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 In
1961 a shepherd by the name of William Ross spotted the first known
Scottish Fold cat at a farm near Coupar Angus in the Tayside Region of
Scotland, Northwest of Dundee. Ross asked the owners if he could have
one of the kittens, and proceeded to develop the breed from the
original, Susie, a white barn cat. The unique thing about this cat was
that her ears folded forward and downward on her head. The resulting
look gave the impression of a “pixie”, “owl”, or “teddy
bear” that has captured the hearts of many. Scottish Folds come in two
types: folded ear and straight (normal) ear. Scottish Fold kittens are
born with straight ears. At about three to four weeks of age, their ears
fold...or they don’t!
Native Country
Scotland
Breed
Description
Head: Round.
Domed forehead. Rounded cheeks. Jowls allowed in adult males. Broad,
short nose. Slight stop accepted. Well-rounded muzzle. Round whisker
pad. Firm chin.
Eyes: Large, round, fairly well-spaced. The color
corresponds to that of the coat.
Neck: Short and muscular.
Body: Medium-sized, stout, rounded, very muscular.
Medium-boned.
Paw: Length in proportion to the body.
Medium-boned. Round, compact paws.
Tail: No longer than 2/3 the length of the body.
Thick at the base, tapering to a rounded tip. Very supple and flexible.
Coat: Two varieties: - short, thick, tight, very
dense, fluffy, resilient coat - semilong: This variety is called the
Highland Fold. All colors are recognized. Chocolate, lilac, and Siamese
markings are not allowed.
History
A roly-poly guy with
little ears set in a caplike fashion, flat against the head In his 1897
Treatise on Animal Breeding, Professor Cornevin indicated a breed of
shorthaired cat with pendulous ears that was fattened for eating in its
native China. A spontaneous mutation by a dominant gene that caused the
ear flap to fold forward was first observed in Scotland in 1961. William
Ross, a shepherd in Tayside, and his wife Mary noticed a white female
cat named Susie with folded ears who lived at the McRae family’s
neighboring farm. Susie gave birth to Snooks, a white female with the
same type of ears. When crossed with a British Shorthair, she gave birth
to a white male named Snowball. This new breed was named after the
“folded ear” mutation. Unfortunately, limb, tail, and joint
deformities linked to the dominant Fd gene appeared, to such an extent
that the G.C.C.F. discontinued registration of the breed in 1973. In
1971, Mary Ross sent some Scottish Folds to Neil Todd, an American
geneticist in Massachusetts who set about breeding the cats again.
Crosses were made with British Shorthairs, Exotic Shorthairs, and
American Shorthairs in order to prevent severe joint disorders.The C.F.A.
and then T.I.C.A. recognized the breed, which was highly successful in
the United States. A return to Europe began in 1980, with the first
Scottish Fold born in France in 1982. Recognized neither by the F.I.Fe.
nor the G.C.C.F., the Scottish Fold is relatively rare throughout
Europe. In the United States, a Scottish Fold was crossed with a Persian
to produce a new, longhaired version called the Highland Fold or
Longhaired Scottish Fold, which is recognized by T.I.C.A. A cross with
rexes made in Germany in 1987 gave rise to the Pudelkatze or Poodle Cat,
a curly-coated feline with pendulous ears. With a very limited
population, the Pudelkatze is not yet recognized as a new breed.
Behavior
The Scottish Fold is a sweet natured cat
who is usually quiet voiced and loves to help supervise whatever you
happen to be doing. Their activity level is in the medium range. They
love to play but usually expect you to be involved in the fun and games.
While not every Fold will be a lap fungus, they will usually be found
close to you. Scottish Folds love to sleep flat on their backs and can
often be found sitting up looking very much like an otter.
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