History

When a shepherd named William Ross found a cat with folded down ears on a farm in Scotland in 1961, he asked the farm owner for a kitten, Susie, and bred it into the folded-ear breed. Almost all Scottish Fold cats today have Susie as their ancestor.

Physiological characteristics

Scottish Fold cats are medium sized cats. Their most distinctive feature is their downward-folding ears, which fit snugly on their heads. Scottish Fold cats are born with straight ears and there is a certain probability (50%) that their ears will fold at 3-4 weeks. The folded ear trait is due to an incomplete gene expression.

The Scottish Fold has a large, round face and eyes, and a round body.

Scottish Fold cats come in a variety of colours and features, including traditional/accent colours, long/short hairs, and have a variety of eye colours, but copper is the most common.

Scottish Fold cats may have skeletal defects, which in turn can affect locomotion. They do not hear as well as normal cats and are also more susceptible to ear mites.

Personality traits

Scottish Fold cats are intelligent, curious and loyal to their families. They are bold and like to follow people around. Many Scottish Fold cats will stand up like a groundhog to observe. They get along well with children.