The Scottish Fold is a relatively new breed of cat; the first one to be found was in 1961 on a farm in the Tayside Region of Scotland, northwest of Dundee. A shepherd by the name of William Ross saw and was quite taken with this cat’s ears which were folded forward and downward on her head an made her look like a little teddy bear. Susie was busy nursing her kittens and Ross asked the owner if he could have one of them. He developed the breed single-handedly from Susie’s progeny. In 1978, The Scottish Fold was granted champion status by the Cat Fancier’s Association, accepting two types; folded ear and straight (normal). The folded ear is the result of a spontaneous mutation.
Over the last twenty years, the Scottish Fold has developed its own special and unique look even though some outcrosses are allowed (with American and British shorthairs). Still, the Scottish Fold does not resemble either of those, and is instead, a medium sized cat with a rounded, well-padded body and a short but very dense coat. Eyes are very sweet, large, round and broadly spaced across their adorable faces. Fold kittens are born with straight ears, which start to fold (or don’t) after about three or four weeks of age. It may take up to three months for a breeder to determine the show quality of a litter (ears folded only). The straight ear progeny of Scottish Folds, even though they cannot appear in the show ring, are nevertheless, invaluable to the breeding of the line.
The Scottish Fold is considered rare when compared to the progeny of other breeds. Due to the fact that not every kitten born will have folded ears, it is difficult for breeders to keep the supply of kittens up to the demand. They have sweet dispositions (cats, not breeders) but are very hardy animals with tiny voices. They are quiet but adore the companionship of humans, which they display in their own unique way. They are good with children and other animals, making them an excellent choice for a house pet.
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