Taylor Swift And Ed Sheeran Slammed For Breeding Scottish Fold Cats

Taylor Swift is known for her Scottish Fold cats. The 27-year-old singer often posts videos of her cats, who are named Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson after Ellen Pompeo and Mariska Hargitay’s characters on Grey’s Anatomy. But, some will be shocked to find how Taylor acquired her cats and convinced her friend Ed Sheeran to follow suit.

These cats, known for their floppy ears and large eyes, are prone to arthritis due to a genetic mutation. They are at the risk of having painful and traumatic lives. Veterinarians have called for an end on breeding Scottish Fold cats, popularized by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, reports PerezHilton.com.

That’s because these singers purchased the cats that came from a breeder. What Swift and Sheeran should have done is adopt a cat instead of supporting breeding, which can lead to health problems over time. The increased popularity of these cats has led to a rise in breeders and breeding of Scottish Folds.

The Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) told Scotland’s The Times that this trend needs to end.

“It is common for the breed to suffer from serious health problems. The cartilage and bones do not develop properly, which leads to arthritis and other painful joint diseases that can cause reluctance to move, abnormal posture and gait, lameness and short, misshapen limbs. We welcome any change to legislation to prevent the breeding and sale of Scottish fold cats.”

According to veterinarian Dr. Richard Malik, of Sydney University, breeding is a “cruel” and “ethically indefensible” practice. These cats are known for their floppy ears and their “owl-like” appearance. There has been a growing trend in breeding Scottish Fold cats due to Swift’s beloved cats. But, if their eyes and ears give them health problem, then it’s not best to continue breeding them and purchasing them from breeders.

Though there are no bans in breeding in place, Scottish government officials are considering one. A spokesperson revealed to The Times the following information that both breeders and breeding owners should know.

“The Scottish government would encourage anyone breeding any type of animal to avoid breeding from any individual animals with genetic problems likely to give rise to ill health.”

That hasn’t stopped Ed Sheeran from getting his own floppy-eared cats. He is known for his friendship with Swift. Back in January, fans lost it when Sheeran posted a photo of a kitten on Instagram that looked like Swift’s Scottish Folds. He admitted in an interview that he and Swift got matching Scottish Folds so their cats would be twinning with one another. Little do they know, their cat will have a lifetime of problems.

While Taylor has never adopted, Ed does have a caring bone in his body. According to Caster, Sheeran adopted a rescue, Graham, a domestic shorthair that he saved from euthanasia when he was not even 1 month old.

Swift purchased her first Scottish Fold, Meredith, on Halloween 2011. Three years later, in June 2014, she debuted her new Scottish Fold kitty, Olivia, on social media and in paparazzi photos.

“They can say whatever they want about my personal life because I know what my personal life is, and it involves a lot of TV and cats and girlfriends,” she told Us Weekly at the time.

Swift addressed her friendship with Sheeran in a new Rolling Stone profile of the musician. She even went as far as to compare them to two legendary singers and songwriters.

“We’ve gotten matching Scottish folds, made each other arts and crafts Christmas presents, vacationed with our families, and had each other’s backs. He is the James Taylor to my Carole King and I can’t imagine a time when he wouldn’t be.”

“There’s an underdog element to it,” Sheeran then explained to Vanity Fair. “Taylor was never the popular kid in school. I was never the popular kid in school. Then you get to the point when you become the most popular kid in school – and we both take it a bit too far.”

Making music, creating art, having matching Scottish Folds, and being unpopular in high school is what brought these two together. But, these cat lovers should be aware that breeding Scottish Folds is harmful to their cats.

[Featured Image by Anna Webber/Getty Images for Atlantic Records]