Origin of the breed
The first mentions of Scottish fold cats were at the beginning of the 19th century in China. On the European continent they became known thanks to a farmer and his wife who lived in Scotland. The beginning of the breed was the ordinary cat Susie, born from ordinary street cats. She had short white fur and small forward-curved ears. The farmer's wife was breeding cats and drew attention to her. In 1961, the matured Susie gave birth to a kitten with the same curled ears. They named him Snooks. He became the founder of the Scottish Fold cat breed, both marbled and other colors.
The Rosses wanted to obtain official permission to breed these cats, but when they turned to geneticists for a breeding program, they did not receive it. Genetics pointed to the reason for the refusal - the birth of a large number of deaf kittens and the difficulties of treatment when infected with ticks.
Mating rules
Not everything was simple with the genes of this cat. There is a so-called folding gene. During the period of intrauterine development, the kitten developed serious abnormalities associated with the skeletal system: fusion of the vertebrae, as well as curvature of the limbs. Such changes occurred when mating a cat and a cat with hanging ears.
In this regard, geneticists have developed mating rules that determine the crossing of fold-eared cats with cats with straight ears, and vice versa. Nature has made sure that kittens are born in the litter with the hereditary characteristics of one and the other parent regarding the ears. The coat color of a kitten may differ from the coat color of its parents. For example, a marbled Scottish Fold kitten (pictured below) could have been born to parents of the same color.
Character and habits of marbled British
The British are intellectuals, they can determine the owner’s mood by their voice and gestures, and by a person’s elevated tone they quickly realize that they are doing something illegal. Imposing, dignified, calm cats are not prone to aggression, rancor, or mischief, but at the same time they know how to protect their boundaries and will not allow their person to be treated unceremoniously.
They are independent, you should not expect annoying affection, stormy meetings, or lightning-fast appearance at the first call from them. It seems that this cat has “his own person” and patronizes him condescendingly. But behind this external equanimity lies a tender devotion to all family members.
They get along well with other cats and dogs, as long as they don't pester them too much. They do not need constant company; the British can be called the introverts of the cat world.
Scottish fold and Scottish straight
The official name of the breed of kittens with hanging ears is Scottish Fold, and with straight ears - Scottish Straight (from English straght means “straight”). The Scottish Fold was originally called Lops, after the "loop-eared rabbit" with its ears hanging down to the side of its head. The breed began to be called the Scottish Fold after registration by the felinological organization GCCF (Great Britain).
It is impossible to determine what species a newborn kitten may belong to. The ears begin to droop three weeks after birth. Originally, cats only had a single fold in their ears, but due to selective breeding, breeders have increased this to a double or triple fold, which causes the ear to lie completely against the head.
Both kittens are purebred. But only fold-eared dogs are considered to be show dogs - the Scottish Fold. However, without crossing with Scottish Straight cats there will be no continuation of the breed. They are carriers of the fold-eared gene and irreplaceable successors of the genus of the Scottish Fold with a marbled color. In the photo above there is a litter of kittens with straight and drooping ears from a female Scottish Straight and a male Scottish Fold.
What types of British cats are there - all colors in pictures
Many of them have existed since the appearance of the breed, and some were obtained more recently as a result of careful selection.
Solid colors
Chocolate Britons have a nose color that is slightly darker than the coat or matches its color, while Cinnamon, on the contrary , has a pinkish-brown nose that stands out against the darker coat.
Cats of the fawn (also called the color of a young fawn) have fur of a warm light beige shade, and the pads of their paws and nose are a delicate pinkish color.
Tortoiseshell colors
This can be a combination of rich colors (black, chocolate or cinnamon) with red, as well as blue (or purple) with cream.
The paw pads are pink or black, and the eyes are copper and gold shades. Cream slippers on the paws or short stripes on the nose are possible.
Color point color
A characteristic feature of this group of colors is a light body color and contrasting dark areas - the muzzle, ears, paws and tail.
Bicolor colors
Tabby colors
Dark stripes stretch along the back all the way to the tail, on the sides there are patterns in the form of curls, the tail and neck are decorated with rings. Colors of this type include marbled on gold and silver, as well as black marbled.
Tiger Tabby (also known as Tabby or "Mackerel") - A longitudinal stripe runs along the line of the spine, from which thin stripes descend on the sides.
Spotted tabby - spots are located on the back and sides, they stand out against a light background. Their shape can be oblong, oval or round.
Sometimes the tail is also spotted or decorated with open rings.
Source
Characteristic features of the breed
Continuing to work on the Scottish Fold cat breed, geneticists were able to determine the best body parameters that exclude thickening of the caudal vertebrae. Those individuals were selected for breeding that had thin and long tails, and this contributed to the elongation of the body.
Scottish Fold cats have a medium body size. Males gain weight 4–6 kg, females are lighter, their weight ranges from 2.7 to 4 kg. The cat's body is rounded with a strong skeleton and soft fur. Paws of medium height. The cat, a merle-colored Scottish Fold, has a cute round face on a short neck. The eyes are large, round and widely spaced, which is very reminiscent of the eyes of an owlet. They come in a variety of colors, some blue, but the most common are copper shades. The nose is short and gently curved.
This breed has a sociable nature, so it is not at all surprising that the Scottish Fold breed is the 17th most popular breed in the Cat Fanciers Association's registry.
Difficulties of breeding
The tabby color is formed by the dominant T gene, which produces the signs of a brindle pattern: necklaces on the neck, stripes along the body, rings on the tail, and others. Next, the T gene transforms and transforms the variety of patterns on the animal’s body.
Lilac marble is considered the rarest and most difficult to breed.
It is believed that the TbTb gene is responsible for the merle color in Scottish cats, but the main difficulty is that this gene is absolutely recessive, which is why it is capricious in breeding. The difficulty lies in selecting a pair for mating, the individuals in which would contain this recessive gene.
IMPORTANT: the mating must involve one fold and one straight. Mixing two fold-eared Scots can be fraught with congenital hearing impairment.
Color
Scottish Fold cats can have any coat color. There are more than 350 variations. Among them, the main ones are: chocolate, black, purple and blue. Next comes the drawing: tiger, spot and marble. And these are only 24 main options. Minor colors include: white, silver, color-point, smoky, gold, each with its own variations, such as ticked or striped, shaded and others, officially recorded.
Taking into account the above, the Scottish Fold merle cat can have the color black merle, blue merle, chocolate merle, lilac merle, as well as all sorts of variations of merle with patterns.
There is a long-haired Scottish Fold breed. Depending on the registry, it is called Highland Fold, Scottish Fold Longhair, or Cupari. Long hair and thick fur is formed exclusively around the upper thighs, toes, tail and ears.
Solid colors of Scottish breeds
This group of colors is characterized by monotony, patterns, markings and ticking are absent.
- Snow-white. The fur is iridescent, absolutely white. The eyes are the color of amber or heavenly. The standard also allows for different eye colors in an animal. The nose and pads are pinkish.
- Black. The fur fully corresponds to the name, there is no red or grayish tint. The eyes are like amber, the nose and pads merge with the fur.
- Blue. The edge is a cold dark gray shade. Eyes like amber. The nose and pads are the same color as the fur. See photo of Scottish Fold Blue cat.
- Lilac. The fur is a warm soft gray shade, turning into cream. Eyes like amber. The nose and pads are in harmony with the fur (see all photos of the lilac Briton).
- Red. The edge is fiery. The eyes are like amber, the nose and pads match the color of the fur.
- Cream. The hair is light peach. Golden eyes, pinkish nose and pads.
- Cinnamon, cinnamon color. Similar to milk chocolate. The nose and pads are pink-brown.
Features of care
Scottish Fold cats can be either short-haired or long-haired. Therefore, the most important thing in care is to take care of your pet’s coat. It is necessary, using a furminator, to remove fallen hairs from the thick plush undercoat, and also with its help to remove the resulting tangles. Long-haired cat breeds are recommended to be brushed every week. It is not customary to trim Scottish Folds.
Scottish fold marbled cats are not afraid of water. They can wet their paws in the container themselves, but this does not mean that they need to be bathed often. Cats are quite clean and take care of their fur by licking it. If there is a need to bathe your pet, you need to use a special shampoo so as not to cause allergies. Many cats love to swim if they have lived since childhood where there is a pool or natural pond.
Since cats' ears are literally pressed to their heads, they need to be given special attention. The wax that has formed in the ear should be removed. For this procedure, cotton swabs and a special liquid are used, which is sold in veterinary stores.
Pet's habitat
The pet must have a bed or house. When choosing a cozy “cat house” for your cat, you need to make sure that it is not small, but matches her size. Cats do not always sleep curled up in a ball; sometimes they stretch out to their full height, completely relaxing. Only the breed of fold-eared cats likes to sit with their hind legs extended, placing their front legs on their stomachs in the “Buddha pose.”
Since the Scottish Fold marbled cat (her photo is posted in the article) was bred for domestic keeping, she needs “gymnastic equipment” where she can keep herself in shape. These can be all kinds of structures made of wooden sticks and shelves.
To prevent your pet from damaging furniture and upholstery, she must have a scratching post, the height of which would allow her to stretch out to her full height during the procedure. In addition, the claws on the front paws need to be trimmed a couple of times a month by at least 2-3 mm. On the rear, it is enough to shorten once a month. Cats do not like this procedure, so they need to be taught to cut their nails from childhood. Claws are cut only with a special nail clipper, and not with scissors. They can disrupt the tissue structure and injure the claw.
Marbled cat (wild)
This is a wild Asian feline species listed in the International Red Book.
They are larger and heavier than ordinary domestic cats, but not too large - up to 50 cm at the withers. But their tail is unique - very long and resembles a large and thick pipe. The coat is short with an extremely bright and expressive marbled pattern.
Their main habitats are the Himalayas, southeast Asia, Sumatra, Borneo.
It is a nocturnal predator, feeding mainly on insects, rodents and small mammals.
Females usually give birth to kittens 2-3 times a year, several kittens at a time, usually two or three, but sometimes one.
Despite the fact that this species has been under human protection since 2002, no increase in population has yet been observed. The number of marbled cat individuals in the world does not exceed 10 thousand.
Nutrition
To have a healthy pet, a Scottish Fold, you need to take care of its nutrition. From the moment a cat appears in the house, you need to determine what its diet will be. Some owners prefer to feed their pets natural food, others high-quality dry food. What veterinarians do not recommend is mixing food. Having chosen a certain method of feeding, you need to stick to it.
If these are natural foods, then they should include boiled chicken, beef or offal. Fish and liver should only be given to the cat boiled. If your pet likes cereals, you can give rice, millet and oats cooked in broth or milk. Fermented milk products are good for the stomach: low-fat cottage cheese and kefir.
If the choice falls on feeding dry food, you need to choose only premium food. They contain vitamins and microelements. Moreover, food is divided according to age. Young cats need only trace elements, while older cats need supplements for bone tissue and gentle digestion of food.
Health
You need to purchase a kitten only from breeders in order to be absolutely sure that the kitten was born from the correct mating. When choosing a kitten, you need to pay attention to its mobility. He should not be slow in his movements.
The place where the kitten usually sleeps should not be in a draft. He may catch a cold and get bronchitis. Apart from the ears, weak points include the eyes; you need to make sure that they do not water. Wipe them with a special liquid. Veterinarians recommend that your pet be vaccinated in accordance with established standards, before which mandatory deworming is carried out.
