The Cd isotopes, in particular ¹¹⁰Cd, have been traditionally considered to be a prime example of spherical vibrators. Recently, advanced experimental studies have reported significant deviations from this behavior in some states along the Cd chain (A=108-120). This has led to claims for the "breakdown of the vibrational motion" in these isotopes and the need for a paradigm shift. In the present talk, we examine an alternative explanation for the structure of the Cd isotopes, in terms of U(5) partial dynamical symmetry. The latter construction retains good U(5) symmetry for a segment of the spectrum and strong mixing for the remaining states. Preliminary encouraging results for ¹¹⁰Cd will be presented.