Practically every cat lover secretly wants to get a pet like the Scottish Blue Fold. It is perfect for families with children, and for the elderly. In order to verify this, you should get acquainted with the description of this breed of cats.
Breed history
In one of the versions of the origin of the Scottish Fold cat it is said that it appeared in one of the Scottish villages as a result of a random link between a half-feral tabby cat and an unfamiliar cat. The female kitten had a peculiarity in the form of hanging ears, similar to folded leaves. Her offspring was distributed among friends, and thus, one of the kittens was in the house of Mary Ross from Scotland, who was fascinated by the extraordinary appearance of the animal. She then turned to specialists for advice on the breeding of such a breed of cats.
She crossed her pet with a representative of the British Shorthair breed, and then a cat from their offspring with a British blue cat. Thus, for the first time, an initial sample of a Scottish blue cat with lowered ears was bred.
In another version, the mention of this breed of representatives of the feline world dates back to the XIX century in the work of Charles Darwin, where he writes about the Chinese cat breed with hanging ears.
Characteristic
Representatives of the Scottish Fold breed in some sources can be found under the name Scottish Fold. This variety of cats is quite new, so it is not as common in the world as other breeds of cats. However, this does not make them less popular with pets in all countries. Like any other breed, the Scottish Folds have their own distinctive features:
- harmoniously folded body, having the correct proportions;
- average length of paws with well developed muscular system;
- straight long tail;
- the head has a rounded shape due to plump cheeks;
- the muzzle is not flat, but not particularly elongated;
- round shape of eyes, the color of which differs depending on the color;
- small ears pressed to the head.
If you intend to start a cat in order to exhibit it in future competitions, you should know that, first of all, the judges pay attention to the shape of the ears and tail, but the color and eye color are in second place.
Since this breed of cats is considered relatively young, the signs of a purebred Scottish representative still find a place in the dispute with experts. However, some common features are already ingrained.
- The average weight is from 3 to 6 kg.
- Growth of an adult individual can reach 28-34 cm.
- The World Cat Federation does not have a specific requirement for the color of Scottish Fold cats, but the Association of Cat Lovers does not recognize some of the wool colors: chocolate, lilac-blue and colorpoint.
- Life expectancy is about 13-15 years, but if a cat does not have congenital diseases, then it can live up to 20-23 years.
- Scottish Fold cats have a kind, quiet character, by their nature, they are very indifferent to everything happening around. Lazy by nature, he would give preference to serene sleep in his arms, rather than follow on the heels of the owner. Such a cat will never remain indifferent to the drooping mood of the owner and will definitely come to him in order to console.
- As for their mental abilities, here we should note their ability to quickly get used to the tray and the scraper.
It should be noted that the Scottish Fold cats are not vindictive, but fearful. For this reason, it is not necessary to scream and strongly curse your pet, as this may affect the mental state of the animal. They like to watch the actions of their owners, to be just bystanders. They are not annoying. If they need anything, the animals will just meow softly and not yell at the whole house.
Scottish Fold blue cats easily take root in a new house, and they rather quickly remember what they are forbidden to do and where to climb. Good news for those who want to teach their pet commands, will be the knowledge that Scots quickly and easily master the simplest of the teams.
When traveling, representatives of this breed of cats behave calmly and quietly. Having prepared a comfortable place for a pet, you can easily take it with you to rest - it tolerates trips quite easily. From the owner requires a convenient basket for the transport of animals, pre-prepared tray for coping with natural needs, bowls for water and food.
Color features
Often there are interesting combinations of coat color and eye color. The color of wool can not only vary in different shades, but also strip. There are also representatives whose color combines two shades interspersed with white.
Eye color depends on coat color. For example, amber eye color is found in white, black, blue, cream-colored cats.
And blue eyes are typical for cats with white wool, as well as with a rare blue-point coat color.
There are mixed colors of Scottish lop-eared cats, in which from a light shade the undercoat is a transition to a darker or more saturated color closer to the tips of the fur.
The colors with patterns on wool created by various stripes, round curls and other interesting ornaments of a different color, similar in tone to the main one, are called tabby. Among the Scottish Fold cats with coloring tabby group can be found blue marble cats, which have an unusual coat color. Silver, brown, tiger and tortie tabby colors are also common.
Nutrition and care
Despite the fact that adults of this breed of cats are calm and lazy, at a young age they must be carefully monitored, as the kittens of the Scottish Fold blue cat are vigorous, restless and playful.
For this reason You need to hide in advance various kinds of wires and fragile items that a kitten might like. When choosing bowls for feeding, heavy containers should be preferred so that the baby cannot knock them over. It is necessary to take care of the place to meet its natural needs, so that from the first days the pet learns to go to the toilet only there.
In the house you need to find a place for the rest of the pet and arrange it in advance with a house or bedding. Also need buy a scratching post or do it yourself. To do this, a thick rope must be tightly wrapped around the table legs.
Like any child, Scottish Fold blue kittens are very playful, so you need to buy them a few different toys, otherwise these toys can be the things or shoes of the owners.
Caring for a breed of cats is about the same as for any other cats. At least once every 1-2 weeks you need to comb out his wool, for which you need to buy a special brush designed specifically for this. When bathing (about 1 time in 6 months) in any case it is impossible that water gets into the ears.
Once every two weeks it is necessary to clean the cat's ears, using a twisted cotton pad. Pet claws should be shortened with a special scissors for clipping claws at least once a month. Once every three months, deworming should be carried out, and at the beginning of spring to drive fleas.
It is worth watching the eyes of the animal: if they started to sour, you need to wipe them with a cotton pad dipped in brewed strong black tea. If during the week the condition of the eyes has not improved, then it is necessary to take the pet to the vet.
Scottish Fold blue cats are prone to gaining excess weight. To keep your pet healthy, you need to take seriously his diet. You can feed the representatives of this breed with dry food of the permium class from a trusted manufacturer. Pet stores sell food specialized for a specific breed of cats. They contain all the trace elements necessary for the full development and life of a pet.
Of the usual food, the Scotch can be given chicken and turkey raw, but it must be poured with boiling water.
Also suitable are boiled chicken offal, boiled sea fish, eggs, kefir, ryazhenka, vitamin complexes (after consulting a vet).
For those who decided to buy a kitten Scottish Fold blue cat, you must contact only to proven breeders, who will be able to provide all the documents of the kitten's parents, including those with vaccinations.
An additional testimonial about the Fold Scottish Blue cat can be found in the video below.
