The Scottish Fold

This unique breed of cat was first recognized in the early 1960s when a farmer in Scotland noticed a cat with ears folded forward and downward on her head.  She came to be known as “Susie.”  Interestingly, most but not all of these cats are born with straight ears and around three to four weeks of age, their ears start to fold.  The fold is a result of an incomplete dominant gene caused by a spontaneous genetic mutation.  The Scottish Fold’s ears can fold in one of three ways: single, double or triple fold.  Breeders take caution to select pairs responsibly, otherwise inappropriate selection may result in many health abnormalities in the offspring.

The Scottish Fold is a medium sized cat with a short coat.  Their coats come in many colors ranging from red, silver, black, blue and tabby to even lavender.  These cats are known to adapt very well to their surroundings and tend to be very low maintenance.

Fun Facts about Scottish Folds:

• Taylor Swift is a fan of Scottish Folds, having two, named Olivia Benson and Meredith Grey.
• All Scottish Folds can trace their heritage back to “Susie.”
• The breed has only been in the U.S. for 45 years.

To learn more about Scottish Folds, please visit The Cat Fanciers’ Association webpage.

References:
The Cat Fanciers’ Association     http://www.cfa.org/Breeds/BreedsSthruT/ScottishFold.aspx
Wikipedia    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Fold
Pollard, Michael.  The Encyclopedia of the Cat.  Paragon, 1999.
https://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/guide-to-taylor-swifts-cats-meredith-olivia-and-benjamin/