Latest news with #ScottishFolds
South China Morning Post
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
The dark side of cute designer cats like Taylor Swift's Scottish Fold
Cute cats have become social media stars as of late, with many people – celebrities included – showing off their felines with photos and videos that have received millions of hits. Pop queen Taylor Swift's round-headed, big-eyed cat, a Scottish Fold, is a celebrity in its own right, and model and actress Claudia Schiffer brought her own Scottish Fold to the premiere of a film – which also featured the feline. There is, however, a darker side to this trend. For example, animal welfare advocates say Scottish Folds, known for their folded ears, are the result of harmful breeding practices. Animals bred for specific traits, like big eyes, a flat nose or unique coat colours, can struggle with health problems for their entire lives. Some may have difficulty breathing or other physical problems. Taylor Swift with her Scottish Fold cat. Photo: Instagram/taylorswift Achim Gruber, a Germany-based veterinary pathologist, calls this 'defect breeding'. He says animals are being deliberately bred with genetic defects to achieve an extravagant or cute appearance, even though the health consequences for the animals have been known for decades.
Daily Mirror
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Molly-Mae emotional as she admits nightmare issue is 'tearing her house apart'
Molly-Mae Hague was overcome with emotion as she revealed she had no idea what to do after suffering a major setback at her sprawling Cheshire home Molly-Mae Hague appeared to be on the verge of tears as she opened up about a home disaster. The reality star who found fame on ITV2's Love Island frequently shares an insight into her life with fans on her various social media channels but she revealed on Monday she was struggling. The mum-of-one revealed to fans that she was preparing to document her day in a vlog but was faced with a huge setback at her lavish Cheshire home, which is decorated in neutral colours. But what Molly hadn't anticipated was multiple areas of her home being "saturated in urine." Molly, who recently rekindled her romance with Tommy Fury, revealed her Scottish Folds cats, Eggy and Bread, had become increasingly anxious in their home and had started urinating around the property – and on her possessions to mark their territory. But while the situation has been ongoing, she has no idea how much more she can take. "It's such a prevalent situation, it's such an issue right now in our house," she said. Molly went on to say that each day, without fail, her belongings are often covered in cat urine – this included dozens of items gifted to her by brands. Her dressing table, including the mirror, had also been covered in urine. Her sister, Zoe, was left blown away by the mess caused. Molly said: "Any object that is brought into the house that's new, so Tommy bought me a bunch of followers the other day – put them down on the stairs. Within five minutes, they were saturated in wee." She revealed that Zoe's gym bag had also been covered in urine. But it doesn't stop there – Molly revealed that her bedroom carpet had also been covered. "Wee everywhere!" she exclaimed, before adding: "It's actually getting me a bit emotional. The reason why they're doing it, I believe, and the cat therapist believes, is because we have a cat from one of the neighbours' houses that walks around our house every single day." While Molly admits her house isn't always the tidiest, she prides herself on keeping her home clean due to being house-proud. "And bit by bit, [they're] tearing this house apart," she fumed. She later explained that she has to replace every carpet in her bedroom due to the urine staining. The cat therapist explained they believe the neighbouring cat is "tormenting" Eggy and Bread, causing them to be scared in their home. "They're marking their territory," Molly said, explaining they urinate against the edge of every carpet and the lines of the house. But while Molly's cats are stressed by the neighbouring cat, she said there's nothing she can do to prevent it from appearing near her home. Instead, she took precautionary measures, which included putting a litter tray on each floor of her home, but to no avail. She explained to her sister that she was cautious to share this with fans as it was "really negative." "I'm really embarrassed," she told fans, before adding: "It's not the nicest subject. Welcome to the reality of this house right now." Reflecting on the drama, she said: "It's just a problem that's been going on for I kid you not, years now, and it's getting to a point now where I'm exhausted of options," which include plug-ins and neutering her cats. The two cats have also started to fight one another. "I think they're both marking their territory in the house," she said, believing that the cats are now enemies. Molly brought her two cats into her life in February 2022, revealing the first snaps of the grey and white kittens on her social media at the time. Speaking previously about the cats, she said: "They have changed my life so much. I can't even begin to explain my love for them. They're brothers, they're best friends, and they're the best thing that's ever happened to me."
