What to consider before buying a Scottish fold cat?
What to know before buying a Scottish fold cat?
Obviously, buying a Scottish fold cat is a very important decision. We will help and guide you through this article presenting the benefits and joy of owning a cute Scottish fold kitten. Hopefully, you will have some insights and you can take part in this decision by the end of the presentation.
Why Scottish fold?
The Scottish fold cat is a special domestic cat with amazing traits like no other. Many people have come to love the owl-like appearance and friendliness of this breed and would like to have it around to keep them company in their homes. But if you have considered having a Scottish fold cat, then there are quite a number of things you should know before buying one. A knowledge of these things would help you make the right decision, help you cater well for the animal as well as save you on some inconveniences and financial costs.
My 5 top tips when buying a Scottish Fold Kitten
When it comes time to buy your Scottish Fold Kitten, there are a few things you should do to make sure that your kitten is healthy.
1. Ready to go home?
Make sure that the kitten is ready to leave the home. This is a pretty obvious point, and it’s really more the responsibility of the breeder to decide when the kitten is ready to go to a new home, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. It is common for kittens to remain with the mother for several months before being ready to be adopted by a new owner.
2. Health Guarantee and Contract
When buying a new kitten, you should get a health guarantee and contract. This is to the benefit of both the buyer and the seller. If the kitten gets sick, the seller would want to know before selling any of the other kittens.
3. Meet with the seller and check the location
If possible, meet with the seller and see what the living conditions are like for the kittens. The living area should be clean, and well looked after. They should have plenty of room and there shouldn’t be an over-crowding problem. You should also be able to tell whether the kitten has been socialized around people. Does the kitten run away at the sight of you – or do they approach you? This could also just be a case of the kitten needing more time to adapt to people before being adopted.
4. Be aware of the health issues Scottish Fold presents
Scottish Folds, in particular, are susceptible to polycystic kidney disease and cardiomyopathy. Does this mean that you shouldn’t get a Scottish Fold? Not at all – it’s just something that you should be aware of when talking to breeders about the history of their Scottish Folds. They will be able to tell you about the health of their breeders, and whether or not there has been any history of these problems in past litters.
5. Get a respectable breeder
Osteochondrodysplasia is responsible for the folded ears that you see in Scottish Folds, and as such – all Scottish Folds possess it. Their folded ears, however, do not result in hearing problems. Reputable breeders will not breed two Scottish Folds together since it increases the risk of severe osteochondrodysplasia. They will also insist that the kitten is spayed or neutered to ensure that inexperienced breeding does not produce this
Tips wrap up
So what should you gather from all of this? Talk to your breeder. You’re bound to have questions before buying a kitten, so it’s a perfect opportunity to bring up some of the points listed above.
Any reputable breeder will know about all of the information above and has already taken the appropriate measures to ensure that their animals are healthy. This advice really goes beyond Scottish Folds as well.
Regardless of what breed you are considering – take the time and bring up the topic of health and wellness with your breeder. Educating yourself is the best thing you can do before buying your very own Scottish Fold!
Where to buy Scottish Fold kittens?
You can find Scottish Fold kittens for sale both online and offline. Keep in mind the tips above when searching for your new companion.
You can find Scottish Folds kittens online at the following websites:
UK:
USA:
Also, don’t forget Facebook groups dedicated to Scottish Folds. You can find your new best friend there. You can get opinions about the breeders from actual owners. Join a few Facebook groups and ask around.
It’s may be better to search for a Scottish Fold offline as you can visit the breeder’s location and see the living condition.
Scottish fold peculiarities
These breed of cats are known to have certain genetic peculiarities which make them stand out and had also earned them some level
of discrimination. At some point in their history, they struggled with gaining acceptance, especially in some part of Europe. This was due to the impact that their genetic makeup had on their physical appearances, also making them susceptible to certain ailments and deformities. One notable ailment is osteochondrodysplasia, in which the animal suffers from some sort of disorder in bone development.
In recent times, the disease has been somewhat catered for in the cat through some form of cross-breeding. But even still, if you must get this cat for your home, you must be prepared to manage its bone and cartilage development challenges. And because of their seeming fragile tendencies, you must be apt to notice any signs or symptoms of an infection or disease. For more peculiarities about Scottish fold visit our other post here: Scottish Fold Cat – Introduction
Still…Scottish fold cats are great!
Even with all of these in mind, it is worthy of note, that the Scottish fold cats would serve as cute pets. This could actually have affected their prices in the markets.
So, before considering the costs of keeping them, you must know that they are in fact expensive to purchase. If you have not made your budget well enough to include buying a Scottish fold cat, then maybe you shouldn’t just jump into buying one. They are quite expensive and don’t forget to include all the other very important expenses you would make after you have bought one.
It’s a great choice
If you have weighed the options and are ready to buy a Scottish fold cat, you wouldn’t have made a wrong decision after all. They would serve you as very good, loving companions. This is because they tend to get very friendly and attached over time, to their owners and keepers who take care of them.
Look at them, they are simply beautiful! We hope that you enjoyed this article and we will be (very) happy if you give it a like and share on Facebook below.
If you want to have a Scottish Fold or you are already an owner I suggest getting the Scottish Fold Owners manual from Amazon. It will help you a lot with great info and tips.
