This breed of cat was first discovered in Scotland in 1961 by Scottish shepherd William Ross. Ross found a kitten with folded ears and named her Susie. Susie’s mother had normal-shaped ears, but the father was unknown. Ross then adopted a white kitten from Susie’s litter and began to breed her with local farm cats and British Shorthairs in order to establish this lop-eared feline breed. However, in 1977, British geneticist Oliphant Jackson reported that one-third of kittens from the breeding of folded-eared cats developed osteodystrophy, a skeletal lesion.
This cat likes to sit on people’s laps or next to them. They have a sweet temperament and a quiet voice. This cat enjoys sitting up on its hind legs, which looks like an otter, or flopping on its back when taking a nap. This cat does not enjoy being home alone and benefits from being paired with another pet or another cat. This cat adjusts to new surroundings relatively easily, is somewhat playful, and welcomes the company of children and family dogs.
Shorthaired cats only need to be groomed once or twice a week with a steel comb. Longhaired cats need to be groomed three to four times a week to remove dead hair and prevent mats from forming.
The typical lifespan of a Scottish Fold is about 15 years. They can have some health problems, like other breeds of animals. One health problem they can have is degenerative joint disease. This happens more often in the tail, so if stiffness is noticed, be careful.
