Scottish Fold cats have distinctive folded ears that fold forward to rest against the head. These medium-sized round cats have a short neck, large round eyes, sturdy legs, and a large, fluffy tail.
Characteristic
The coat of a Scottish Fold Cat is medium in length, soft and dense, with hair that is parted from the body and requires very little grooming. These cats come in most colors and patterns.
All Scottish Fold kittens are born with straight, fanned out ears that don’t start to wrinkle until around 21 days. Most have a single fold, but due to selective breeding, some cats have a double or even triple fold that causes the ear to lie completely flat against the head.
The Scottish Fold body type is medium in size, with males weighing between 9 and 13 pounds and females weighing between 6 and 9 pounds. These cats have round outlines; their bodies appear round and padded with short, muscular legs, their heads are domed at the top, their eyes are very round, wide, and large, and their noses are short and rounded.
Temper
Scottish Fold Cats have a sweet nature and a gentle temperament. They are sociable and good with children, but also calm and autonomous. Due to their reputation as loving companions, they are highly sought after as pets and are somewhat expensive compared to other popular cat breeds.
Brief history
The original Scottish Fold cat was a long-haired white cat found in a stable on a farm in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1961. She had two kittens who were born with folded ears, one was adopted by a neighboring dog-loving farmer. cats named William. Ross. Mr. Ross, in collaboration with geneticist Pat Turner, started the Scottish Fold cat breed. In three years they produced 76 kittens, 42 with wrinkled ears and 34 with straight ears.
It is important to note that Scottish Folds cannot be bred with other Scottish Folds due to the danger of an inherited disabling bone problem. However, the gene that causes wrinkled ears is dominant, so Folds can be crossed with straight-eared cats.
Due to fears of ear problems such as infections, mites and deafness, Scottish folds were not accepted for display in Britain and Europe. Eventually this breed was exported to the United States, where it became established through crossbreeding with British and American Shorthairs. And, aside from a problem with earwax buildup, initial concerns of ear mites and infections have proven unfounded.