Cats with folded ears were first mentioned a long time ago, but that information was sketchy. This breed didn't receive further development until the 20th century when in 1961 a white cat was born to the Scottish farmer McCrae in the town of Perthshire; the cat attracted attention by the white coat color and, above all, by the absence of ears. They were close to the head. The cat was very interesting outwardly, except for the pressed-in ears, she had large round eyes and a rounded muzzle. They gave her the name Susie and made her their favorite pet. It was she who laid the foundation for a new breed of felines.
The birth of Scottish Folds as a breed.
The decision to work with the new breed was already made by the breeders of British cats, the Ross family; they had one of the descendants of Susie as a pet. Together with geneticists, they compiled a breeding program for their cattery, aimed at creating a new breed, which they called the Scottish Fold, and that was officially registered in 1966 in the United Organization of Cat Lovers.
Initially, they tried to mate with folded cats to get more kittens with folded ears, but it turned out that the folding gene is a mutation, and such a combination can have negative consequences for the health of the litter. The kids were susceptible to osteochondrodysplasia, a genetic disease.
Due to this fact, the breeding of Scottish Folds was banned in the UK, and it moved to the United States, where breeders began to look for ways to improve, enhance the exterior, conduct strict selection not only for breed data but also for the health and character of these animals. The Scottish Folds were mated with Persians, Exotics, and American Shorthairs. Hence such a variety of colors and long-haired Scottish variations appeared. Now Scottish Folds and Scottish Straights (straight-eared) are involved in the development of the breed, only in a combination of straight-fold. Fold-fold mating is prohibited! Therefore, a pet must be carefully chosen and only in officially registered catteries.
Scottish Straight
Nowadays, the Scottish Fold breed is registered in almost all felinological systems, but the Scottish Straights are less fortunate, they are still not recognized in the CFA, however, 4 species are registered in the WCF system including Scottish Fold, Scottish Straight, and
their long-haired variations. Each system has adopted standards that animals have to meet, especially those that go into breeding and will participate in the breeding program of the cattery. In addition to the international standard, such animals have to correspond to the character of the Scottish Folds. If a Scottish Fold kitten is shy, afraid of people, but at the same time has outstanding breed data, then it will not receive high marks from the judges because they evaluate not only external data but also the behavioral characteristics of animals. Consider every aspect of a breeder's job by asking the question of the cost of a Scottish Fold kitten. And don't be surprised at the price they tell you. After all, the best animals in health, exterior, and character are always left to work in the cattery. So each cattery contributes to the development and improvement of the Scottish Fold breed.
