A Scottish Fold is certainly distinctive in appearance as it wears its ears like a hat! But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this breed has attracted criticism in some countries. The ear formation is a deformity and for this reason the Scottish Fold is not recognized for competition in the United Kingdom. However, the cat has its devotees, and is charming, sensible and good with other pets, children and strangers. It makes a good pet, does not seem to suffer any ill effects from its folded ears, and has plenty of personality. In the United States the Scottish Fold has been bred specifically to preserve the distinctive ears, whereas in the United Kingdom the reverse is true and such features have been bred out.
Grooming
No special attention to the ears is necessary, except that they have to be kept clean. A weekly check of the teeth and a daily brush and comb will suffice to keep the coat looking neat and tidy.
Origin and history
The Scottish Fold appeared as a natural mutation from the British Shorthair in Scotland in a litter of farm cats in 1961. The first was a white cat, but the folded ear is not restricted to colour, and folds can have any coat colour or pattern. The Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure, published in China in 1796, refers to a cat with folded ears. They were also known in China in 1938, which shows that the gene responsible for producing folded ears has been present in the domestic cat population for at least 150 years.
Breeding
Folds mated to shorthaired domestics produce litters that contain 50 percent of kittens with normal (pricked) ears and 50 percent whose ears are folded downwards and forwards. Breeders recommend that Folds are mated only to normal eared cats Fold to Fold matings give rise to
skeletal deformities.
Kittens
The ears of Scottish Fold kittens may be only slightly folded', the definite forward folding not becoming fully apparent until they are about nine months old.
Grooming
No special attention to the ears is necessary, except that they have to be kept clean. A weekly check of the teeth and a daily brush and comb will suffice to keep the coat looking neat and tidy.
Origin and history
The Scottish Fold appeared as a natural mutation from the British Shorthair in Scotland in a litter of farm cats in 1961. The first was a white cat, but the folded ear is not restricted to colour, and folds can have any coat colour or pattern. The Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure, published in China in 1796, refers to a cat with folded ears. They were also known in China in 1938, which shows that the gene responsible for producing folded ears has been present in the domestic cat population for at least 150 years.
Breeding
Folds mated to shorthaired domestics produce litters that contain 50 percent of kittens with normal (pricked) ears and 50 percent whose ears are folded downwards and forwards. Breeders recommend that Folds are mated only to normal eared cats Fold to Fold matings give rise to
skeletal deformities.
Kittens
The ears of Scottish Fold kittens may be only slightly folded', the definite forward folding not becoming fully apparent until they are about nine months old.
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