Foldex

😺 Temperament

🏡 Best suited to

📊 Personality ratings

📜 History & origin

The Foldex (also called the Exotic Fold) was developed in Quebec, Canada, from the 1990s by crossing Scottish Folds with Exotic Shorthairs. The aim was to pair the Fold's distinctive forward-folded ears with the Exotic's round, cobby body and gentle face, producing a very 'rounded', soft-featured cat. It is recognised principally by the Canadian Cat Association, where the breed was largely developed. As with other folded-ear breeds, responsible breeding is essential, because the same cartilage gene that creates the folded ear can affect cartilage elsewhere in the body.

🧼 Care & grooming

The dense coat benefits from a brush once or twice a week to keep it from matting. The folded ears need gentle, regular checking and cleaning, as the fold can make the ear canal harder to ventilate. The Foldex is a calm, affectionate companion that enjoys play but is happy to spend much of the day relaxing beside its people.

🩺 Health notes

The folded ear comes from the same dominant cartilage gene as in the Scottish Fold, which can be associated with a painful skeletal condition (osteochondrodysplasia) — so ethical breeders never pair two folded-ear cats and screen carefully. Prospective owners should buy only from breeders who prioritise joint and cartilage health. Otherwise the breed enjoys generally good health with routine preventive care.

📸 Foldex photos

Photographs from Wikimedia Commons, used under their respective licences.