Scottish Fold

Health

In general, the health of the Scottish Fold cat is very good. It is a strong cat, with an iron health and very resistant to diseases. However, there is a specific genetic problem that plagues this breed. When there is a litter of a cross between two Scottish Folds, the risk of the puppies having arthritis is very high. That's because the dominant gene that causes ear crease is also responsible for hereditary arthritis in kittens. Feline arthritis is a very painful disease that causes inflammation in the joints of cats. With the discovery of the cause of this disease, the cross between Scottish Fold cats stopped happening. Geneticists have discovered that if the cross was made with Scottish Straight (the Scottish Fold variant which, as the name implies, has straight ears) or British Shorthair, the cat would be born free from the risk of arthritis. Although less frequent, there are other problems that can affect this breed, such as polycystic kidneys and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Curiosities

Scottish Fold puppies are also born with straight ears, just like any other kitten. The ears of these kittens begin to bend between 18 and 24 days of age. Meows that are born with straight ears due to the absence of the gene that causes folding are called Scottish Straight.

Intelligence

The Scottish Fold's main characteristic regarding its intelligence is that it is an extremely adaptable animal. Being playful and calm at the same time, he will do well in small or large environments, closed apartments or houses with a garden (don't forget to screen your house well!). In addition, he will have no problem with large families and children, nor with more calm and homely families. They are also cats that get along very well with other pets, whether they are cats or not. Scottish Fold cats can also learn some simple tricks. You can teach them to search for objects, for example. Despite being very sociable, however, they are not communicative animals and have difficulty expressing when they want and need something.

Temperament

Scottish Fold cats are very affectionate and loving cats. It is a playful cat that meows little and is usually well balanced. It is very easy to hold them in your lap, as they are calm and like this type of contact. Attached to the family, they are very sociable animals.

Lifetime

Because they are very healthy, if your Scottish Fold does not have health problems such as those mentioned above, he should be doing very well. The life expectancy for cats of this breed is between 11 and 15 years.