Coexistence is important that you have with your new friend. Before considering the acquisition of a cat of the breed "Scottish Fold" you know certain factors. You must take into account their character, their need for exercise, their interaction with other pets, their care and if you have small children, their level of tolerance towards them.

The Scottish Fold first appeared in 1961 in Coupar Angus, Scotland. Susie, a white female, lived on the farm MacRae and she never would have become a household name if he hadn't noticed her William Ross, a shepherd who was also a breeder of British Shorthair cat. He fell in love with Susie and his ears folded forward, and MacRae they promised to give him one of their kittens.

But, there are previous references to cats with these ears, especially in Asia. These may include, the Universal Journal of Knowledge of John Hinton, published in 1796, mentions the existence of feral cats with those ears in China. More recently, the Guide to the World’s Cats (Loxton, 1975) states that in China there has always been a breed of cat with folded ears, some of whose specimens were brought to Europe by sailors.

But, It Susie the origin of all Scottish Fold that exist today.

"Scottish Fold"

The MacRae they kept their promise and in 1963 Mary y William Ross they received Snooks, that he had the same white fur and the same folded ears as his mother Susie. Snooks gave birth to her first litter, in which a white male named Snowball was chosen to be crossed with a British Shorthair white call Lady May. Lady May gave birth to five kittens, all with ears folded forward, and this litter marked the beginning of the line of Scottish Folds.

At the beginning, the Ross they called the resulting race "Lops«. But, starting at 1966 and official recognition by the British Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF), with which they were allowed to show them in the feline exhibitions, they were called Scottish Folds, in reference to his Scottish origins.

With the help of the English geneticist Peter Dyte, the Ross started a breeding program with british shorthair cats and farm.

But, the situation of Scottish Fold in his country of origin it ended up souring. Already concerned about a potentially abnormally high risk of ear infection and deafness (although this fear was later shown to be unfounded), the GCCF decided on 1971 close the registration of the Scottish Fold, after the appearance of the first genetic problems. The last specimen recorded in Great Britain was Denisla Morag.

Although the Scottish Folds he had fallen from grace in his native land, had already begun his conquest of the Americas. Denisla Judy, Denisla Joey and Denisla Hester, all of them daughters of Snooks, had been imported into the United States in 1970 by the Dr. Neil Todd, a Newtonville geneticist, Massachusetts. But, after giving birth to two litters, interrupted his research project and Denisla Hester ended up in the hands of Wolf Peters Room, a well-known breeder of the Manx cat.

In 1972, the first Scotsman was exhibited in an exhibition of the American Cat Breeders Association (CFA), and the interest was immediate. Several breeders were involved in the development of the breed. In particular, Wolf Peters Room, from the kennel Wyola, and Karen Votava, from the kennel Bryric, they campaigned on 1974 so that the first specimens were registered with the CFA as an experimental breed.

At that time, the gene responsible for the mutation that causes folded ears was still unknown. It was during the work on this gene, at the beginning of the year 70, made by the Dr. Oliphant Jackson, an english geneticist, when the bone problems of the Scottish Fold, mainly due to the numerous inbreeding crosses between the first generations.

So, it was decided to introduce large amounts of new blood into the breed, and numerous crosses with him American shorthair cat and the British Shorthair cat helped reduce these bone problems. Even today, the crosses between a Scottish Fold and Shorthair are common and help preserve the genetic diversity of the breed. They are also approved by reference feline organizations.

The Scottish Fold received final recognition from the CFA in 1978, and the TICA (International Cat Association) did the same in 1979. On the other hand, el GCCF, supported in this decision by the British Veterinary Association, has never backed down from its decision to ban this breed. This is a rare case where a cat breed is recognized in many countries, but not in the country where he was born. Having said that, the GCCF is far from alone in taking this position, Since the Fédération Internationale Féline (FiFé), for example, neither does he recognize her.

This has not prevented it from conquering the rest of the world and becoming quite common.. According to CFA figures, is even among the 10 America's Most Popular Cat Breeds, and it became so within a few years of its official recognition by the organization. In France, where it first appeared in 1982, is more and more popular: while at the beginning of the decade of 2000 less than 100 kittens per year in the Official Book of Feline Origins (LOOF), now there are more than 500, which places the Scottish Fold around the post 15 among the most popular cat breeds among the French.

The Scottish Fold it is a medium size cat, round and solid boned, but retains a flexible and agile appearance. The legs they are quite short, while the tail is quite long and tapers to a rounded tip.

The head it is also round, with a well defined chin and jaws, and prominent cheekbones. The eyes they are big and round, usually coppery, but they can be of other colors, especially blue in white fur cats.

The Scottish Fold is known for its small ears with rounded tips that fall forward. But, kittens are born with straight ears, that don't start to fold until they have a few 3 weeks, at least half of them. The other half keep their ears straight, and are known as Scottish Straight or Highland Straight. They are not excluded from breeding, since the crossing with a Fold can lead to a kitten with folded ears.

It should be noted that the fact that they are folded forward does not prevent the ears of the Scottish Fold be mobile and very expressive, turning to hear better or getting up when opening a can of food.

The Scottish Fold has a fur dense, with a heavy undercoat and an outer coat that can be short or long. Texture may vary based on coat and/or regional or seasonal variations.

All the colors They're possible, except those that show an unauthorized crossing with another Scottish Fold, or any other race other than the American shorthair cat and the British Shorthair cat

Last, the sexual dimorphism it is well marked, being the males larger than the females.

• Male size: Of 23 to 28 cm.
• female size: 20-25 cm.
• Male weight: 4-6 kg
• female weight: 2,5 to 4 kg

The breed standards are documents produced by official bodies that list the conditions that a dog must meet. Scottish Fold to be fully recognized as belonging to the race:

• Standard LOOF (Livre Officiel des Origines Félines)
• Standard AFC (Association Féline Canadienne)
• Standard TICA (The International Cat Association)
• Standard CFA (The Cat Fanciers’ Association)

The Scottish Fold it comes in two varieties: of shorthair and Longhair.

The latter are sometimes called Highland, or Highland Fold. For some organizations, as the International Cat Association (TICA), they even form a race in their own right, call Scottish Fold Longhair.

in parallel, there are cats Scottish Straight, or Highland Straight, who have the same genetic inheritance as the Scottish Fold and, Therefore, The same characteristics, but whose ears are straight, instead of folded. Although these cats are not always recognized, neither as a variety nor as a distinct breed, are essential for the health of the breed. In fact, to avoid health problems, it is forbidden to create from Scottish Folds: one of the two parents must be a Scottish Straight (or a licensed breed, as the American shorthair cat or the British Shorthair cat).

The Scottish Fold he is close to humans and very loyal. They are affectionate and enjoy spending time with all members of their family, but they do not take long to choose their favorite human, to whom they are especially attached. Needs a lot of attention, but it is not intrusive: if you are made to feel uncomfortable sitting on your lap, will sit next to you without question, and if his owner does not have time to play with him, will just follow you around the house.

Sociable and relaxed, he loves the attention he can get from the little ones: It is an ideal cat breed for children who have learned to have fun with animals and to respect them.

In general, They also enjoy the company of other cats and get along very well with dogs that are used to cats.. On the other hand, although it is possible -especially if you have gotten used to them since childhood-, coexistence with small animals should be avoided, rodents or reptiles.

Moderately active, adapts very well to life in a flat, especially if his family takes the trouble to spend some time playing with him every day.

Their need for attention and interaction makes them prone to loneliness, but having other animals at home is a good way to overcome it. If you have playmates, she has no problem spending her days at home when her owners are at work, just asking for more caresses at night. But, if left alone for a long weekend or even a vacation, is likely to express dissatisfaction by causing more or less damage.

It also, the Scottish Fold is known for his more or less surprising postures: sleeps on his back, sits on the couch like a human or stands on its hind legs to observe the surroundings, like a suricata. It is also a cat that prefers to drink water from the tap rather than from its bowl., and some specimens have the habit of eating with their legs.

The legs are extremely agile, allowing them to open closet doors or catch an object thrown by their master. Scottish folds love to exploit this ability and are especially fond of games that involve dexterity.. But, they also enjoy cat puzzle games, that stimulate their intelligence and provide them with some food if they can.

Last, it's not very noisy, not just because it's moderately vocal, but also because their meows are so soft, almost hard to hear.

The Scottish Fold It, in general, a healthy feline breed, to the point that many specimens have more than 15 years.

But, is susceptible to certain diseases:

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an enlargement of heart tissue that causes disturbances in how the heart works;
• The renal polyquistosis, a genetic disease that causes numerous cysts in the kidneys and can now be detected with a DNA test;
• The osteocondrodisplasia, which affects the development of bones and cartilage and can cause osteoarthritis from an early age, causing pain and difficulty in movement. The first symptoms are usually stiffness in the hind legs and/or tail. A very short and thick tail is an indication that the individual is potentially affected.

It also, but the Scottish Fold it is by no means the most affected race, the Obesity in cats it is a very real health risk. Thus, a good owner should regularly check that his cat is not overweight, and correct it if you have it, with the help of a vet.

Last, given the shape of their ears and to avoid infections and parasites, you have to pay special attention, that is to say, check and clean them frequently.

To avoid breeding between two Scottish Fold and the health problems that often result, it is possible to organize a mating with another authorized breed. The International Cat Association (TICA) allows you to, for example, the crossing with the American shorthair cat or the British Shorthair cat.

One Scottish Fold of shorthair it only needs to be brushed once a week to keep its coat healthy and beautiful. One Scottish Fold (or Highland Fold) of Longhair needs to be brushed more regularly to prevent tangling and to remove dead hair: the ideal is to do it two or three times a week.

It also, a weekly check of the teeth, eyes and ears will ensure they are clean and free of infection. Pay special attention to the ears, which should be cleaned with a damp cloth.

Last, depending on your lifestyle, natural wear and tear and the use of a scratching post may or may not be enough for your claws. If not and they become too long, can be easily trimmed with nail clippers.

The Scottish Fold can be fed commercial cat food. But, food must be of good quality and appropriate to the cat's age and activity level, to provide you with the essential nutrients and vitamins you need for good health.

How in general they are capable of self-regulation, food can be left in their bowl at all times, but you have to be careful that they don't get too fat. If this is the case, It is recommended to consult a veterinarian to establish a feeding program adapted to your specific needs..

The average price of a kitten Scottish Fold is something less than 1000 EUR.

But, this average hides great disparities between kittens with physical characteristics far from the standard, whose price can be as low as 500 EUR, and those that come from prestigious lines and have characteristics that predestine them to feline shows, whose price may be higher than 2500 EUR.

In all cases, there is no significant price difference between males and females.

1. Scot Fold (English).
2. Highland Fold (French).
3. Scottish Fold, Highland Fold (German).
4. Fold escocés (español).