On Scottish Folds

In an effort to invite structure and responsibility into my life, I considered acquiring a dog or cat. But too many factors made me reconsider: Yuki would sense my divided loyalty; I'm allergic to most cats; my dad is allergic to cats; and given my current habits, the apartment would become uninhabitable. Maybe I'm just allergic to adulthood--I can barely take care of myself, even with help, so how can I take care of any other being?

Nevertheless, I check these Scottish Fold blogs on a daily basis: Fami (above) and Katamari. I prefer Fami, largely because she looks more like a cat than a doll, but also because she is often photographed with a Nintendo DS in her lap. (Her name also has origins in Nintendo.) They both remind me of my childhood hero, Doraemon (right), whose ears are not folded but outright missing (devoured by mice). Naturally, I wanted one, but Mordecai insisted that there were (cheaper) kittens to be had at animal shelters. True, I said. But that doesn't mean Scottish Fold X Destined to be Kei's doesn't deserve my love, I argued. And what about the Scottish Folds whose ears aren't folded? They're cheaper, because they're not as desired. They deserve human affection and care, too. Coming from a family that shelled out more than shelter fees to acquire Yuki (guaranteed show-quality and best Akita ever) and with family who have not one, but two dachshunds (in Japan, where pure-breds are insanely priced), it doesn't strike me as outlandish to pay for an animal companion, regardless of the purity of breed.

But then, through Wikipedia, I came across this piece of information:

The following breeds of cat are not recognised by the GCCF (Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, the "feline equivalent of the Kennel Club"):

Scottish Fold: There is no intention to recognise this breed because the gene which produces the folded ears also causes skeletal abnormalities, producing stiffness of the limbs and tail which increases with age. This is especially true when two fold-eared cats are bred together but it has been shown that cats with only one gene for folded ears also suffer from abnormal stiffness. Under these circumstances it has never been recognised and we strongly advise members of the public not to try to acquire cats of this breed.

I can't say that I'd want one just because it's got folded ears--a physical feature caused by the same genes that fuse its legs, knees, and hips as it gets older. I guess I could be a hypocrite, since there are probably issues inherent to Akitas (but also probably to big dogs/breeds in general, and not directly linked to some defining physical feature, like the fluffy, curly tail). I will continue to support Fami and Katamari and other peoples' Scottish Folds anyway, but, ignoring my fickle allergies, I can't say I see my future self actively looking for a Scottish Fold. I'll also justify this by saying that the whole point of Doraemon is that he's a work of fictional art. I can't have a miniature, skinny Doraemon, sans the 4-dimensional-pocket, walking around my apartment, meowing, peeing, and barfing on the new bed. That would be the antithesis of Doraemon.