The Scottish Fold's famous feature is its ears, which fold forward to lie flat or almost flat against its head. However, not all individuals have folded-down ears; Folds with straight ears are sometimes called Scottish Shorthairs. Scottish Folds are medium-sized cats that typically weigh 8 to 13 pounds and have short, dense, hardy coats covering compact, well-padded bodies and short legs. Their heads are broad and round, their whisker pads are round, and their eyes are large, round, and sweet. They come in most colors and patterns, except lavender, chocolate, Himalayan, or any of these plus white. There is also a longhair Scottish Fold variety, called the Highland Fold.
These cats have a laid-back disposition that allows them to take things in stride, and they adjust to just about any home life situation, whether or not it involves children or other pets.
These cats live about 13 years and are calm and friendly. Scottish Folds are noted for their adaptability. They do equally well in single-person households and in homes teeming with children and other animals. Although Folds love attention, they're content to follow people around and patiently wait for it. The breed has a gentle voice it rarely uses.
Scottish Folds are born with straight ears. If an individual's ears are going to fold down, they begin doing so at 2 to 4 weeks of age. The descent is completed by 3 months old, giving the cat a look not unlike a furry owl.
Scottish Folds are very affectionate and loyal, especially with one favored person. They follow their preferred person around, awaiting attention, but they aren't clingy or needy. They are more likely to be found close by than in a lap.
These cats have a laid-back disposition that allows them to take things in stride, and they adjust to just about any home life situation, whether or not it involves children or other pets,. Additionally, they make fast friends with new people and other animals.
Scottish Folds may have a mellow temperament, but they aren't lazy. They love to play games without ever becoming hyper. It should never be surprising, though, if they flop over onto their backs and fall right asleep in this position. Folds also put their brains, dexterity, and curiosity to work exploring their environment, finding their way into drawers and cabinets and anywhere else that isn't secure.
Scottish Folds are generally healthy with average lifespan of around 13 years. Keeping individual cats at a healthy weight and providing annual veterinary checkups are two of the most effective ways to promote longevity and quality of life. Not allowing unsupervised access to the outdoors is another simple way to accomplish this.
This breed can develop a painful and potentially crippling skeletal deformity called osteochondrodystrophy, which results from breeding two folded Scottish Folds. It's important to check the flexibility of a cat's legs and tail before purchase or adoption and to confirm that the legs aren't stiff or unusually short or coarse and that the toes aren't splayed.
Polycystic kidney disease is also a concern with the Scottish Fold breed. This condition causes small renal sacs that grow and multiply, leading to kidney dysfunction and possibly failure. Routine veterinary care can help diagnose this condition in its early stages.
Scottish Folds will learn games like fetch, but they only want to play them on their own terms. They're more likely to be interested in learning from and playing with their favored person. However, they're usually happy to accept attention from someone else when their chosen human isn't available.
Scottish Folds should be socialized from early on and acquired from a breeder who properly socializes kittens prior to sale. This contributes to their adaptability and resilience to stress, and it helps ensure they're friendly with more than just their favorite person, including other family members, company, and other pets.
Their personalities make Scottish Folds good travel companions. They handle getting from point A to point B well and they adjust readily to hotels and other unfamiliar environments. These cats also get along well with the new people and other cats and dogs they may encounter during travel.
The short, dense coats on Scottish Folds are easy to maintain. Petting them often and brushing them weekly is usually sufficient to maintain the health and appearance of their coat. If these light to moderate shedders get hair around the home during the spring shedding season, brushing them an additional time or two each week will help. Longhaired Highland Folds require brushing or combing three or four times per week to prevent tangles and matting.
Although early British concerns about hearing impairment and increased susceptibility to ear mites and infections were unfounded, Scottish Folds with folded-down ears are prone to ear wax accumulation. Their ears should be cleaned two or three times per month with a veterinarian-approved product (more often if necessary) to prevent wax blockages. It's also important to check for signs of an infection, such as foul odor, discharge, redness, and swelling, during routine ear care.
Other basic grooming tasks should be performed as needed. The curved tips of the Scottish Fold's claws should be clipped once every one to two weeks with a high-quality blade. A veterinarian can recommend a comprehensive program for tooth brushing and dental care to prevent gum disease and cavities.
Like other cats with a unique feature, the Scottish Fold got its ears from a natural spontaneous genetic mutation. The first of the breed was a white cat named Susie who lived in Tayside, Scotland. In 1961, shepherd William Ross spotted the cat on a neighbor's farm.
When Susie gave birth to a litter of kittens with the same ears, Ross acquired one and proceeded to develop the breed now known as the Scottish Fold. British and American Shorthairs, Persians, Exotics, and Burmese were used in development. In 1966, Ross began registering Scottish Folds with Great Britain's Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, but they banned the breed in the early 1970s over concerns about their ear health. These concerns have been disproved, but the ban stands.
The first Folds arrived in America in 1970, and the breed was relocated to the US shortly thereafter, following the European banning. In America, breeder Salle Wolfe Peters was largely responsible for developing the breed further. To this day, all true Folds trace back to Susie.
The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) began accepting Scottish Folds for registration in 1973, and they achieved championship status in 1978. The Highland Fold (aka the Scottish Fold Longhair, the Longhair Fold, or the Coupari in Canada) wasn't recognized officially until the mid-1980s.
