The Scottish Fold, the Round Cat with Floppy Ears

The Scottish Fold or Scottish Fold cat is characterized by their slightly folded ears, their very round head, and their thick tail.

This, together with their wonderful character, have led it to become one of the most popular breeds in North America.

Not even celebrities like Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran have been able to resist their charms, here we tell you all about this beloved and controversial breed.

Origin of the Scottish Fold

As their name says the "Scottish Fold" is originally from Scotland, in the United Kingdom, and "Fold", alludes to their ears, which is their distinguishing feature.

The breeding of Scottish Fold cats began in the 1960s, when a shepherd discovered a litter of cats with folded or slightly droopy ears, as a result of a natural mutation.

It was a white female, which was picked up from the street, or more precisely from a farm, and named Susie.

She was noticed by William Ross and Mary Ros, who decided to adopt her for breeding, with the help of a genetics doctor to try to reproduce the folded ear phenotype.

To do so, they decided to cross her with British Shorthair cats and other felines on the farm. But, the descendants of Susie began to show different types of malformations, and due to this the breed was banned and the registers of the breed were withdrawn in 1971.

With time and the help of geneticists, they obtained the desired characteristics and the breed was officially recognized in 1974 by the CFA (Cat Fancy Association).

The Scottish Fold longhair is a variety that has been recognized since 1987 and was obtained through many crosses, especially with Persian and exotic specimens, which provided the gene for long hair.

Physical characteristics of the cat

Size: they measure between 20 and 25 cm.

Weight: females weigh from 2.7 to 4 kg and males weigh between 2.7 and 4 kg.

Eyes: large and rounded, and very expressive, they are well separated and always give off a surprising expression of affability, their colors are in harmony with those of the coat.

Ears: are straight when born, but at three weeks they begin to bend. They are small and folded downwards, giving the impression that they are wearing a cap.

Coat: they have short hair, which is soft and silky but also elastic, dense, and resistant, it can also be short or semi-long. There is a variety of this breed known as Highland Fold which has semi-long hair, and they can be gray, bluish, white, sand, bicolor, black, or brindle.

Body: their face is broad and rounded with a short, broad nose with protruding cheeks, and their neck is short and wide. Their muzzle is rounded and the base of the whiskers is also very rounded.

Their body is compact and robust, quite muscular with round and muscular legs, and a long flexible tail thick at the base.

Life span: 12 - 15 years

The character of the Scottish Fold Cat

Their tender and friendly character honor their sweet appearance.

The Scottish Fold is a very intelligent and talkative cat, it is a very calm and quiet cat, it hardly makes any sound because their meow is quite low and they only use it to communicate with their owner.

His temperament is calm, that's why he is ideal for elderly people or people with mobility difficulties, but with strangers, they tend to be a little frightened and reserved.

They can also be very agile, with the energy to play and run around, also a curiosity that these cats have is the way they sit, it will be common to see them resting on their hind legs sitting similar to humans.

They enjoy the company of both their human family and other pets in their home, so they will not be happy if you are never at home.

They can coexist with other pets without problems, and if in a house there is more than one Scottish, usually one of them, which is usually the oldest, acts as leader, and the others follow him and imitate his movements.

Scottish Fold cat care

• They need daily exercise to release their energy and to prevent them from becoming overweight, as they tend to be gluttonous.
• Regular brushing will remove dead hair and keep it in good condition. There is a long-haired version called highland fold.
• It is essential to clean the ears of your Scottish fold weekly with a cloth dampened in water, to prevent otitis and any type of infection by mites.
• You should clean his nails weekly.
• Oral hygiene is very important, brush their teeth regularly to avoid oral diseases.
• As he ages his tail becomes stiff, so pay special attention when you are petting him. When you notice that his tail is wagging with difficulty, it is best to take him to the vet.

Feeding the Scottish fold

It should be fed with food adapted to its metabolism, lifestyle, and age. Generally, they do not require any special diet. Offer them a feed rich in protein and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to maintain the vitality and splendor of their coat and joints.

As they like to eat a lot and are not as active as other breeds, nutritional control is necessary.

Scottish Fold Cat Health

Although this breed is generally in good health, they need extra attention due to their genetics.

Due to the mutation suffered by this breed, they all have osteochondrodysplasia or degenerative dysplasia, a painful and untreatable condition that hinders the growth of cartilage in cats.

The droopy ears of the Scottish fold are caused by an incomplete dominance gene that causes the cartilage to be weak and not grow properly as in other cats.

But the problem is that this defect is not limited to the ears, but occurs in all the cartilage of the body, and therefore some specimens suffer hereditary problems in the extremities such as the front and hind legs that can bend and thicken.

The caudal vertebrae are thickened and the joints develop abnormally in addition to causing malformations in the tail.

This is a serious disorder that can become very painful and disabling.

In addition, the particular shape of the ears makes them more prone to earwax accumulation. The first Scottish fold kittens presented a single fold in the ears, but due to selective breeding, the appearance of up to two or three folds was encouraged.

In addition to this genetic problem, Scottish fold cats can suffer from arthritis and joint pain, deafness, and hearing problems.

Some veterinarians are now advocating the cessation of the breeding of this type of cat because some of these kittens will be destined to a lifetime of a painful disease.

In addition to the above, they are considered prone to polycystic kidneys and cardiomyopathy.

We have shared with you everything you need to know about the Scottish fold cat breed. You can now open a place in your life and, of course, in your heart. And get ready to be filled with love and tenderness, as this feline is always nice to everyone.