• Breed name: Scottish Fold
• Origin: Scotland
• Size: Medium size
• Average life expectancy: 15 years
The Scottish Fold is a recognizable primarily for his specific curved ears, after which he is named. Cute, extremely attached to his owner, intelligent, playful, adores children and playing with various toys. Not officially recognized in many countries, the breed can have quite a few health problems.
ORIGIN
According to some sources, the Scottish fold originated in 1961 on a farm in Scotland. All cats of this breed are descended from a white cat named Susie, who was the first to be born with recognizable curved ears. Her owner paired her children with a British shorthair cat and thus began the development of the breed known today as the Scottish Fold. Susie was otherwise a phenomenal hunter, as the sources say, and thus protected large barns with grain, and that is a characteristic that has remained with today’s Scottish fold. Ears in this breed were created by a natural genetic mutation that became the dominant gene, so that by crossing a cat with normal erect ears and a cat with a bent ears gene, the gene will be passed on to most of the joint offspring. Also, with the further development of the breed and crossing with the British long-haired cat, a subspecies of the Scottish fold was created, which is today called the Highland Fold. This breed arrived on the territory of the USA in 1971 and immediately after that they were recognized as a breed, but it is interesting that they have not been officially recognized in their home country yet.
APPEARANCE
It is a cat of medium size with a strong and muscular body and a chubby head with specific curved ears for which it became famous. It is often called an owl among cats because of its ears and because of the appearance of its head and face. Her eyes are very expressive on her face, and she also has very skilful paws which she will often use during eating and drinking water. The average weight of this kitten is between 3 and 6 kg and they are born in all colors and shades, of which the most common are blue (gray), tabby and light brown. Also, it is important to emphasize that kittens of this breed are born with erect ears, and their ears begin to bend downwards around the third week of life.
CHARACTER
She is also called a cat clown because of the poses she loves to take. It is not unusual to find this cat jumping, or walking on its hind legs or lying on its back with all four paws raised. Their ears are bent, but they are movable and they often use them to send messages to their owners. This breed, in addition to being quite active, can also be talkative, although it uses quiet, gentle but vivid tones for its speech. Folds are active cats, lively, curious, they love toys and investigating their surrondings. They can learn to catch and bring the ball, and it is not at all unusual to find them inside a closet or a drawer because they are real explorers. They adore children, and they will get along well with peaceful dogs.
HEALTH AND CARE
The Scottish Fold is a real family cat, very attached to his owner and family. This breed is not for owners who can’t devote enough time and attention to them because this pussy cat just craves presence and play with its owner and family. He adores children, and he will often express his love by following every footstep of his owner. This breed does not like to be alone for long. Of course, they need regular care such as brushing and periodic bathing, but also regular veterinary examinations and cleaning of the ears. A huge number of people consider this cat irresistible because of its lowered ears, but it is their ears that are an indicator of their weak health points – weak cartilage. In the early nineties, new findings were made which show that many specimens of this breed can have, in addition to problems with cartilage, also problems with joints, problems with the development of bones and limbs. This breed has shorter limbs compared to other cats, so due to general cartilage problems, they can start limping or get osteoarthritis early. It should be borne in mind that the purchase of this kitten is quite an investment because in many countries its breeding is prohibited.
Statistics
* Energy level: High level
* Playfulness level: High level
* Relationship to other pets: Friendly
* Attitude towards children: Friendly
* Maintenance required: Intermediate level
* Independence: Low independence
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