Long-haired Scottish cats: types and characteristics of the content
Scottish Longhair is a very rare breed. The cat has a coat of stunning color. These pets are docile in nature.
Features
Representatives of this breed are original and beautiful. The cat has its own distinctive features. She has a muscular physique, strong limbs. Females weigh less than males, their weight is about 5.7 kg. The tail of cats is long, agile and proportional to the body.
The muzzle is round, the profile is smooth, the cheeks are plump, the cheekbones do not have sharp shapes. Males have too full cheeks. The chin does not protrude, the neck is short, the ears are narrow, have average dimensions. If the ears are large or recumbent, then this is a breed defect. Coloring wool and eye color match. The nose of these animals is short, has a small deflection.
Almost all varieties of coat color are considered standard: bicolor, marble, spotted, monophonic, harlequin, brindle, etc. Unlike other breeds, Scottish cats have a huge range of colors of their wool. The hair is dense and does not adhere to the body. If the wool feels like cotton wool, this is also a disadvantage.
Character description
This breed has a gentle and calm nature. Cats are very intelligent and patient. If the owner is busy with something, the pets will not disturb him. But even with such qualities, cats of this breed, and especially kittens, are too playful, they will not be boring.
These pets are communicative, they like to be among people. Usually cats like to spend time with the youngest in the family. It is only necessary to ensure that children do not accidentally hurt a pet.
Scottish longhair cats can easily get used to changing their surroundings. If other people or animals appear in the house, she will treat them normally. The Scots are calm, friendly and loving, they get along with the rest of their pets, for example, with a dog. Exotic animals cat also takes calmly.
An adult pet will behave with dignity and restraint. Longhair cat will play with other pets and share their food with them.
Even if this breed has a fine temper and calm behavior, These pets can not be scolded or beaten, because you can easily lose the trust of your pet. Pets do not like when someone curses in the house. They need peace, attention and care.
Females of this breed are sensitive to their cubs. Cats raise their kittens on a par with cats.
This breed has several disadvantages.
- Isolation. Cats do not like if someone will invade their personal space. They don't like being petted for too long. Cats like to feel freedom, so the pet owner must respect this need of his pet.
- Grudge. Representatives of this breed do not tolerate acts of violence or humiliation, and therefore cats remember the offenses inflicted by the host. Animals can take revenge on their owner, for example, stripping wallpaper.
- Vulnerability. Long-haired pets are too tender and sensitive, they do not tolerate screams and swearing. If the owner will have a hot-tempered character and will constantly raise his voice, his pet will avoid his owner. This cat must be acquired by people who have a calm and balanced psyche.
Varieties
Lop-eared highland fold.In appearance, these pets may look very large, but in fact they just have a furry coat and a big bone. Therefore, these pets are not obese and overweight. Cats of this breed have such signs.
- The head is round, of medium size, with a chin, cheeks and jaw.
- The body has a small length, it is proportional to the head. The paws are small, have a round shape, they look too shaggy. The mass of an adult pet can reach 7-8.5 kilograms.
- The cat has a distinctive feature - it is her ears. They are always folded. On ears there are single, double, sometimes triple folds, which determine their shape. When kittens reach the age of 3 weeks, they already have folds. Ears are the main characteristic that determines the pedigree of the pet.
- Eyes are located widely, have the big sizes. They are round in shape, so they combine well with the roundness of a pet. The shade of the eye is combined with the shade of the wool. All parts of the muzzle give the cat a surprised expression.
- Cat hair is very soft, light and silky to the touch. The hind legs and breast have a longer coat.
The color of the coat is varied, but there will be no white spots on it and it will not have a purple and chocolate undertone. There is such a color as a color-point - the pet's body color has light colors, and its paws, tail and muzzle have dark shades.
The shade of cat's fur is monotonous, striped, spotty. Least likely to meet a marble shade. The most popular are tortoiseshell, gray, smoky, white and black tones of wool. There are such representatives of the breed, which have such colors as bicolor and tabby.
The rarest coloring is the “rag turtle”. This color can be found only in females. It appears due to the combination of tortoise color and bicolor. In this case, the torso of the animal will have 3 colors. The lower part of the body will have a light shade, and the upper part will have a tortoise tone.
Fluffy fluffy Highland Straight is a rare breed, so these cats can be seen only at exhibitions and in special kennels. These animals have close relatives - these are Persian and British cats. Due to this, the animal has a wool of rare color. A distant ancestor of these breeds is the wildcat, which lived in the XVIII century in the mountains of Scotland.
This breed is usually bred by crossing the Highland Straight with the Highland Fold. If you use a female and a male from the same breed, a genetic pathology may develop. When crossing, kittens may appear that have both erect and hanging ears.
The long-haired cat has a massive, but small body. Its weight varies from 4 to 6 kg. The head has a round appearance, plump cheeks slightly protrude. The forehead is wide, has a small notch near the nose. The eyes of the animals are set wide apart. The hair is long, silk, has many variations of color, each of which can be combined with the eyes.
Ears are medium in size, with rounded ends. The pet has thick paws, so it seems full. But the body itself is not fat, it has medium dimensions.
If pets are properly cared for and maintained, they can live to 21 years. Long-haired cats by nature have good health, they have strong immunity, because they are well resistant to infectious diseases.
How to care?
These animals are gentle creatures, but cats and cats do not require particularly difficult care. It is necessary from time to time to vaccinate, apply antiparasitic agents to the wool, which the veterinarian intends, and also to check animals for the presence of worms, ticks and fleas. If any disease is detected, the cat must be taken to a veterinarian.
Long-haired Scots fade is not very rich, but still cats need to brush their hair with a special brush about 3 times a week. With this, you can rid the pet of unnecessary hair, besides the animal will improve blood circulation. If the period of a molt begins, then it is necessary to use a brush-pukhoderka.
This breed can be bathed no more than 4 times a year. You need to know that this breed is very sensitive, so you can not use regular shampoos, as they cause allergies to cats. For animals, you need to buy special shampoos that soften the hair. After bathing, the pet must be dried with a hair dryer.
For the long-haired Scottish breed you need to buy a good tray and dishes for food. After each dinner, you need to wash the dishes thoroughly, as this cat is neat.
Highland Straight
It is unpretentious in the care. She feels good at home, so she hardly leaves the house. If the pet owner wishes to walk his pet, then the walk should be postponed for cloudy cool weather. This breed does not tolerate heat.
Scottish cats love to be alone, so they need to equip the sleeping room. To do this, can serve as a scraper with a stove bench or an indoor house.
To hygiene procedures include the following actions:
- Scottish cats need to wipe hair around the eyes;
- if there are dirt on the ears, they should be cleaned with a damp cotton pad;
- pets need to brush their teeth about 2 times in 7 days;
- cut the claws monthly.
Highlands are neat cats, so their tray should be away from the food bowl. The room for the toilet of a cat may be a bathroom. Cats should have constant access to their toilet, so the door of the room should always be open.
For a kitten you need to leave the tray to which he was used. His breeders give along with the kitten to the new owner. When the animal grows up, it is necessary to buy a tray that has large sizes and high sides.
You need to buy a filler with large granules, as small ones can stick to the wool. For cats, you can buy absorbent or crumpling filler. No need to purchase flavored products. Due to excess odor, animals will not go to their toilet. The filler should be changed from time to time, and the tray itself should be cleaned.
Highland fold
This pet should be taught to the tray, carry and hygienic procedures. from a young age. Cats and cats feel good at home, but they need to allocate space where the mattress will be located.
For small kittens you need to buy toys such as a mouse, a ball, a small fishing rod. Toys must be safe and free of toxins.
No need to let the cats on an independent walk. Before walking the cat, you need to vaccinate your pet and sprinkle it with a special flea spray.
The coat of this breed is amazing, but do not often need to wash the animal, enough to comb it. When molting occurs, it is possible to use a furminator. It is necessary to bathe a cat of this breed with the use of a special shampoo, which is intended for such pets.
If the pets have tears in their eyes, ears have a plaque, and discharge from the nose, this is a sign of illness. In this case, you must take the pet to the veterinarian. For the prevention of nose, ears and eyes should be periodically inspected and cleaned from secretions. The inner corners of the eyes should be cleaned every other day. For this procedure, you must use a clean cotton pads with a preparation for the care of cat eyes. Do not wipe your eyes with dry cotton.
If there is a slight inflammation, then you need to use disinfectants - hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, boric acid. Ears should be cleaned with a cotton disc, but it is prohibited to insert a cotton disc deep into the ear, otherwise the animal will be injured. Each time you need to use a clean cotton pad.
To clean your teeth from plaque and tartar, you must use specialized tools or hydrogen peroxide.
Claws need to be trimmed carefully, for this procedure applies special tweezers that can be bought at the pet store. Claws will not become stratified, tweezers will not carry an infectious disease. The claws that are located on the front legs, It is necessary to cut it once in 14 days, on its hind legs - once a month. It is forbidden to use ordinary claw shears, as the pet may be injured.
These purebred cats do not have any hereditary diseases, but they can get rickets. It may appear due to calcium deficiency. Cats should be given food that contains it in sufficient quantity.
What to feed?
Scottish long-haired cats need to be given food that is intended for pedigreed pets. These feeds contain all the necessary vitamin and nutritional elements. Cheap feed is better not to buy, as many of them are of poor quality.
No need to pour too much food in a bowl, because cats often overeat. Also in the public domain pet should be a bowl of clean water.
Cats can eat natural food, but you can not feed pets with human food, because the animals will begin to have problems with digestion. No need to dramatically change the diet, it is better to consult with the breeder.
If you give your pet natural food, then the menu should include such products as beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit. You can give some vegetables, eggs and dairy products. Always in the diet should contain vitamin supplements. The list of prohibited foods include pork, boiled potatoes, fish, sweets, fruits, mushrooms.
Some owners of long-haired Scottish cats combine dry food, canned food and treats. The pet will remain healthy, its digestive system will function well.
Scottish longhair cats are the most beautiful pets with a kind and peaceful character. The main thing is to carefully look after such pets and create good conditions for them to live.
More information about the nature of the Scottish cats is described in the video below.