Famous around the world, the Scottish Fold is renowned for its adorable lowered ears and tender eyes. Personalities such as Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift have decided to incorporate cats of this breed into their families. This is probably because in addition to its magnificent appearance, it is a calm, sociable and really affectionate animal. With PlanèteAnimal, we invite you to discover more information about this precious and particular breed, so continue reading and discover with us the characteristics of the Scottish Fold and let yourself be charmed by its gentleness.
Origin
- Europe
- United Kingdom
Physical Characteristics
- Thick Tail
- Little ears
- Strong
Character
- Active
- Extrovert
- Affectionate
- Curious
Hair type
- Short
- Medium
Origin of the Scottish Fold
" Dated 1966, the first breed of Scottish Fold in history was called Susie bred by Scottish farmers. In 1961 a local shepherd decided to cross her with British Shorthair cats thus giving birth to specimens having inherited the particularity of their mother, the folded ears. This is where his name comes from, Scottisht or Scottish for his nationality and fold, in English which means to fold."
However, it wasn't easy as Susie's direct descendants had severe arthritis and deformity issues. This is why the breed was banned and the registrations were stopped in 1971. With time and thanks to the intervention and hard work of geneticists and breeders, we managed to put an end to these he alth problems and the Scottish Fold breed was restored and officially recognized by the CFA (Cat Fancy Association) in 1974.
At present, it is a breed recognized worldwide, but the ban on crossing two specimens of the Scottish Fold is maintained due to the he alth problems that inbreeding would cause to the offspring.
Physical characteristics of the Scottish Fold
With a compact and robust body, Scottish Folds are muscular and of medium size, they weigh 2 to 6 kilograms and measure 15 to 20 centimeters in height for females and 20 to 25 centimeters for males . Longevity is around 10-15 years.
Its head is without a doubt the most singular characteristic of the Scottish Fold, starting with its small folded ears which constitute the distinctive feature of the breed. His face is wide and rounded, with large round eyes, which gives them a tender and childish look. Her cheekbones are slightly pronounced and her nose is flat and short.
The Scottish Fold's hair is dense and soft, which insulates it from the cold. Traditionally, he has rather short hair, although there is a medium-long hair variety called Highland fold. All colors and varieties are authorized except those containing white.
Scottish Fold character
The Scottish Fold's character is tender and friendly, honoring its gentle appearance. The breed is characterized by its sociability and calmness, it is ideal for living with children and other animals because it adapts perfectly to them in addition to being very patient.
In this order of idea, our Scottish Fold will enjoy most of the moments of play and treats that we offer him, his main problem being loneliness, and yes, they are animals that need our love to stay he althy and happy. Therefore, it is not a recommended cat breed for those who spend a lot of time away from home, as they cannot be left alone for long periods of time.
The Scottish Fold likes to play, but is calm in nature, which combined with its attentive and affectionate nature makes it ideal to be a pet of the elderly or those with reduced mobility. He will provide them with lots of love and companionship without demanding too much effort in return. It is also extremely unusual for a Scottish Fold to cause damage to the home.
Caring for Scottish Folds
In general, Scottish Folds do not require any special attention beyond brushing their coat 2-3 times a week as their coat is dense.If we combine regular brushing with products such as m alt, we will more effectively avoid the formation of hairballs in our feline's digestive tract.
Food is the second thing to take into account in particular in order to take care of a Scottish Fold, in fact, you must pay particular attention to its low calcium needs. It will be necessary to find a food with a low percentage of this mineral, because its excess can make the cartilage of their ears strengthen which would cause them to lose the fold that characterizes them. Either way, the vet will be the one to recommend on this and can tell you the best food for your Scottish Fold.
Another factor to consider when it comes to their ears is that the crease they present can promote the appearance of mites and ear infections such as otitis. To avoid this, we must seek advice from the veterinarian and apply the right products for cleaning and maintaining their ears.It is recommended to clean them at least once a week.
It is recommended, as with all other cats, to take care of the condition of his mouth, eyes, claws, coat and general physical condition, just as you should wash and maintain them at an appropriate frequency. If we pay attention to all of this, follow vaccination guidelines, and perform proper deworming, we can enjoy a he althy cat!
Scottish fold he alth
Scottish Folds are animals that, despite not enjoying poor he alth, require special attention due to their genetics. We should not be afraid of it because for the moment the breed no longer presents the serious he alth problems that it could present at its beginnings, we must nevertheless be attentive and carry out frequent veterinary checks to detect the problems as soon as possible. and even avoid them.
Otitis is one of the most frequent pathologies of the Scottish Fold breed. You will therefore have to scrupulously follow the instructions of your trusted veterinarian to keep their ears he althy and thus prevent the appearance of any diseases. It is surely recommended to monitor the condition of the ears and carry out weekly cleanings with the appropriate products, which will keep our cat he althy.
Due to the strong inbreeding existing among Scottish folds, they may have genetic abnormalities such as tail and extremity deformities. In addition, the particular morphology of their ears favors the appearance of infections and problems of the auditory tract, which can unfortunately lead to early deafness and hearing problems.
However, if our Scottish Fold has been bred appropriately, i.e. crossed with a breed with straight ears, such as the British Shorthair or Scottish Straight, he should not be affected by any problems genetics as painful as shortening of the coccyx vertebrae or arthritis.These pathologies are characteristic in the case of inbreeding, that is to say when two Scottish folds breed.
In addition to the care mentioned for the Scottish fold, you will also need to follow its vaccination schedule and deworm it both internally and externally. With age, it may be necessary to carry out operations such as scaling to keep your teeth he althy!
Curiosities
- The Scottish Fold breed is not recognized by the FIFE but by the WCD.
Scottish Fold pictures
