Scottish Fold ~ Tabby
Scottish Fold
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Scottish Fold ~ Tabby
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Scottish Fold
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| 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. |
| Sweet-natured and friendly toward everyone. Its wistful expression seems to beg for cuddling. Gentle and placid. Innately courteous, respectful of people and property. Not very vocal. |
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Head
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Well rounded with a firm chin and jaw. Muzzle to have well rounded whisker pads. Head should blend into a short neck. Prominent cheeks with a jowly appearance in males. |
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Eyes
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Wide open with a sweet expression. Large, well rounded, and separated by a broad nose. Eye color to correspond with coat color. Blue-eyed and odd-eyed are allowed for white and bi-color and van patterns. |
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Ears
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Fold forward and downward. Small, the smaller, tightly folded ear preferred over a loose fold and large ear. The ears should be set in a caplike fashion to expose a rounded cranium. Ear tips to be rounded. |
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Nose
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Nose to be short with a gentle curve. A brief stop is permitted but a definite nose break considered a fault. Profile is moderate in appearance . |
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Neck
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Short and muscular. |
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Body
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Medium, rounded, and even from shoulder to pelvic girdle. The cat should stand firm with a well padded body. There must be no hint of thickness or lack of mobility in the cat due to short, coarse legs. Toes to be neat and well rounded with five in front and four behind. Overall appearance is that of a well founded cat with medium bone; fault cats obviously lacking in type. Females may be slightly smaller. |
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Paw
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Length in proportion to the body. Medium-boned. Round, compact paws. |
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Tail
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Tail should be medium to long but in proportion to the body. Tail should be flexible and tapering. Longer, tapering tail preferred. |
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Coat
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Dense, plush, even. Medium-long to long hair length. Full coat on face and body desirable but short hair permissible on face and legs. Britches, tail plume, toe tufts, and ear furnishings should be clearly visible with a ruff being desirable. Soft in texture. Full of life. Standing away from body due to density, not flat or close lying. Coat texture may vary due to color and/or regional/seasonal changes. |
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Fault
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Head too slender, pointed. Stop too pronounced. Disqualify: tail too short, lacking flexibility due to abnormally thick vertebrae. |
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Disqualify
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Kinked tail. Tail that is foreshortened. Tail that is lacking in flexibility due to abnormally thick vertebrae. Splayed toes, incorrect number of toes. Any evidence of illness or poor health. Palpable nose break. |
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Character
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Scottish Folds are especially peaceful, non-dominant, and friendly toward other cats and toward dogs. Gentle, very affectionate, loving, and very playful, they adore family life. They are discrete and have a soft voice. Hardy and resistant, these cats are excellent hunters. In terms of grooming, they require weekly brushing. During shedding, their fluffy coat must be combed regularly. It is best to keep an eye on their ears. In order to prevent bone deformities, two cats with folded ears should not be mated together. Instead, the Scottish Fold is crossed with prick-eared cats like the British Shorthair or American Shorthair. The "folded ear" characteristic is not visible until the third or fourth week, and the degree of folding cannot be observed until the fifth or sixth week. |
| Not a breed for the novice. Although generally hardy, ears are potential problem. Dominant gene that produces folded ears is nonlethal but can cause crippling when 2 folded-ear cats are bred together. Thickened, nonpliable limbs and/or tail indicate progressive fusion of spinal column. Tail may look blunted or like a bottlebrush. Lump on back leg, between knee and heel, may be calcium deposit, indicator of future trouble. Looser rather than tighter ear fold is better for pet. White cats may be deaf, requiring special care. |
Scottish Fold ~ Odd Eyed Calico