Scottish Fold

The Scottish Fold is easily identifiable by its defining trait – its folded ears.  The Scottish Fold cat’s ears bend forward and down towards their face, making it look a little like an owl.  This is caused by a gene mutation which makes the ear cartilage fold.  However, not all kittens born to  a Scottish Fold have this trait, and they are all born with straight, non-folded ears.  The ears of those who have inherited the mutated gene will begin to bend over in the first 3 – 12 weeks of life.

The first “official” documented Scottish Fold cat was Susie, a farm cat in Perthshire (now Tayside), Scotland.  Two of Susie’s kittens inherited the folded ear gene.  One of these kittens was taken by a neighbor, William Ross, in 1961.  Ross, who was a “Cat Fancier“, registered the breed and began a Scottish Fold breeding program.  All Folds are descended from Susie.

The Fold is a mid-sized cat, with a rounded, plush appearance, and wide set eyes.  They can be long or short-haired, and almost any coat color.

The same gene which leads to the folded ear can also be the cause of malformed bone structure, causing severe joint disease in those affected.  The chances of this occurring are greatly reduced when two Folds are not bred together, which is why ethical breeders will only breed Scottish Folds with non-Folds – usually choosing American or British Shorthairs.  This of course means that there will be less Folds in every litter.  As it’s impossible to breed the ear fold consistently, and it takes time to determine if the ear has folded at all, the demand for the Scottish Fold is always high – and the price generally reflects that.  The fact that they are known for being sweet, affectionate pets, and that Fold kittens are exceptionally adorable has only increased their popularity.