In 1961a man named William Ross who lived in the Tayside region of Scotland, noticed a cat with unusual ears in his neighbours yard. The cat was a white barn cat named Suzie and her ears were bent forward and her face was round and owl like. Mr Ross excited by the discovery placed an order for a kitten from the cats next litter. Finally two years latter he got his kitten and it had the same folded ears as its mother Suzie, William and his wife Mary called the kitten Snooks.
The folded ear is a spontanious mutation produced by an incomplete dominate gene.
The breed was established by crosses with the British and American shorthairs. These breeds were chosen as outcrosses because they were free from genetic defaults and had good temperaments health and vigour.
Appearance
Scottish Folds are a medium sized, long rounded but well padded body. The have a short dense coat apart fron the long haired variety which has a long and slinky coat.
The legs should strong and in proportion to the rest of the body. The tail should be long flexible and tapering, a short stiff tail is considered a fault.
The head should be well rounded and owl like in appearance. The ears should be folded downwards in a cap like fashion, the tighter the better.
Grooming and general Health
Scottish Folds are easy to feed and care for providing they are wormed and vaccinated regularly. They are not fussy eaters. The shorthaired variety require very little grooming were as the long coated variety may require a quick brush every couple of days.
