip would have been anxious with nowhere to hide. This is bad cat caretaking for which Schiffer is responsible at that time!

"It's extremely concerning to see a cat exposed to such a stressful environment while contained in an inappropriate carrier."

Claudia's daughter is Chips' caregiver/owner by the way.

Cats Protection's head of clinical services, Alison Richards said:

"Though some cats may appear to tolerate backpacks, the movement on a person's back is unpredictable and most lack adequate ventilation and space for the cat - leaving them cramped or uncomfortable," said the charity's head of clinical services Alison Richards."

And:

"The large window in the bubble backpack featured also means cats don't have the option to hide when they feel anxious, leaving them feeling exposed and vulnerable."

RELATED: Claudia Schiffer took her cat, Chip, to the premiere of Argylle, a film in which he appears. 

The premiere was in London at the Odeon, Leicester Square.

Update: the headlines a couple of days later are that two more major animal shelters and charities have also criticised the film makers and those involved with this film in employing a Scottish Fold. The correctly say that they are glamorising the breed and making it more desirable when the raw facts should be spelled out: this is a breed should not exist because of the mutated gene that causes the cartilage to be weak.

Two celebrities who promote an unhealthy cat breed

• Welfare charity Cats Protection wants to stop the bleeding of Scottish Fold cats.
• The ever popular and admired Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran both live with Scottish Fold cats.

It is unfortunate and perhaps unintentional that these two very high-profile celebrities decided to adopt a Scottish Fold cat.

Perhaps at the time they didn't know that the genetic mutation which creates the cute face because the ears are flattened to the skull can also cripple the cats because it affects the cartilage in the ear flaps and can also affect the cartilage of the joints. They will have learned about this. It may be an issue for them both but once you create a massive following for your cats you can't surrender them to a shelter! 😎.

RELATED: Scottish Fold cats health problems. Beware.

Ed Sheeran and his Scottish Fold, Calippo. Photo: Instagram.

Cats Protection are unhappy, the Mail on Sunday reports, that A-listers are perhaps innocently promoting this breed which the Germans would say is the result of "torture breeding". In Germany it is banned as I understand it.

Both of these celebrities are highly influential. Millions of mainly young people follow their every move. And it is through young people that we can change the culture of society.

Until recently, people accepted cat breeds that have been created from deleterious genetic mutations. But things are changing slightly perhaps because of a greater awareness of what is natural, of nature because of global warming.

And there is a greater awareness of conservation. Conservation is about protecting nature and the wild species that live within it. It is about a sensitivity towards animals which can extend to a sensitivity about the cat breeds and their health.

The cat associations have negligently allowed these inherently unhealthy breeds to be created. It goes against their ethos and even their policy to not breed unhealthy cats. But they allow it, nonetheless.

It is an anomaly which needs to be rectified. Popstar Taylor Swift regularly shares pictures of her two Scottish Fold cats with her 230 million Instagram followers. As I recall, she has the most followers of anybody on the planet on Instagram.

It is nice that Ed Sheeran loves cats. There are some charming photographs of him with his Scottish Fold, Calippo and Dorito, a tabby. They are collectively known as The Wibbles on my research! They've amassed almost 400,000 fans and probably more because the following grows almost exponentially.

That's the influence that someone like him has and it has probably dawned on him that he has a responsibility to promote companion animal health. As mentioned, I sense that he adopted his Scot Fold innocently after being attracted to their appearance and has since learnt that there is a health aspect.

There is nothing in the law in the UK which prevents breeders creating unhealthy individual cats of unhealthy cat breeds. The same applies to the USA. Germany appears to be an exception. There may other countries that follow Germany's lead in this regard, but I don't think so.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: ‘Anyone breeding cats in England must protect them from unnecessary suffering. Failing to may lead to imprisonment, a fine or both.

‘Owners considering breeding cats should seek advice on the risk of inherited conditions.’

Scottish Fold Picture

A strong, statuesque, Scottish Fold picture by Helmi Flick. This is a fantastic looking bicolor cat. The cute, owl-like, appearance is what endears people to the Scottish Fold. Although the founding cat came from Scotland, UK, development of the breed blended American and British Shorthair cats. Except for the ears, the appearance today is similar to the British Shorthair. There is that semi-cobby body and square, solid face. You'll see short and long haired Scottish Folds. Kittens are born with straight ears. Between 13 and 23 days of age the ears begin to fold. Not all the kittens in a litter will develop the folded ear flaps (pinnae). There is a downside to the interesting appearance. The dominant gene that alters the formation of cartilage in the ears may affect cartilage growth in other parts of the body such as around the cat's joints. The feet can also be affected. Sometimes the unwanted defects can show up at aged 5+. There would seem to be a dispute whether you can breed Scottish Fold to Scottish Fold for these health reasons. Read and see more....