With the appearance of a little fluffy Scotsman in the house, a lot of questions arise about the care and nutrition of the baby. In another situation, it is interesting to find out about the character of the cat and the characteristics of its health before deciding to purchase such a miracle.
Who is the Scottish Straight cat, how did he appear and what distinguishes him from the so similar British cat.
And it was like this
On a Scottish farm, almost 60 years ago, a cat named Susie was born. Later, the owner of the farm noticed an amazing feature of the kitten - her ears were bent and smaller than usual. Otherwise, the kitten was no different from its mother.
Over time, the fold-eared cat was noticed by the British scientist William Ross. And he took the girl to him.When Susie became a mother herself, one of her cubs again turned out to be a kitten with drooping ears. Since then, Ross began breeding the breed. Both regular and fold-eared kittens were born in the litter.
As we studied the breed, it turned out that this feature of the ear structure is due to a defective gene. And this gene brings with it health problems, including disability of the animal.
So the breed was banned in Great Britain, and the Scots went to America. There, scientists crossed the Scottish Fold cat with the British Shorthair. The result was kittens with normal ears and drooping ones.
But the latter no longer had a great genetic predisposition to diseases. After all, 2 thirds of their genes were healthy, which means that only minor health features remained - a tendency to diseases of the joints and cardiovascular system.
Scottish fold cat (Scottish fold): reviews - positive and negative
Galina, owner of the Scottish Fold (girls)
It’s so strange, but great human happiness can be bought for very little money. Or even get it for free. Perhaps animals are the only case where this is real. Although from this judgment one might get the opinion that bought a cat = bought love. This is wrong. Love still needs to be earned. And you can earn it only by loving your cat. With the Scots this statement is doubly true, because they are very proud and have a cat's dignity.
Mark, owner of Scottish Fold (girls)
Our cat, when we brought her home, almost immediately raised her tail and began to look around the room. So brave. This breed is very well-mannered, they have good manners in their blood. I got used to the tray from the first days. Now, if the tray is removed, for example, when we wash it, it will scream until the last minute, demanding to return it, but will not shit on the floor.
Marina, owner of a Highland Fold (boy)
If you want a plush that you can cuddle with and hold in your arms all the time, then this cat is not for you. This is an arrogant, proud cat, on his own mind. Doesn't like to sit on hands. He will do something on your order only when it is beneficial for him. And another feature is that when our cat is molting, it is impossible to stay in the house. There are tufts of fur flying everywhere. But this is due to the fact that he is a Scots Longhair. I think there are no such problems with shorthaired Scots. We suffered for the first two years, and then the veterinarian advised us to give the cat vitamins seasonally to strengthen the coat. Now during molts not so much falls out. And the wool looks better.
Peter, owner of Scottish Fold (boy)
There is an opinion that Scottish cats have downright English manners and the same character. I don’t know about others, but my one-year-old Kiryusha is a terrible Skoda. He ignores the scratching post, but tears up the wallpaper and ottoman, rides on the curtains, and eats the flowers. Maybe it's because he's only a year old. Or maybe upbringing. We took him in when he was already grown up - at 5 months. In general, we're having fun for now.
Oksana, owner of Scottish Fold (girls)
What surprised me about my Sonya was that, despite her plush appearance, she didn’t really want to be held. It was so at 2 months, it was so at six months, and it is so now when we are 2 years old. I thought it was just her peculiarity. But it turned out that this breed, in general, is not particularly tame. They would rather sit next to their owner than in his arms. If you can come to terms with this fact, then you will be happy. In all other respects, these cats are very cute creatures who love their owners, follow them all the time - true friends. And their habits are more like dogs.
Katerina, owner of Highland Fold (girls)
They say that Scottish cats are good because they have a calm temperament and they mature late, at about a year. I want to dispel this myth. For example, my 5-month-old girl asked for a cat. And she asked him in a way that the cat who lived with us before her had never asked - a mixture of a Persian and a stern Norwegian. In short, she howled so much that we immediately understood: we need to sterilize her. But to say that such a temperament is something that can turn a cat away is wrong.
Oleg, owner of Scottish Fold (boy)
We became the owners of a fold-eared cat with erect ears. It turns out that if you take a fold-eared cat younger than two months, you can end up in a situation where his ears stand up. Some cats have this peculiarity: the lop ear gene is present, but the ears still stand up. My wife and I really wanted the fold, but we still love our Lord very much, despite his erect ears.
Dina, owner of Scottish Fold (boy)
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I would like to share a problem that is typical for Scots. This is urolithiasis. When we were about 2 years old, we suddenly stopped going to the litter box and started urinating nearby. The first time we scolded our cat, and then we saw blood in his urine and realized that the matter was serious. We took him to the vet and they gave us a disappointing diagnosis. They prescribed a course of treatment and a strict diet. I managed to enter a state of remission in just a few days. Now we keep our finger on the pulse all the time and do not deviate from the diet.
Sasha, owner of Highland Fold (girls)
The Scottish cat is an inexhaustible source of positivity, a direct generator of it. These cats love to purr and chatter, so we can conclude that they are always comfortable. They talk constantly. Sometimes to the point of obsession. But they don’t like to be held in their hands and, despite their positive attitude, they are quite nervous. That is, even to ordinary sounds they sometimes react too timidly. And since the breed is also non-aggressive, I would not let it out into the street - it will definitely be offended by someone.
Nastya, owner of Scottish Fold (girls)
Fold owners should understand one thing: floppy ears are the result of unfortunate genetic mutations that affect not only the ears, but also the musculoskeletal system. Our Marquise has dysplasia. She's limping. And she feels uncomfortable jumping. The vet said that she is not in pain yet, but there is already discomfort. These cats need lifelong treatment and diet. Unfortunately, this cannot be cured. If our breeder had been conscientious, then perhaps such a problem would not have arisen. The fact is that many breeders do not do genetic tests for cats that will participate in breeding. I wouldn’t even call such people breeders. So, they just got cats and do what they see fit, without having any theoretical basis in their heads. And then such cats end up in advertisements for sale. And the worst thing is that it is impossible to determine from a kitten whether he will get sick or not, because such problems often develop with age. Buy kittens only from professional nurseries!
Olesya, owner of Scottish Fold (boy)
It is not true that Scottish cats have an angelic character. Not everyone. Everything is very individual. As our Martin grew up, he began to turn into a real robber - he constantly hunted our feet, tore off the wallpaper. And he only started pooping on the floor, although he used to go to the litter tray. No measures helped. We found out from our cat-loving friends, it turned out that many cats have this problem - from a certain age they simply refuse to go to the litter box. And he likes to sit in his arms only when he comes, and this happens very rarely. But we love him for who he is.
Svetlana, owner of Scottish Fold (boy)
When we adopted our cat, we didn’t know that floppy ears come at a great price for this breed. Only later did we find out that this was a serious genetic mutation, which first happened by accident, and then the breeders fixed it. As a teenager, we noticed that our Larch had a funny gait and slightly crooked paws. At first they didn’t attach any importance to this, they thought it was a feature of the breed. But then he gained weight (after castration) and began to limp. Now he is on lifelong medication and diet. And the most annoying thing is that we spent a long time choosing a cat and took him from a certified breeder who crossed champion parents. But just like that, it turned out that none of the Scottish Fold cats are immune from dysplasia.
What is the difference between straight and british
As a result of this crossing, 2 new cat breeds appeared: Scottish Fold - fold; and Scottish Straight - straight-eared.
Only the Straights have long been classified as British due to their external similarity and genetic relatedness. Until in 2004 the differences between the breeds were recognized and the Scottish Straight breed was officially registered.
Differences between breeds in the following indicators:
- Scots are lighter and slimmer;
- The British have a more “knocked down” skeleton;
- the childish expression of the face remains in the animal’s adulthood, unlike the British. This is due to the different structure of the skull and the position of the nose;
- The muzzle is more rounded in Scottish cats.
Character
Scottish Straights are distinguished by their flexible character. They are very smart and not aggressive. Cats quickly become attached to the house and to their owners, having chosen one favorite. They do not like to be left alone and, if possible, are not averse to jumping into a person’s arms. At the same time, they will not impose their company if they see that the owner is not inclined to communicate.
New people in the house do not scare them, although sometimes cats want to be sad alone, then they climb into a quiet place. The voice of the Scottish Straight can not be heard often, they do not hysteria, do not meow loudly, except when begging for a treat.
The owner does not have to worry about the safety of the furniture and the cleanliness of the carpet: “Scottish dogs” are very clean and polite, they quickly get used to the tray and scratching post and indifferently walk past the soft sofa without putting their claws into it.
Straight-eared “Scots” easily get along with children and other animals, without showing any aggression or jealousy. They easily tolerate moving, changing home, familiar surroundings, and if due to circumstances they are forced to change owners, they quickly adapt to the new environment.
In a word, cats of this breed can be called ideal. The main thing is that there is food in the bowl and favorite toys on the rug.
Description of the breed
Scottish Straight is a cat of small build - 3.5 - 5 kg, with a plush sherish and large eyes.
After the official announcement of the breed, animal standards were established. The cat must meet these standards in order to be called a Scottish Straight and participate in exhibitions.
WCF Standards:
- the body is slightly elongated, muscular;
- the weight of an adult male is 4-5 kg, females 3.5-4.5 kg;
- paws - large, with developed muscles;
- neck - short, muscular;
- the head is large, with a rounded structure of the skull; convex forehead and voluminous cheeks;
- ears - small in size, triangular in shape; set wide, looking up;
- eyes - wide open, round in shape;
- wool - short, plush; the undercoat is thick;
- The color of the iris is orange, blue, depending on the color.
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Breeding Features
If you decide to consider Scottish Straight breeding as a business, then you need to better understand this topic, as you may encounter some problems:
- In any case, the owner will spend money on maintaining any animal, whether purebred or not. And purebred cats can be more capricious than ordinary ones. It is more difficult for them to adapt to the environment; it is obligatory to use special feed and vitamins for them. They also require additional care - purebred pets must be regularly shown to the veterinarian, given the necessary vaccinations and various procedures to ensure impeccable health and appearance.
- Buying an animal is one of the main expenses. A purebred kitten is purchased at a club or at an exhibition. The kitten must be accompanied by documentation confirming its pedigree; the kitten itself is marked in a special way to prevent forgery of documents. Therefore, the cost of such animals is an order of magnitude higher than the cost of their outbred counterparts.
Such a business does not require any licensing. You just need the cat's pedigree to be documented. A metric - a cat's birth certificate - can be issued at a special breeders club. Without these documents, kittens will not be valuable.
If you already have a purebred cat and want to breed it, you can look for a partner on the Internet on certain sites or contact a breeders club.
Video: breeding purebred cats
Selection rules
Scottish Straight kittens can only appear as a result of crossing Scottish Straight and Scottish Fold individuals.
Unscrupulous breeders may not cull kittens in order to earn more money.
Keep in poor conditions or feed with cheap food. All these factors can affect the health of the animal. And bringing a pet home, instead of joy, it can bring sadness and treatment costs.
Therefore, it is worth knowing what to look for when choosing a kitten:
- Activity. The baby should be active, playful and cheerful. If he huddles in a corner, it is important to recognize whether he is cowardly or whether he is simply sick.
- Appetite. Everything is clear here - eating well means being healthy.
- The ears and under the tail are clean.
- Eyes. Eye discharge is normal for this breed until it turns color. Therefore, remember - if the eyes are watery, this is a feature of the breed, and if they turn sour or discharge of any color appears, this is a sign of illness or inflammation.
- The tummy is soft.
- Each cub in the nursery must have a veterinary passport with all vaccinations and anthelmintic procedures.
- Pedigree, if any.
IMPORTANT! The purchase of a kitten must be made under a sales contract.
Feeding
The high adaptability of cats to different conditions made Highland Folds absolutely unpretentious to food. They eat whatever is offered: canned food, natural or dry. But breeders recommend sticking to a natural diet. At the same time, it is necessary to monitor the variety, completeness and balance of the diet.
A representative of the Highland Fold breed will need frozen meat, fish, cereals, vegetables, vegetable oil and dairy products. It is absolutely unacceptable to feed cats human food. Periodically it is necessary to supplement the diet with vitamins and minerals. This is especially true when it comes to molting. The purebred Highland Fold, curious and sociable, looks at the world with wide open eyes, which are in touching harmony with his ears pressed to his head and a fluffy cloud of fur. Such a pet will not throw a tantrum and will not make a scandal. The positivity emanating from a cat will cope with any stress in the owner’s life.
Photos of Scottish Straights
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