Scottish chinchilla: color variations, character and conditions of the cats

Scottish cat breed leaves little to indifferent. Possessing an aristocratic appearance and huge eyes, it is a decoration of cat shows and breeders pride. The material of this article will acquaint readers with the features of the appearance of these pets, talk about their varieties, and also focus on the key nuances of the content of funny plush cats.

The breed of Scottish chinchillas is considered young, the color is artificially bred, it originated from long-haired Persians. Color, like the behavior of the animals themselves, is in many ways similar to the British relatives. At the time of breeding, the breeders took for breeding British cats, including those with chinchilla coloration, to expand the gene pool. The name "chinchilla" bred cats borrowed from the color of small rodents.

The Scots family tree with a chinchilla fur coat originates from 1959, when a small kitten with dangling ears, called Suzy, was born on one of the Scottish farms. His mother was a British cat. After some time, the kitten came to the breeders William Ross and his wife Mary, who specialized in breeding British.

In 1691, as a result of breeding, a baby was born to a lop-eared cat, which was named Snooks. After 5 years (in 1966) the breed was officially registered in the GCCF. As a result of selection to the light, not only lop-eared (Scottish Fold), but also straight-line kittens (Scottish Straight) were born.

Breeders carried out mating and two lop-eared individuals, but as a result of it babies with diseases of the musculoskeletal system appeared. Skeletal bones suffered from such a mutation, as a result of which the joints thickened and were short, and the spine also grew together.

For this reason, felinologists decided not to breed. Therefore, the breeders at one time engaged in breeding straight-Scots. A little later, geneticist Neil Todd joined the selection work, who, together with other breeders, eliminated the negative consequences of breeding, while retaining the luminance. The solution to the problem was the selection of individuals for mating: folds were crossed with strikes. This is how the chinchilla Scotsman appeared, which is still the reference standard of the breed.

European breeding was based on mating with short-haired British, which is why these representatives of the feline family have a more massive skeleton and not very big ears pressed to their heads. The cats were admitted to the exhibitions already in 2004, and it is still forbidden to cross two fold animals.

The appearance of the Scottish chinchilla is unique, so those who decide to have a kitten of this breed, often choose a baby for a long time. Chinchillas are called cats and cats of the breed with silver shaded fur, although to date, plush aristocrats may have other colors. Appearance is different ears: they can be straight and hung down, while pointing forward and tightly pressed to the face.

Besides the Scots, chinchilla color possess the British and Persians. The standard prescribes clear requirements for appearance: the body of these cats differs in medium size, it is compact with a wide bone. The dorsum of the specimens is straight, the paws are not long but powerful, have round pads. The tail of the Scottish chinchilla is thick and fluffy, but at the same time proportional to the body.

The shapes of the cats are round, representatives of the breed weigh an average of 3 to 7 kg, height at withers can reach up to 30 cm. The length of the fur in these pets can reach 12 cm, and in the fur coat there are a lot of thin and silky hairs, the wool is rather thick and dense. A large number of individuals have a characteristic collar on the neck and shoulders. Among individuals there are individuals with a short length of fur coat. The vital resource usually does not exceed 10–15 years.

The head of the Scottish chinchilla with blue or green eyes is spherical, the forehead is convex, the cheeks are full, and the whisker pads are embossed. The eyes of the representatives of the breed are large and wide open. The neck is not long, ears are compact, have a high landing. Their ends in lop-eared cats are divorced to the sides, at the tops they are pointed in females and rounded in males.

Chinchilla color can be divided into two varieties.

• Ticked. Abyssinian or ticked coat implies coloring each hair according to the gradient principle. In fact, the hair is colored in several tones and when moving the animal creates the effect of color in a different color.

At the same time ticking is not observed on the chest, abdomen and inner sides of the paws. The outline of the eyes of many cats is black. Silver chinchillas are often born with this color, but the color can vary. For example, some representatives of the breed have an almost white silver shade, others - golden or bluish-golden. In this case, the golden color of chinchillas is rare, there are still tipped golden kittens more expensive than any other fellow of their breed.

• Shaded. The shaded color is different from the ticked one: if in a ticked color of cats it is allowed to dye the hair 1/8 the length. Here the hair can be painted in a specific color for no more than 1/3 of the entire length. The shading may be different: in addition to the use of silver, gold or red shades, their combination may be allowed. For example, a shaded color can combine a golden fur coat with a creamy undercoat or a combination of a silver fur coat with a white fluff.

By the nature of the Scottish chinchilla - it's aristocrats. Do not translate their own principles, they do not descend to conflicts with other pets living in the house. Quite sociable and peace-loving cats prefer to get along with everyone, including dogs. However, if the need for protection arises, these cats will be able to stand up for themselves without much help.

The Scottish chinchillas prefer not to show their affection. They do not allow themselves to be intrusive, they are discreet in nature, they do not like excessive squeezing. To some, these pets may seem phlegmatic, but, despite their seeming indifference, they rarely refuse to be able to play with both the owner and his children.

They are rather patient, they can wait for their master and miss him in his absence. Having missed, pets can go for the owner in anticipation of their portion of attention.

Chinchillas of this type are characterized not only by royal appearance, but also by exceptional intellect. They very quickly understand the rules established in the house, adapt to everything, including the lifestyle of the owners.Being inquisitive by nature, they often sit on the windowsill, considering what is happening on the street. If they have their own toys, they will always find something to occupy their time in the absence of the household.

Unlike many other members of the feline family, Scottish chinchillas can not stand the stuffiness and lack of fresh air. The optimum temperature for them is the range from +21 to +25 degrees. It is possible to bathe Scots no more than four times a year, using zoo shampoo. Water temperature should not exceed +40 degrees, to improve the quality of the coat after shampoo, you can use air conditioning.

After bathing the cat must be placed in a warm place, wipe it with a towel and dry the wool. You can dry the coat with a hairdryer if the animal is not afraid of it.

If an animal categorically does not want to bathe, for washing it is better to get dry shampoo in the form of powder, spray or foam. With this type of washing, the cat is first combed, then the agent is applied, after which the coat is again passed with a comb. Brush clean hair with either a regular brush or a furminator.

The second comb is a kind of comb with a trimmer. It is especially necessary for a cat during its molt. The furminator is selected according to the length of the coat and the size of the pet. And when buying pay attention to the frequency of teeth, which is important for a dense and thick fur coat.

Cutting cats of this breed is undesirable for aesthetic reasons. Given that the claws of the Scottish chinchillas do not grind, they have to shear off. This is done with a special device - a claw cutter, cutting off the keratinous part of the claw by no more than 1.5 mm. When injuring the living part of it is treated with hydrogen peroxide.

In addition to the care of claws, it is important to monitor the hygiene of the ears and eyes of chinchillas. Given that pets of this breed are prone to tearing, they often oxidize the discharge from the eyes, acquiring a brownish tint. It is necessary to clean them with wet gauze dipped in warm boiled water. As they become soiled, their ears are cleaned, removing the sulfur deposit with a cotton swab with vegetable oil or hygienic lotion.

It is also necessary to monitor oral hygiene. Scots are often inflamed gums, so brushing your teeth is a mandatory step care. It is necessary for the pet to brush its teeth at least once a week, both from the outside and from the inside. As a brush for cleaning use a nozzle on a finger or a special brush. If the cat categorically refuses to brush his teeth, he is wrapped in a cloth, in the extreme case, cleaning is replaced by chewing pillows to clean the teeth.

Timely preventive examinations and vaccinations are important. The kitten gets to the owner already vaccinated, but the further introduction of vaccines is determined by the vet, giving the baby an adaptation to a new place for about two weeks. Periodically, cats are given a complex vaccine and are given antiparasitic drugs. Prevention of worms is performed 1 time per quarter.

Chinchilla Scots are fed with premium industrial feed. For example, breeders are considered good products. Fitmin For Life, Brit Care, Summit, Blitz, Leonardo. However, some owners believe that industrial fodder alone is not enough to ensure the cats normal growth and development.

Therefore, often in the nutritional diet of their pets include lean meat (say, boiled chicken or offal). You can also add greens and vegetables to food, combining them with meat. Someone feeds fluffy pets with quail eggs and lean sea fish.

Food should be balanced, age appropriate cats. If natural food is chosen as the basis of feeding, it is necessary to give sour milk products to the cat.Regardless of the type of feed, the animal should always have a bowl of clean water. In the early days of a kitten it is better to feed the usual food (which he ate in the nursery). On the other nutritious diet, it must be transferred gradually.

Grass is needed to get rid of wool, which settles in the stomach after the cat licks itself. It is undesirable to mix feeds, because this helps digestion of the pet. In addition, it can result in poor absorption of useful substances. Babies are fed 5 times a day, adult cats - no more than two or three.

Breeding chinchillas is accompanied by difficulties. The color during breeding is poorly supported; moreover, it is not so easy to find a partner due to the small number of specialized nurseries. For mating, you can pick a British silver or gold color.

If in the future the cat will not take part in exhibitions, you can bring the pet with the Persians. Individuals who will take part in exhibitions, need a special partner, in his search will have to contact the nursery.

It is possible to start mating a cat after estrus, but at the same time its minimum age should be at least one and a half years. As for the frequency of mating, experienced breeders note that it is impossible to pair it with a cat at each estrus. The next estrus in a cat may occur immediately after giving birth (approximately on the fourth day). If there is a cat next to him, he needs to be cleaned so that neither he nor the cat itself accidentally injures tiny kittens. The minimum interval between the mating, according to experts, is 4-5 months. After mating, the female's behavior changes, she becomes sleepy and relaxed. The stomach begins to grow about a month after talking to the cat.

The duration of pregnancy in cats is 9 weeks. Two months after the birth of kittens they draw up a passport.

To do this, go to a special club that can issue such documents. Documentation is required for the legal breeding of chinchillas and their sale. If the breeder is not interested in breeding Scots, the cat is castrated or sterilized.

About 5 facts of the Scottish Chinchilla breed, see below.