Scottish Fold

The Scottish Fold (Scott of fallen down ears) is an example of spontaneous mutation. In 1961, a shepherd of Scotland realized that a cat of a local farm, Susie, had a few strange double ears ahead when Susie had kitties with the fallen ears, the shepherd and his wife kept one and started experimenting her baby, mating him with a Britisher of short hair. Ultimately and in an exhibition of cats, they met a specialist in genetics, to which they took one of the kitties of ears fallen of the last generation, in order that he was studying the mutation. His work revealed that the double ears are to the only domineering gene, which means that all these Scotch cats must have a progenitor bearer of the gene. So all authentic Scottish Fold are descendants of Susie.

In relatively early date in the history of the breed, were sent to the United States several Scots of fallen ears in order that the investigators were studying them. Once there, the cats called immediately the attention of the breeders; the Scottish fold were accepted in 1973 for their record in the United States. Being fully recognized in the US for contests in 1978. Today it is one of ten breeds of most popular cats of the United States, However, in Great Britain the Scottish Fold is not accepted for the record of pedigree, for the worry that the double ears favor the deafness and other problems.

A cat of short hair that looks like an owl
The Fold has a peculiar round face, with big round eyes and the ears very doubled ahead on the head, so that it is possible to guess clearly the rounded cranium. The whole impression that gives the breed is a sad air and seemed to an owl in a cat that, for the rest, looks like the Britisher and the American of short hair. The eyes of the Scottish Fold are separated by a broad and short nose by a soft curve and, sometimes, also the slight fail. The double ears must be small, with the rounded tops, and to settle on the head as a cap. The tail must be between average and long flex and in decrease.

The cap of the Scottish fold is short, soft and thick and it is in most of the drawings and colors recognized in the British and American cats of short hair. There have been kitties Scottish Fold of long hair from the first litters from Susie, but as the gene of the long hair is relapsed, this variety is less current. The only difference is the longest hair.

The ears of all the kitties seem to be equal on having been born, but to four weeks, when start to stretch and to straighten up, to the Scottish Fold doubling ahead and down. It can give a wide scale of types of folds; the first members of the breed had all a unique fold, meanwhile today they have a triple sticky very plait. The Scottish Fold continues crossing with the Britishers and Americans of short hair to avoid malformations of the skeleton.

The Scots of double ears are nice and a few demanding cats. They like the familiar life, but with free access on the outside, since they are expert hunters. They can bear the cold and the hard climate and have the resistance to disease proper of the rural cats,. Do not let them alone for long periods. Many of them have the nice habit of sitting down stiff and giving a flick with the hoof to his owner, they sleep on the loin, with the legs to the air.

Q/A We Wanted to have a Scottish Fold but somebody told me that he suffer from mites in the ears, is it true?

The Scots of double ears are inclined to several problems of ears, as the mites, due to the structure of the ear. The ear of the cat is doubled ahead, has trend to obstruct the entry to the auditory conduit and this can do that the ear is not drafty well. A humid ear is more probably that attracts any infection, this way you must pay attention to the hygiene of the ears of the Fold.. If this can cause to you disadvantages, you should choose for a breed of short and broad ears, as any of those of short hair, is less probable that have problems. On the contrary, if you are ready to keeping the ears of the cat clean, your Scotch Fold may have no any problems of ears than any other breed.

Our Scotch cat Elsa has now one year and we wanted that she was producing. I have heard that it is not to cross with another Scottish Fold. What are the alternatives?

If you cross her with another Scot of double ears, there are a lot of probabilities of anomalies are produced in the tail and in the extremities, so one of two: or she mates with a Britisher or an American of short hair or with a cat of straight ears born of a female with the double ears. Since the gene of the double ears is domineering, the half of the litter, for average term, might go out with the double ears. Others will be good pets or can be in use in baby's future programs. It would be a good idea to go to your local society of cats to keep in touch with other breeders of Scottish Fold.