A mixture of British and Scots: varieties of mestizos and their appearance

The offspring of mixed feline “marriages” are often called designer animals. Through experiments, breeders try to obtain some unique appearance features or coat colors, and sometimes even hope to create a new breed group. However, the British Shorthair/Scottish Fold cross has a different story. These cats are blood relatives and are very similar in appearance. But the planned matings between them are carried out for another reason. Let's find out what kind of mestizos are born from British and Scottish breeds.

A cross between a British and a Scotsman - all about the crossbreeds of the two breeds and the possibility of crossing

If it is expensive to buy a purebred kitten, a British mixed breed will do. There are crosses between British cats and the Scottish Fold, Siamese, Persian and mongrel. The owner should know how the breeds differ, when it is possible and not recommended to cross animals. The owner must also have an idea of ​​what a mixed breed looks like, the features of keeping, care and health of the pet.

According to felinologists, the breed combination of British and Scottish cats is meaningless, since both breeds have become independent and have an international standard. Therefore, the world associations of cat lovers banned interbreeding in 2004.

How does the knitting process take place?

All actions take place in the territory of the male’s residence. Before breeding a Scottish Fold cat, it is contraindicated to wash it, as this will deprive it of the characteristic odor that attracts the male.

Most often, the entire process occurs without the help of the owners, but it happens that animals get lost, especially cats. In this case, they need to give time to rest, get used to it and sniff.

The male may show interest, sing songs to the female, and she, in turn, responds to his advances. If the female is not ready to mate, the male senses this and simply leaves. In this case, further actions will be ineffective; you need to wait for the next heat.

The following are the rules for mating Scottish cats:

1. Age of the cat. You can take her to a male only during estrus and at the age of 1 year. Even though they reach puberty at 6-7 months, they are not yet ready to have offspring. Moreover, the animal is not yet fully formed, and this can lead to serious health problems.
2. You cannot cross two Scottish Folds, or with a British male. This can lead to health problems for kittens.
3. If you plan to use kittens for exhibitions, you need to take a responsible approach to choosing a partner, his pedigree, color and other characteristics.
4. It is imperative to monitor the health of the animals; in case of any ailment, it is better to postpone the mating process.

If you follow all the rules, then mating a Scottish Fold cat will bring beautiful, healthy and strong offspring.

Many owners of the Scottish Fold breed are interested in the question of who can breed a fold-eared pet with, and what kind of offspring is expected from this union. The answer to this question is ambiguous and depends on the purpose of mating.

Description of breeds and differences

British and Scottish cats are very similar. However, among the British there are no cats with floppy ears. The main common features of both breeds:

The differences between the cats are as follows:

Interbreeding options

Scottish and British cats were often crossed with representatives of other breeds. The kittens of some of them have received recognition from world associations of cat lovers. Others simply remained mestizos, who do not participate in breeding or exhibitions. Experimental crossbreeding of Britons and Scottish Sheeps was carried out with the following breeds:

How to choose the right kitten

In order not to make a mistake when choosing a pet, it is not enough to listen only to your inner instinct. Experts advise following the basic rules:

1. Ask the breeder about all the offspring to determine whether the kittens are suitable: where they grew up, what their character is, whether they were examined by a veterinarian, whether the kittens were picked up after two weeks of age.
2. Have any preventive treatments and vaccinations been carried out?
3. First look at mom.
4. If the kittens are from a nursery, then you should find out as much as possible about the parents.
5. You should not take obstinate representatives who hiss and scratch.

A healthy animal can be identified by the following signs:

• clear eyes without discharge;
• clean area under the tail;
• shine of wool;
• absence of bloating - the first sign of helminthiasis;
• energy and curiosity;
• communication with brothers;
• fearlessness.

Any kitten - purebred, mestizo or mongrel - can become the best friend and companion. He will reciprocate the sincere love and care of the owner. You should not chase expensive, fashionable and purebred cats; it is better to bring into your home a faithful and devoted companion who will not leave you in difficult times and will brighten up the melancholy of gray everyday life.

So, mating a Scottish Fold cat with a male cat is prohibited. The reason for this was active gene mutations, which can lead to death, disability or deformity of future offspring.

Owners of Scottish Fold cats often wonder how to properly breed them. Many people believe that a Scottish cat should be crossed with a cat of the same breed. In their opinion, this is the only way to breed a purebred breed and improve its qualities.

Many breeders cross the Scottish Fold and Scottish Straight breeds; they are almost the same, but the latter are straight-eared. The kittens turn out healthy, some of them have straight ears, and some have drooping ears.

Is it possible to cross breeds?

When is breeding possible?

Folds no longer mate with Scots. However, sometimes this is necessary to improve the color or gain new features in appearance. Experimental matings are carried out, and the litter is carefully studied by specialists. Interbreed mating is undesirable, since the standard characteristics are lost, and the babies may develop joint problems in the future.

When is breeding prohibited?

The Fold cat can only mate with Scottish cats with straight ears due to a gene that lowers the ear flaps. Only one carrier of such a gene is allowed in a couple, otherwise the offspring will die or have severe genetic abnormalities. There is no ban among the British. Only cats with deviations from the standard - malocclusion, squint, or creases in the tail - are not allowed for breeding.

What difficulties may arise

• It happens that during mating a cat falls on its side. There is nothing to worry about, you just need to hold it in the required position.
• Sometimes there is such a thing as a cat being faithful to one partner. If this is the case, then you need to change the cat, since all attempts at mating will be unsuccessful.
• Another problem can be the different sizes of animals, especially a cat that is too massive. In this case, the male will not be able to cover her, grabbing the withers, he will end up on her back. Here you need the help of the owner, who will hold the cat by the withers.
• The cat may be too aggressive. In this case, mating will not work.
• It happens that due to stress, the female stops estrus. It may not exist for several days, after which it resumes. After this, the animal can be brought back to the male.

What does a mestizo look like?

Half-breeds contain the features of both parents, so their appearance allows for any deviations. The main external data of a mixture of British and Scots is shown in the table:

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Features of pregnancy in fold-eared cats

The course of pregnancy in lop-eared females differs from other representatives of the cat family.

Due to the calm nature of this species, there are no mood swings, bursts of aggression, or isolation. The mother carries the kittens for approximately nine weeks. At the end of the mating, the animal calms down, becomes affectionate, and willingly makes contact with members of the household.

Pregnancy can only be determined after two or three weeks. The nipples change color, swelling and a more pink tint are observed. However, these signs are characteristic only of young animals; in older cats - older than three years of age - such signs may not appear.

Pregnancy can be determined after two to three weeks.

First half

The first half of pregnancy is characterized by increased appetite.

At this stage, fish feeding should be stopped to avoid the destruction of B vitamins, as they contribute to the normal development of embryos. It is necessary to increase the amount of food containing calcium: dairy and lactic acid products in the form of cottage cheese, milk, sour cream, kefir, yogurt.

Cottage cheese will be useful for a cat in the first half of pregnancy.

Second half

The second half passes calmly and only further growth of the abdomen and an increase in overall weight are observed.

In the second half of pregnancy, growth of the abdomen is observed.

It will be possible to determine the number of fold-eared and straight-eared kittens only after twenty-two days. At the first stage, the entire brood looks exactly the same, and they cannot be distinguished.

Third week

By the end of the third week, the cartilage begins to mature and strengthen, and everything falls into place. In Fold kittens, the ears curl even more and bend towards the head, while in Straights they gradually straighten.

By the end of the third week, kittens' cartilage begins to strengthen.

Maintenance and care

Mixed breeds should be cared for in the same way as other cats. Brush should be done at least once a week with combs for short-haired cats. The tray should be spacious and filled with bentonite or wood. It is necessary to feed the cat with high-quality holistic, super or premium food - “Bozita”, “Farmina”, “Acana”, “Trainer”, “Pronature”, “Origin”. The diet should include lean meat, greens, low-fat cottage cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. Ears and eyes should be cleaned every week with special animal products “Beafar”, “Trixie”, “Bars”. Teeth require daily care with Dentavedin, Nutri-Vet, and Zubastik products. You should bathe your cat only when dirty. To prevent dangerous infections, your pet should be vaccinated in a timely manner.

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What happens if you cross a fold-eared cat and an ordinary cat? What kittens will be born?

mongrel mongrels, another replenishment of the ranks of homeless people (((

Outbred. Some of them will have barely drooping ears, some will have regular ears. Bubbles in general. Like these ones.

Well, a couple of purebred Scottish fold kittens for comparison)

BALIIIIIN, why do this, nobles and some other ones will be born (obviously not lop-eared)

There are three options here - regular, fold and mixed.

Floppy ears are not transmitted to everyone, if you are talking about floppy ears. In general, why suffer such garbage?

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Scottish mixed cat

Metis, that is, a cross between two different breeds, is an unpredictable creature, because its genes can appear in the most unexpected combinations. Sometimes they turn out to be successful (for example, a softer character or good health appears), sometimes they are undesirable. Let's see what the consequences are and what kittens are born from two different breeds.

Attention! Information about the possible origin of the mestizos presented in the article is approximate, because without having documents for the cat, it is impossible to say what breed it is. Roots can only be determined approximately by eye. Therefore, if we say that a given cat is a Scots-Persian mix, then there is no 100% guarantee that this is really the case. However, these cats look exactly like mixtures of these breeds.

At what age should you start mating?

The optimal age for mating is considered to be one and a half years . If a cat has never had kittens before two years of age, irreparable health problems may arise. During this period, the animal is completely ready for fertilization and the appearance of offspring. The first mating of Scottish cats should not occur after the first heat. The cat is not ready yet, either morally or physically; all the discharge is already unpleasant for her. Against this background, she may have a nervous breakdown, she will become aggressive and distrustful.

The best time for mating is the third or fourth day of estrus 2-3. Cats of this breed are especially active in the spring; this will not be difficult to notice; they become more irritable, refuse to eat and begin to mark corners in the house. Cats, on the contrary, are more affectionate, demand attention, and stomp their hind paws.

British and Scottish cat mix

Most often you can find a mixture of British and Scots. It’s not even entirely appropriate to call them a mestizo of the British and Scots, because... According to some felinological systems, it is allowed to record such a litter as purebred Scots. Previously, such matings were generally carried out often and were a variant of the norm, because The Scottish breed at the first stages was obtained, among other things, from crossings with the British. But now the breed is established and does not need such matings. With proper crossbreeding, a cat that is a mixture of a Scotsman and a Briton can look very impressive. But this doesn't happen so often.

Basically, from the crossing of British and Scots, either defective individuals are born, or with insufficiently expressed breed qualities. In addition, a cross between a British and a Scot may have musculoskeletal problems.

President of the International Feline Association Elena Shevchenko

For a long time, the process of selecting couples was not regulated in any way. As a result, a significant number of straights of completely different types were obtained. Matings with the British breed result in British-type straight cats - rather heavy, squat, with a round head, a short thick tail, almost corresponding to the standard of a British cat. Matings with medium-type British dogs and other straights result in straights of “no type” - stretched out, the head is not round enough, the tail is long, the legs are high, the eyes are deep set. According to breed standards, the advantages of a British cat are the disadvantages of a Scottish cat. As a result of such matings, the type of both the British and the Scottish type deteriorated.

However, kittens resulting from the mating of a British and a Scot are considered a Scottish breed. It is recorded in documents, because, for example, the WCF rules do not prohibit crossing the British with the Scots. As Britons, such a litter cannot be recorded.

What the owner should know

In order for the offspring to be healthy, you need to know some features of mating Scottish Folds:

• You need to select a partner of a similar breed, that is, Scottish, but not Scottish Fold. In this case, the best option would be Scottish Straight. This breed of cat has straight ears. If a Scottish straight-eared cat is mated, then the opposite is true, the cat must be fold-eared.
• You cannot cross a Scotsman with a British breed. In this case, the cubs are too large, the tail and head are deformed, and the structure of the coat does not meet the standards.
• The male must have a uniform color, good quality coat, and a proportional build. You should definitely pay attention to the tail, it should be flexible. This factor affects the health of the animal's spine. This way you can avoid developmental defects in the baby.
• You should also pay attention to the cat's ears. It would be correct if they are directed forward, small, widely spaced and do not extend beyond the head. An important feature is the ear folds, it is very good if they exist. Such breeds are considered unique. It is best if there are two of them, and they are tightly folded on the head. It is very rare to meet a Scot who has three such folds.
• It is important to assess the health of the male; he should not have dandruff or any discharge from the eyes, nose or ears. The animal should not be emaciated or too large, everything should be within normal limits.

Many owners of Scottish cats begin to look for a partner through advertisements. This method is not bad; you can select a suitable candidate. But there is another simple way, breeder clubs that specialize in Scottish folds . The specialists working there will be able to help you choose a suitable male and tell you about his characteristics. By choosing this method of mating, you can be sure of healthy offspring.

Before mating, it is advisable to agree on the amount of the cat’s owner’s fee. He usually gets one baby, which has straight ears. There are always fewer fold-eared kittens; it very rarely happens that all the cubs from one litter are straight. If this is the case, then the cat’s owner receives money as a reward. The amount is equal to the cost of a Scottish Fold kitten.

Before mating, it is advisable to personally make sure that both partners are treated for worms and other parasites. It is permissible to treat the cat before intercourse for diseases such as rabies, chlamydia and other diseases, as well as to prevent worms.

The room where the whole process takes place must be clean, bright, dry and spacious, and it must be warm. The intercourse of animals can last several days, so you need to be prepared for the trip. You need to take with you a tray with filler, bowls for food and water, and the food itself. It happens that a cat is very aggressive, so before mating you need to trim its claws.

Your cat may not get pregnant the first time. In this case, it is necessary to bring her to the cat on the 2-3rd day of the next estrus and leave her there for a couple of days . In one day, a cat can cover a female up to 14 times, but after a few days he ceases to be interested in her.

Is it possible to crossbreed a Briton and a Scot?

All cat breeds have a common genetic sex pattern and the same number of chromosomes, so they can be bred with each other. In the process of breeding history, the Scottish Fold (low-eared) breed was formed.

Mating between this breed is strictly prohibited. Both partners have a gene for lop ears, which leads to genetic mutations. It was possible to get rid of the defect by crossing Scottish Fold cats with straight-eared British cats.

To maintain the standard of the Scottish breed, it was allowed to breed Britons with Scots, although matings between them were prohibited in the British breed.

The litter belonged to the Scots, they were recorded as:

Gradually, the appearance of the Scots began to differ significantly from the British. The ears, body size, length of paws and tail have changed. Unlike British cats, Scottish cats are lighter in bone, smaller in size, have a rounded head with huge eyes, small ears, and long hair. They are harsher in character.

Straight ears are the only difference between the Scottish Straight and the Scottish Fold. The World Cat Federation has registered the Scottish Straight as "Scottish Shorthair". The breed received the right to participate in the championship. To preserve the breed characteristics of the Scots, Folds stopped crossing with the British and started with Scottish Straights.

Kittens born from two British parents are considered British. If other representatives of the breeds participated in the crossing, the breed characteristics deteriorated. As a rule, the color of the British is blue. When crossed with exotics and Persians, the shade of the coat changed to other colors - smoky, black.

What are the good things about mestizos?

Despite the fact that mestizos cannot become winners of exhibitions, such cats can be kept as a faithful companion. They will delight you with their company and will not cause much trouble, because, unlike their purebred counterparts, mestizos are different:

1. Health. Having a stronger immune system, the mestizo gets sick less often.
2. Intelligence - much easier to train and get used to the tray.
3. Unpretentiousness in food.

The character of a mestizo is formed from the characteristics of the breeds of his parents. Both maternal and paternal qualities or both may predominate in it. In terms of skeletal structure and aesthetic characteristics, a mixed-breed cat may be superior to its parents, but it will never become an exhibition winner.

When is it possible to crossbreed a Briton and a Scot?

You can match a Brit with a Scot when:

Such matings are called experimental and are carried out in a nursery under the supervision of specialists who carefully study the litter.

Since during cross-breed mating, babies lose standard traits and have problems with the musculoskeletal system, cat owners are not advised to mate animals of the same breed.

Crossbreed with Siberian cat

Similar problems can be observed in a mixed breed of Scottish and Siberian cats, which have a rather heavy frame. In appearance, such kittens can turn out to be completely unpredictable: some have fairly short hair, but an elongated muzzle, while others have the opposite. But in any case, the Scottish baby face will no longer exist. Kittens from a Siberian cat and a Scottish cat, or vice versa - from a Scottish cat and a Siberian cat, look more severe than Scottish cats. In addition, they may develop unpredictable genetic problems. Therefore, the answer to the question whether it is possible to breed a Scottish cat with a Siberian cat is NO.​