If you are curious about the Scottish Fold cat, you are probably drawn to their round face, folded ears, and sweet expression. But there is much more to this breed than their famous look. What is a Scottish Fold cat? The Scottish Fold is a unique cat breed known for its folded ears. The breed began in 1961, when a spontaneous genetic mutation created a cat with forward-folding ears. That ear fold became the breed’s signature feature and is still what most people notice first.