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| Cats - Scottish Fold
Scottish fold cats have distinctive ears that fold over, close to the head. They can have long or short hair.
The breed was found in a barn in Scotland and has been developed from there, but the breed is not recognised in the UK.
To get folds you should breed a British Blue male to a Scottish Fold female. Round-headed, short-legged, round-eyed and completely huggable, the Scottish Fold breed is as cute as its nature is sweet. Little button ears fold forwards over a wide, round, quizzical face. Large yellow eyes gaze out over a small button nose. Long or short-haired, these cats have a wide variety of coat colours and patterns. In the longhaired variety, the cats sport a ruff at the neck and chest as well as fluffy breeches and a well-plumed tail. During the past century, cats with ears folded forwards have only been rarely recorded. In 1961 a Scottish shepherd named William Ross was watching a white cat with folded ears playing in his neighbour’s garden. He was quite enchanted with her unusual appearance and when she had kittens, he asked for one, calling it “Snooks”. Snooks became the founding queen of the Scottish Fold, so the story goes. The first Scottish Fold arrived in South Africa in 1993 and, through several exhibitions, achieved Championship status six years later. Although this special breed is still fairly rare on the show bench, they are gaining popularity world wide. Scottish Fold kittens are born with straight ears and develop a fold with time. The fold in the ears is caused by a crimping effect in the ear cartilage. Folds may be single or double, tucking the ear close to the head, giving it a wise `owl’ look. Concerns over the fold causing problems for the breed are unfounded. In over forty years of breeding, no evidence of any damage being caused to the inner ear by the fold has been recorded, nor is there any increased risk of ear infections. However, the visible part of the ears needs routine cleaning with cotton wool swabs (not ear buds) and a suitable cleansing lotion recommended by your local veterinarian. The coat needs regular brushing to keep it in good condition to prevent excessive knotting, particularly in the case of the long-haired variety. Regular combing will alert the owner to any matted fur, which can be gently teased apart with the fingers before combing.
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