Breed Breakdown – Scottish Fold

APPEARANCE: There most apparent feature is their small tightly folded ears. The ear flap is folded forward and downward, completely covering the ear opening. They are a medium, solid build cat usually weighing between 3-6kgs. Their short dense coat comes in a wide range of colour combinations.

TEMPERAMENT: They are sweet, gentle and affectionate cats. Good with children and other pets. They like to follow people around and are very talkative but in a soft, small voice.

AVERAGE LIFE SPAN: 12-15 years

MAINTENANCE: They are low shedding and their short coat doesn’t require any special care only a semi-regular brush to remove dead hairs. Their folded ears can be hard for them to self clean so owners need to regularly check their ears and sometimes clean them. They should be fed a good quality diet at the right amount to avoid obesity.

SUITS: Most households as they are easy to get along with and adapt to most situations.

INTERESTING FACT: Not all Scottish Folds have folded ears, some have normal pointed ears. These are often known as Scottish Shorthairs and are very significant in the breeding of the folded ear types.

HEALTH NOTE: The unusual folded ears is caused by a genetic defect, known as Osteochondrodysplasia. It effects the formation of cartilage, not only in the ears but can occur throughout the body. It leads to the development of arthritis, inflammation and pain, which can reduce the cats quality of life and requires ongoing pain management or treatment.

Originally published in My Pet Magazine Spring 2015.

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