By Punkin & Raven
First discovered in a barn near Coupar Angus in Scotland, the Scottish fold is best known for their distinctive folded ears, which are the result of a spontaneous natural mutation. The ears fold forward and downward, and the resulting impression of a "wide-eyed owl" or "cuddly teddy bear" has captured the hearts of many cat lovers. In addition to their characteristic ears and unique look, folds are mellow and affectionate, perfect for folks who want a loving companion that�s not too active.
 In 1961, Scottish shepherd William Ross noticed a cat with unusual folded ears at a neighbor�s farm near Coupar Angus in the Tayside Region of Scotland. This first fold, Suzie, was a white barn cat of unknown parentage. Realizing the uniqueness of the cat�s ears, Ross and his wife, Mary, acquired one of Suzie�s kittens a year later, a white female named Snooks.
The Rosses started a breeding program with Snooks and worked to establish the new breed. At first, they called the breed �lop-eared,� like the rabbit. British shorthairs were used to strengthen and enlarge the gene pool. The Rosses began showing and registering their unique cats with the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF). Other breeders got involved and by the end of the decade the breed was renamed the Scottish fold.
 THE BIG CATS Are they overgrown pussycats, the figment of over-active imaginations, or something much closer to jungle reality? The mystery surrounding Scotland's big cats has grown to Nessie proportions. Now experts claim there may be 50 of them prowling the countryside. The history of the big cats in Scotland can be traced back to the 1920's when three lynxes were killed in traps set at individual points in the Highlands. THE number of reported sightings of so-called big cats in Scotland is expected to reach 1,000 within a matter of weeks following a record number of cases logged this summer. Although a group compiling a database of sightings of non-native cats such as pumas, panthers and lynxes is calling for legislation to protect them, the existence of the animals in Scotland remains a matter of disbelief in most official circles. |