Petzlover
The Scottish Fold is a domestic cat that has an owlish look to it. This is because of the natural dominant-gene mutation that affects cartilage in the cat.
The ears of the Scottish Fold cat folds in a weird way so that the cat has an owl-like look to it. These cats are also known as Highland Fold and Coupari.
It seems that the first Scottish Fold was a white barn cat with the name of Susie. When Susie had kittens, there were a couple of them born with these folded ears. A cat fancier registered the breed in the United Kingdom and in 1966 started a breeding program. These cats were later exported to America.
This is a medium-sized cat that weighs between 3 and 6kg. The entire body of this cat is of a rounded nature. The legs are also fairly short.
All Scottish Fold kittens are born with regular ears but within the first few weeks after birth, the peculiarity with the ears starts to come in. However, some kittens don’t develop folded ears.
The first cats had one fold but with selective breeding, some have 2 or 3 folds or creases so that the ears lie flat against the head. The cat has a round head and large, round eyes. These cats can have a long- or short coat which is thick and soft and the coat can be in a number of colors.
Your Scottish Fold is a good-natured, placid cat and adapts well to different homes and lifestyles. He gets on well with children and pets, becoming just a little bit more attached to the one who feeds him.
He ‘talks’ with quiet meows and purs. They’re playful cats and love to spend time outdoors. A climbing tree and stimulating toys will be a good idea for this energetic feline as he is active and curious. He won’t like being left for long periods though.
With his big, round eyes, the Scottish Fold has an amicable looking face and he is a friendly calm cat.
They love attention and get on well with children and pets who have been trained to be gentle around cats. It is also quite a vocal breed although he 'talks' in a quiet voice.
Because they thrive on pampering and attention, it is better for this cat not to be in a home where the owners are away at work all day.
Perhaps one of the things to look out for with these cats is a disease known as osteochondrodysplasia.
This is a hereditary disorder of the bones and cartilage. The disease is caused by an autosomal dominant trait and a cat can inherit just one copy of the abnormal gene to have the disease.
Having this disease comes with other health issues and a cat with this disease will be reluctant to jump and may even become lame.
Whenever you suspect anything wrong with your Scottish Fold cat, get him to the vet just as soon as possible.
Scottish folds have thick fur and you should at least brush it once a week to get rid of dust and loose hair.
Keep your cat’s nails trimmed otherwise you could get a nasty scratch.
Provide your cat with a climbing tree as well as a scratching post as these are two things – climbing and scratching – that are in the nature of cats.
Provide your Scottish Fold with a litter box and make sure that it is kept clean and that you remove the feces every single day.
Provide your pet with stimulating toys as they are active, intelligent cats.
Protect your cat from fatal cat diseases by having him vaccinated. Your vet will inform you about which vaccines are best. Kittens need vaccines when they are between 6 to 8 weeks old These vaccines come in a series but you don’t have to stress, as the vet will give you a card with the date on which your kitten must return for his next vaccine.
Your Scottish Fold needs to receive the highest quality cat food there is as these foods are balanced with the right amount of vitamins and minerals. When it comes to commercial cat foods, you’ve got choices. You can choose wet or dry food or even combination – something to tempt the fussiest of cats. Cats are carnivores and their food needs to be almost entirely of meat.