The Netherlands Just Banned Scottish Folds and Sphynx Cats — And a Global Regulatory Wave for Pets Is Following

The Cat Breeds You Can No Longer Buy in the Netherlands In a quiet apartment in Amsterdam, a Scottish Fold cat named Mochi sits on a windowsill, her signature folded ears giving her the wide-eyed, owl-like expression that made the breed an internet sensation. Mochi is legal — she was microchipped before the deadline. But as of January 1, 2026, no one in the Netherlands can buy, import, or breed another cat like her. The Dutch government's ban on Scottish Fold and Sphynx cats is one of the most aggressive animal welfare measures any country has taken against specific pet breeds, and it reflects a growing global consensus that the aesthetics humans find adorable in pets can mask serious suffering. Scottish Folds carry a genetic cartilage defect called feline osteochondrodysplasia (FOCD) — the same mutation that gives them their endearing folded ears also causes painful, progressive joint disease throughout their bodies. Sphynx cats, bred for their striking hairlessness, struggle to regul