Types of Scottish Folds

When it comes to cuteness very few cats can be compared to the Scottish fold mainly because of its folded ears. There are two types of Scottish folds and we will describe both of them in this article.

But before we go into the types of Scottish fold here’s a brief history:

History

The first Scottish fold was found by Williams Ross in 1961 and it was a white barn cat called Susie. Susie would later be used by feline fanciers to breed other beautiful variants like the Exotic Short-hairs, Persians, American Short-hairs and so on. This breed come in various colors. If you want to find out more about the history of Scottish fold please visit this related article.

Now that we are clear on the history of Scottish folds, Let us talk about the types.

Types of Scottish Folds

The Scottish fold group is made up of two main breeds – the Scottish fold and the Scottish straight.

Scottish straight

Looking at the Scottish straight, one thing comes to mind, and that is the striking resemblance with the Scottish fold, however, the visible difference is the ears of the Scottish Straight which are upright, while the Scottish Fold ears are bent downward.

Scientifically it has been proven that both the Scottish Folds and Scottish Straights have almost identical features and habit traits.

The Scottish straight are Round shaped, with strongly developed cheekbones and prominent cheeks, which gives them all their cuteness.

These cats come in both long hairs and short hairs. The beautiful felines also come in different colors including the black Scottish fold cat, blue Scottish fold, white Scottish fold and grey Scottish fold.

These straight-eared cats might not be allowed as show cats, they, however, remain of immense importance for the purpose of breeding.

The Scottish fold

This is the more popular of the two, its ears turn to give it a unique look. The ears of a Scottish folded are folded in about half forward and down.

The folds let the Scottish fold look like an owl, pixie or a teddy bear which all the more increases its charm.

The folded ears are caused by an unfinished dominant gene which causes a self-generated mutation.

This mutation which gives them their cute ears has also been proven to cause the Scottish fold lots of health issues, like congenital osteodystrophy which affect the cartilage in their body, which is also linked to skeletal problems.

The Scottish fold has a padded well-rounded body with a short dense and stubborn coat. They are highly intelligent cats with love for puzzles etc. These cats have tiny voices and tend to be incredibly close to its owners, and they are quick to adapt to any situation be it noisy or quiet, crowded or lonely.

Scottish fold kittens are not born with folded ears, as both the Scottish straight and the Scottish fold are both born in one litter.

They are all born with straight ears and at about four to five weeks their ears begin to fold. Those that fold become the Scottish fold, while those that don’t are the Scottish straight.

Currently, only folded ears cats of Scottish background or lineage are allowed to be show cats in the show ring.

Conclusion

Domestic cats have been friends of humans since time immemorial, and if treated right can be great companions. If you have never gotten a cat as a pet, now may be a good time to get one, and you can get the Scottish folds as they are really adorable.