Cats Scottish: subspecies, standards, nature, care

Cats are very Scottish in terms of exterior, character and habits of the British. Just like them, scottish are massive, heavy, with large, round, wide-set eyes. But they also have their own unique feature. The breed of "Scots" is divided into two subspecies: fold and straight. This definition refers to the auricles. They, in fact, are either hanging, or erect, like other cats. The most valuable representatives of Scottish fold, fold. But without their colleague with normal hearing organs it would be impossible to breed.

The fact is that the breed of Scottish Fold cats turned out as a result of gene mutation. It was both a unique feature of this "race", and a threat to the lives of its bearers. In 1961, on a farm near Teiside, near Dundee, a white kitten was born , whose ears' tips began to bend forward and down as they matured, covering the auditory aperture. He became the progenitor of the breed. However, it soon became clear that you can not cross two folds. As a result of such mating, a very sick, not adapted to life offspring is obtained. Kittens are born with a flattened tail, crooked legs. Their vertebrae grow together with age, leading to paralysis, and then to the death of the animal.

This circumstance caused the fact that the world's felinological associations did not want to register the breed for a long time. And only in 1991 (32 years later) CFA approved the standard for folding. Straight-eared Scottish cats are the key to the continued existence of the breed. To get a healthy offspring, folders must necessarily be crossed with straights.

In principle, except for the possible susceptibility of degenerative joint disease, the folds have good health. Scottish cats of both subspecies live from 15 to 20 years. If you have a lop-eared pet, at a young age, pull it more often by the tail (until the crunch). This procedure is a prophylaxis against the fusion of the vertebrae. For short wool care is very simple: just once a week, comb it with a brush-mitten.

Cats Scottish can have any color and any drawings on the wool. The standard requires only a short soft fur with a thick down. Representatives of the breed should be slightly lighter and more graceful than the British, have a rounded muzzle and an amygdala upper eyelid. An adult cat, as a rule, weighs up to five kilograms, ladies - up to three and a half. But, just like the shaved, Scottish must have a massive skeleton, rounded paw pads, a developed thorax and a round head.

Scottish character cats have a balanced: they are devoid of any aggression. In addition, these animals are extremely intelligent. Even small kittens are easily accustomed to kittens and a tray. A characteristic feature of Scottish is their voice - somewhat muffled, squeaky, pleasant. They also tend to stand on their hind legs for a long time. This position of the ground squirrel greatly amuses the Scots owners. Especially funny is when a cat watches television. Nordic disposition of Scottish allows them to adapt well in different conditions. Whether it's a house full of children or dogs, or a quiet lonely man's home, the Scots always feel fine.