Scottish Fold: Cat Food and a Description of the Breed
Bei der Schottischen Faltohrkatze (Englisch: Scottish Fold) handelt es sich um eine britische Katzenrasse, die heute allerdings vor allem in den USA gezüchtet wird. Die mittelgroßen Tiere verfügen aufgrund einer genetischen Anomalie über nach vorne geknickte Ohren, denen sie neben ihrem charakteristischen Erscheinungsbild auch ihren Namen verdanken.
The Scottish Fold is a British cat breed, which today is mainly bred in the USA. Due to a genetic anomaly, these medium-sized animals have forward bent ears, which give them their name as well as their characteristic appearance.
History of the Scottish Fold
Cats that have folded ears due to genetic anomalies have been around for a long time. In China, for example, they were already known in the 19th century, and in Great Britain they also existed in the early 20th century.
However, the targeted breeding of the Scottish Folded Eared Cat only started in the 1960s. At that time there was a mating between a male with folded ears and a female British Shorthair, which resulted in a litter of five cats with folded ears.
The British GCCF (Governing Council of the Cat Fancy) recognized the Scottish Fold as a separate breed in 1966. However, the four-legged cats proved to be extremely susceptible to ear mites and hearing problems, so the stud book was closed after about five years.
Since then, the Scottish Fold has been bred mainly in the USA, where it was recognized as a breed by the CFA (Cats Fanciers' Association) in 1978 and is still very popular today. Furthermore, the Scottish Fold is currently bred in Russia, Germany and Australia, among others.
Appearance of the Scottish Fold
The Scottish Fold is a small to medium sized cat breed with a maximum body length of 55 centimetres. Female specimens can reach a weight of up to four kilograms, while males can weigh up to six kilos.
The breed has a strong body and quite short legs. Its outer appearance is considerably influenced by its forward bent ears. This characteristic feature develops about three to four weeks after birth.
The Scottish Fold belongs to the shorthair cats. Its coat is dense and consists of a luxuriant undercoat and soft top coat. Apart from Chocolate, Lilac and Siam-Point the coat of the Scottish Folding Eared Cat may show almost all colours.
The long-haired variety of the Scottish Fold
Beside the short-haired Scottish Fold there is also a long-haired variant of the folding ear cat, the Highland Fold. For this the four-legged cats are not mated with the British Shorthair, but with the British Longhair.
Character of the Scottish Fold
The Scottish Fold is a quiet and trustful flatmate. Although it does not allow itself to be impressed by a restless environment, it prefers a quiet home, which always offers it retreat possibilities.
The Scottish Fold appreciates stroking and playing together with its owner very much. Compared to other cats, however, she does not tend to follow her owner's every move or demand his attention.
In comparison to the extremely communicative Siamese the Scottish Folded Eared Cat hardly has the need to communicate by meowing.
Keeping and care of the scottish fold
The Scottish Fold distinguishes itself through a quiet and friendly nature. It’s not overly affectionate, so that the Scottish Fold is also a good choice for working cat owners. However, in this case it is advisable to keep her together with another cat.
Regardless of this, the clever four-legged creatures need plenty of employment opportunities in the form of cat toys where they can demonstrate their intelligence and dexterity.
In contact with children, The Scottish Fold proves to be peaceful and patient in the normal case. However, in a family with children it should be possible for it to withdraw at any time.
Although the Scottish Fold is a happy indoors cat, they are happy to get a little exercise or to stay on a cat-safe balcony.
Taking care of the cat’s fur is usually simple and occasional brushing is normally sufficient. The cat’s ears are quite sensitive and should therefore be cleaned regularly and gently.
The Scottish Fold’s Diseases
The bent ears of the Scottish Fold are caused by a genetic defect. In some cases this can affect the shape of the ears as well as the health of the joints.
With advancing age, affected cats suffer increasingly from pain and restrictions in mobility up to paralysis. The risk of such problems is particularly high in the offspring from the mating of two folding ear cats.
For this reason it is common among serious breeders that they do not breed the animals purebred, but always mate a Scottish Faltohrkatze with a British Shorthair. Because even if the litters are not exclusively made up of folded eared cats, the risk of genetic diseases can be reduced considerably.
Life expectancy of the Scottish Fold
The life expectancy of the Scottish Fold is between 12 and 17 years.
The right food for the Scottish Fold
A balanced and appropriate diet contributes significantly to a long and healthy cat life. As the breed has a tendency to be overweight, it’s important to pay attention to correct portion sizes.
With our high quality wet and dry food for cats you will find that you are feeding your Scottish Fold correctly. All varieties are characterised by a high content of animal proteins and the renunciation of grains and artificial additives. You can therefore be sure that the food of your Scottish Fold not only tastes good, but also does good.
In order to optimally support the well-being of your Scottish Fold, we recommend the following additional products from our range:
- Ear Care Drops for the gentle cleaning of the sensitive folded ears
- Joint & Bone Capsules as support for a functioning locomotor system
- Dental powder to prevent tartar and caries in your Scottish Fold
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