General Description

The unique folded ears of the Scottish Fold give it a look reminiscent of an owl. The tightly folded ears fit closely to the skull resulting in a cap-like appearance. Big, round shoe-button eyes open up the face in the rounded head. A sturdy body is covered with padding resulting in a solid feel to this medium-sized cat. The folded ear is a spontaneous mutation and comes from an incompletely dominant gene that results in both folded and straight-eared cats.

History

The first Scottish Fold, found in 1961 by shepherd William Ross, was a barn cat named Susie who lived in Scotland. Folds have since developed into a round and beautiful family lap cat with wonderful temperaments. Susie was a solid white longhaired female and the cat fanciers bred her to various breeds like Persians, American Shorthairs, Exotic Shorthairs and even Burmese to achieve the round sweet look of the Scottish Folds we have grown to love today. Every Scottish Fold alive today can trace his or her ancestry back to the original Susie. Today TICA Scottish Fold breeders are allowed to use the British Shorthair and the American Shorthair in their breeding programs.

Personality

Scottish Folds are intelligent, inquisitive, and are loyal to their family. They tend not to hide around the house or be shy, but rather they will always be around, even following you from room to room. Some learn cute antics like how to open cabinet doors and take a look inside and they can even be trained to play fetch. Most love to drink from running water, and some eat and drink with their paws. Most folded eared Folds sit up like prairie dogs to have a look around when they hear something. One of the cutest things is to see a Fold sitting up like a human which to many in the Fold world is referred to as “the Buddha sit”…they look like they need a remote control and a lounge chair. This breed gets along well with both children and, once properly introduced, other family pets as well. Scottish Folds today are carefully bred by experienced breeders to produce healthy happy kittens for you to enjoy for a lifetime.

Traits

Scottish Folds come in all colors and patterns of the Traditional and Pointed Divisions as well as long hair and short hair varieties. All eye colors can be found, but copper eyes are the most common color. Scottish Folds have round faces, round eyes and round bodies. They are a medium sized cat with medium boning. What makes them so very unique are those cute little folded ears that fold forward and tightly enough to fit the cap of their heads so as to look like an owl from a distance. Did you know that all Scottish fold kittens are born with straight ears? Yes, they look like every other newborn kitten, until between 18 and 24 days their ears fold but only if they carry the gene that causes the fold in the ears. Normally 50% of the litter will fold and the rest are what breeders call straight eared Folds who are just as wonderfully sweet and are usually a bit less expensive too!

General Description

The Scottish Breed Group is made up of four breeds…The Scottish Fold, longhair and shorthair and the Scottish Straight, longhair and shorthair. These can all be born in the same litter as one another and are identical except that the ears of the Scottish Straight are normal, upright ears and the Scottish Fold ears are folded forward and down. Both Scottish Folds and Scottish Straights have the same structural features and personalities. The unique folded ears and large expressive eyes of the Scottish Fold give it a look reminiscent of an owl. The small, tightly folded ears fit closely to the skull resulting in a cap-like appearance. Big, round shoe-button eyes open up the face in the rounded head giving a super sweet expression. A sturdy body is covered with padding resulting in a solid feel to this medium-sized cat. The folded ear is a spontaneous mutation and comes from an incomplete dominant gene that results in approximately 50% of the litter having the folded ears and 50% being straight (normal) eared.

History

The first Scottish Fold, found in 1961 by shepherd William Ross, was a barn cat named Susie who lived in Scotland. Folds have since developed into a round and beautiful family lap cat with wonderful temperaments. Susie was a solid white longhaired female and the cat fanciers bred her to various breeds like Persians, American Shorthairs, Exotic Shorthairs and even Burmese to achieve the round sweet look of the Scottish Folds we have grown to love today. Every Scottish Fold alive today can trace his or her ancestry back to the original Susie. Today TICA Scottish Fold breeders are allowed to use Scottish Straights (the straight eared siblings of Scottish Folds) the British Shorthair and the American Shorthair in their breeding programs.

Personality

Scottish Folds/Straights are intelligent, inquisitive, and are loyal to their family. They tend not to hide around the house or be shy, but rather they will always be around, even following you from room to room. Most tend to be one of the breeds that breeders and judges refer to as “four on the floor” kitties as they prefer to be close to you but with all four feet on something firm and without being picked up and carried around. Some learn cute antics like how to open cabinet doors and take a look inside and they can even be trained to play fetch. Most love to drink from running water, and some eat and drink with their paws. Most folded eared cats in this breed group sit up like prairie dogs to have a look around when they hear something. One of the cutest things is to see a Fold sitting up, relaxing like a human which many Fold breeders refer to as “the Buddha sit”…they look like they need a remote control and a lounge chair! This breed tends to be somewhat laid back and quiet and they get along well with both children and, once properly introduced, other family pets as well. Scottish Folds/Straights today are carefully bred by experienced breeders to produce healthy happy kittens for you to enjoy for a lifetime.

Traits

Scottish Folds come in all colors and patterns of the Traditional and Pointed Divisions as well as long hair and short hair varieties. All eye colors can be found, but copper eyes are the most common color. Scottish Folds/Straights have round faces, round eyes and round bodies. They are a medium sized cat with medium boning. What makes the Fold so very unique are those cute little folded ears that fold forward and tightly enough to fit the cap of their heads so as to look like an owl from a distance. Did you know that all Scottish Fold kittens are born with straight ears? Yes, they look like every other newborn kitten, until between 18 and 24 days their ears fold but only if they carry the gene that causes the fold in the ears. Normally 50% of the litter will fold and the rest are what we call Scottish Straights who are in every respect just as wonderfully sweet!

General Description

The intriguing Sphynx cat never fails to draw a reaction from people – some people love the bald, wrinkled look, some are fascinated by the cat, while others are less than enthusiastic. But for those that take the time to get to know the cat, a great treat is in store. They have very soft skin that feels like the softest chamois leather and are so very warm to the touch that you just want to cuddle up with them-especially in cold weather. Their toes are like fingers and they use them that way as they investigate and play with everything that takes their curiosity. They wrinkled faces remind you of the wisdom we all gather with age while their big ears and lemon-shaped eyes give them a unique look. Their rounded Buddha-like bodies bring a smile to the face. The Sphynx is definitely an enigmatic breed for the connoisseur.

History

First attempts at breeding Sphynx began in 1966, when a black and white cat gave birth to a hairless kitten in Ontario, Canada. The owner named the hairless kitten Prune, due to the wrinkled hairless skin. Prune was bred to other cats in an attempt to create more hairless kittens. Because hairlessness is a recessive gene, some of the kittens resulting from this union had hair, while others did not. These kittens were called Canadian Hairless Cats, which some people referred to as Sphynx cats, due to their physical similarities with an ancient Egyptian cat sculpture called the Sphinx. Between 1975 and 1978, several natural mutations of hairless kittens were found in Minnesota and Toronto. These kittens, named Epidermis, Punkie, and Paloma, were bred to Devon Rex, another breed with very little body hair. The Sphynx breed traces its history to the offspring of these unions. TICA has recognized this breed for over 20 years and there are now several thousand Sphynx registered in the world.

Personality

The Sphynx is an inquisitive, intelligent, and extremely friendly cat. Warm and soft to the touch, Sphynx frequently sleep with their owners under the covers. The term “Velcro lap cat” used to describe the desire of the Sphynx to be on you all the time, is very accurate. Sphynx love to greet every new person visiting the home, and most get along well with dogs and other pets. Because of their hairlessness, Sphynx have a tendency to get cold but they are intelligent enough to find a warm place- usually a computer monitor, a sunny window, a television, or under a blanket with their owners. Sphynx are highly active and will entertain themselves for hours and some Sphynx even fetch toys. Many Sphynx owners describe their cats as elf-like or childlike due to their inquisitive and intelligent nature. Sphynx are loyal and dedicated to their owners and make very affectionate companions for everyone.

Traits

The Sphynx is one of a few hairless breeds. Striking and distinctive in appearance, they do not lack hair entirely. Fine down covers the skin of most Sphynx, giving the skin a chamois or suede-like texture. Light hair is usually visible on the nose and backs of the ears. Sphynx come in a variety of colors, including solid, particolor, tabby, tortoiseshell, and are recognized in all four of TICA’s categories: Traditional, Pointed, Mink, and Sepia. Their color is viewed on the pigment of the skin and on the few hairs (down) they have. Perhaps their second most distinguishable feature is their huge ears, frequently more than 2 or 3 inches in height. The Sphynx also has an open and sweet expression, greatly facilitated by the large lemon shaped eyes. This is a sturdy medium-boned, athletic and highly muscular cat. The belly of the Sphynx should give the appearance of having recently eaten a large meal. Because of their friendly nature, Sphynx often make excellent show cats as they are highly accepting of new people and easy to handle. Because of their lack of absorbent coat, Sphynx tend to get oily and need to be bathed often, but they are not hypo-allergenic. While some individuals with allergies find they are not allergic to Sphynx, others discover they are allergic but usually to a lesser extent.