The Scottish Fold is a cat species that has a genetic mutation in the ear. This cat has a fold in the cartilage part, which bends the ears forward and points forward to the front of the head. Since this cat breed was first discovered in Scotland, it is named after where it was found and its physical characteristics.
The Scottish Folded Ear Cat currently has two different characteristics: the Long-Haired cat breed and the Short-haired Cat Species, and the Folded Ear and Vertical Ear Cat Species. The Scottish folded-eared cat is very hard-working and inherits the characteristics of the ancestors who looked at the warehouse cat. Its appearance is very much in line with its gentle personality, and its voice is very light. It is willing to be in the company of others and expresses itself in this peaceful way that is characteristic of it.
history
It is said that in 1961, a female cat in a Shepherd's house in Scotland gave birth to a litter of kittens, including a strange kitten with a white coat, tight ears and an owl-like face, because of its origin close to Cooper Angus in Scotland, and since then, this breed has been named "Scottish Folded Ear Cat" according to the place of birth and the phenomenon of ear folding.
The original cat was named SUSIE, the ancestor of the Scottish folded-eared cat, and later SUSIE gave birth to another white folded-eared cat. At this point, the shepherd's neighbor, a shepherd named William Ross, noticed that SUSIE had a unique ear. So he decided to work with his wife, Mary, to experiment with this kitten to breed a new breed with folded ears.
The appearance of the folded-eared cat is cute and charming, so it attracts a lot of interest, but the funny thing is that they were more common abroad at that time than in their hometown, Scotland, England, and since this breed was not yet recognized by the cat fan management committee at that time, British breeders were almost not interested in it. The breed was accepted for registration in the United States in 1973 and recognized by the British Cats Association in 1984, 11 years later than in the United States.
Susie, who suddenly gave birth to the folded-ear kitten, is the earliest origin of the Scottish fold-eared cat. However, this kind of down-folded ear is really a rare mutation. It was precisely because of the occurrence of deformed cats in the past that breeding was banned in the Uk for a period of time. After careful crossbreeding by breeders, healthy kittens were bred and won the American Cat Lovers Association (CFA) championship in 1978.
Scottish folded-eared cats are not born with their ears folded. About three to four weeks old, their ears begin to fold down... Or just don't fold it at all! It is not until the kittens are 11 to 12 weeks old that the breeder can roughly judge their appearance (pet, breeding or racing). Currently, only cats with folded ears can participate in the competition, of course, every breeder wants to breed a cat that can participate in the competition. But the value of the folded-eared cat in the breeding process is priceless.
nature
Scottish folded-eared cats are born with a sweet character like candy. They like to participate in anything you do, but usually just quietly and won't make a sound to disturb you. Although their athletic talent is average, it does not mean that they do not like to play, but prefer to have the company of their masters. Scottish fold-eared cats prefer to sleep on their backs, and when they have nothing to do, they will sit there like otters and look out the window.
The Scottish fold-eared cat is approachable, gentle, and intelligent; nostalgic for the family and loves its owner; calm and lazy on the surface, but quickly attacks when it encounters prey; and puts it to death.
Feeding tips
Adaptation to the environment: Scottish folded-eared cats inherit the hard-working personality of their distant ancestors, so their adaptability is relatively strong, and they can calmly deal with unfamiliar environments. However, raising a healthy cat with folded ears should also pay attention to the weather, and the humidity is best maintained at 50-60%, otherwise it will be easy to get skin diseases.
Diet: Like most cats, their stomach is relatively weak, the cat food given when feeding is best to fix the brand, if you need to replace other brands of cat food for them, you must take it slowly, in the process of transferring food, but also pay special attention to their poop, because, suddenly change cat food, it is easy to cause diarrhea in the cat.
Proper exercise: Scottish folded-eared cats like to be close to their owners, so don't let it stay alone at home for a long time, and it is best for the owner to take more time to play with them when they return home. In play, you can enhance your feelings with it, and you can help it maintain a healthy body, so why not kill two birds with one stone?
Genetic defects
Folded-eared cats are so beautiful, but these cute little ones are born with hereditary bone diseases, that is, Osteochondrodysplasia (Osteochondrodysplasia), of course, not every folded-eared cat will have the disease, but there is a certain risk. In 1975, dr. OJackson's research points out that the cause of this genetic disease is due to the mating of two cats, both with folded ears. He believes that as long as the cat with folded ears is mated with cats without folded ears, kittens with genetic diseases can be avoided.
However, according to Dr. Lee of the University of Sydney in Australia. Richard Malik's 1999 study showed that all cats with folded ears have a chance of some degree of bone and joint lesions. The only way to avoid this genetic disease is to give up breeding cats with folded ears. In addition, from today's case theories prove that the folded-eared cat and the kittens born of non-folded-eared cats will also get this genetic disease.
In addition to hereditary bone diseases, folded-eared cats have the following diseases that are commonly found in them:
1, respiratory system problems: bone lesion genes, in addition to affecting the bones of hands and feet, will also affect the development of other parts of the body cartilage tissue development abnormalities. It is more common to narrow the respiratory tract causing poor breathing, and in severe cases, surgery is required to widen the breathing duct. In addition, there will be problems with nosebleeds, but the cause is not known and there is no way to cure it.
2, heart disease: myocardial hypertrophy is also common in cats with folded ears, but it is generally difficult to find, until the occurrence of illness, there is a danger to life, cats need to control diet and lifelong medication.
reproduction
The folded-eared cat is the result of in-breed breeding, but also allows hybridization with other breeds, such as the American Shorthair and the English Shorthair. The folded-eared cat does not have the muscular, muscular body type of a working cat like the American shorthair, nor is it as large as the English shorthair cat, with a compact body, short legs, and a flat forehead.
The folded-eared cat is actually a medium-sized cat with a rounded body and a short, elastic coat. Its sweet eyes are large and round, with full flesh, a short nose bridge, and a rounded facial line.
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First published on the pet cute little nest public account, authorized for publication.