What is the difference between Scottish cats and British cats: description of appearance, character, comparison

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Cats are one of the most popular pets. The entire Internet is full of photos of cute faces. Someone prefers thoroughbred cats, someone picks up furry friends on the street and does not attach importance to their origin. Those who want to buy a purebred cat or cat just need to be well acquainted with the different breeds of these animals. Some are confused by the similarity between the two breeds - British and Scottish. What is the difference? How are Scottish cats different from British ones? Sometimes on specialized websites and in newspapers you can find an advertisement for the sale of a British lop-eared kitten. Is this possible?

Classification of cat breeds by coat length

At this time, there are a huge number of breeds of cats. There are about 70 of them. You can classify them according to different criteria. For example, a very important feature is the length of the coat. Quite a few breeds belong to long-haired and semi-long-haired, the most famous are Siberian, Persian. These cats are very beautiful, but thisbeauty brings its own disadvantages. If the owners are not ready to constantly comb the pet and collect wool from things and furniture, then these breeds will not suit them. Short-haired cats, of course, also often shed, but still care for them is easier. In many of these breeds, the coat has a pleasant plush texture. This is especially true for British cats. Scottish also belong to the shorthair.

Body Types

By body type, if we make a rather rough and simplified division, we can distinguish two main types: with a massive body and a round head and with a medium body and a wedge-shaped head. If we divide body types more thoroughly, then there will be three of them - strong, medium and slender. British cats are animals with a strong physique and a round muzzle. Scottish are similar to them, although they look a little lighter and more elegant. Strong and round-faced cats are more associated with comfort, a soft toy, but at the same time they give the impression of strength and adaptability to the cold, while slender and with a wedge-shaped muzzle are the embodiment of grace and grace.

Ear shape

What is the difference between Scottish cats and British? The answer is obvious. The main difference between British and Scottish cats is the shape of the ears. Representatives of the second breed have an unusual shape of the ears - they are small and bent down. Where did this feature come from? About 50 years ago, a British cat, Susie, was born in Scotland with a peculiar mutation. Her curled ears looked very cute, but still people perceived this as a defect. So she would have lived in obscurity, if inIn 1959, spouses William and Mary Ross showed no interest in her. When the cat gave birth to kittens, they acquired a cat, Snooks, who had the same feature. Having crossed her with a purebred cat, they got lop-eared kittens, which became the founders of a new breed. It was not easy to get her out. At first, breeders thought only about an interesting external feature, and the he alth of cats was of little interest to them. Therefore, many kittens were born with serious defects. Until now, many buyers are concerned about whether Scottish cats are he althy. Does the shape of the ears affect hearing, for example?

Important ban

Currently, the features of the breed are well studied. There are also rules for breeding lop-eared cats. For example, you can’t mix lop-eared with lop-eared. In this case, kittens have hereditary pathologies. One of the parents should have normal straight ears. Therefore, both lop-eared and straight-eared kittens are born in the litter. The former are called Scottish Fold, the latter are called Scottish Straight.

It's not surprising to get confused here! After all, this breed takes its origins from British cats. How, then, to distinguish between the British and the Straight? Can straight-eared Scots be considered identical to British cats? No. Even though only a few decades have passed, the two breeds have accumulated other differences as well.

British cats

British blue cat, of course, does not have a sky-colored skin. Its color is still grey. It is called blue, probably because one of the cat experts saw a bluish tint in it. The description of the British cat suggests solidity and solidity. These animals have a massive, dense body and a wide round head. This physique, combined with plush fur, gives them the look of a soft toy that you want to cuddle. But you should be careful. The nature of these cats is different. They are always characterized by aristocracy, and they always know their worth. Therefore, such a pussy can be both soft and affectionate, and wayward and give out only small portions of attention to the owners. Much depends on the upbringing of the kitten.

Colors of British cats are different. In addition to the classic gray cats, there are, for example, red and tabby.

British kittens are born with blue eyes. Only by 4-5 months their eyes acquire a characteristic color, and it is fixed only by the year. Against the background of a gray skin, amber-yellow eyes look bright. True, this is not the only possible description of the British cat. They also have different colored eyes. It depends on the coat color. For example, white British eyes are both blue and golden and even green. This breed has developed sexual dimorphism - cats are noticeably larger than cats, they are more muscular and even have differences in the shape of the muzzle. Cats, despite their large build, are smaller and more graceful than cats and even have a softer facial expression and neat features.

Scottish cats

An interesting fact is that Scottish cats do not acquire their characteristic trait immediately. All kittens are born with normal straight ears. Only on the 21st dayin about half of the kittens they are bent, and then it becomes clear who is fold and who is straight. What is the description of a Scottish cat? Thanks to the ears, almost imperceptible among the wool, these cats resemble owls. The structure of the muzzle also has this. She is round with a well-developed chin and well-defined mustache pads. And the eyes of the Scots are really owlish - round, wide open, always golden yellow.

Body difference

The differences between British cats and Scottish cats are also in their physique. Scottish cats are lighter and more graceful, their body is more elongated. At the same time, their chest has a more rounded and smooth outline. The head is more rounded. And what is the difference between Scottish cats and British? In representatives of the first breed, the paws are shorter and more rounded, due to which they also look more squat. The average weight of the Scots is small. A cat weighs from 3 to 3.5 kg, a cat - from 4 to 5 kg. Brits are usually bigger. As the owners notice, taking the pet in their arms, these cats are quite heavy. For example, an adult cat can weigh between 5 and 8 kg. It should be borne in mind that sterilized and castrated animals can weigh more than average, because their hormonal system changes. What does not prevent them from living to a ripe old age with proper nutrition and care.

Tails and eyes

Let's continue the comparison of British and Scottish cats. The attentive eye of the cat lover may notice other differences in thesebreeds. What is the difference between Scottish cats and British except for the shape of the ears and physique? The British have a short and thick tail "carrot", that is, narrowed towards the end. Their eyes are color dependent. The Scots always have the same golden eyes. The tail is usually flexible, of medium length and thickness. The shape of the muzzle may also differ. For example, the British often have very wide, large cheeks, as if hanging over their shoulders.

The structure of wool also differs. The British have a dense "plush" coat, the Scots are distinguished by soft wool, but cannot boast of such a thick fur coat. Their fur is looser. The colors of British and Scottish cats are currently very diverse, so they can hardly serve as a distinguishing feature.

True, these breeds are still too similar to each other. Sometimes it is only a specialist who can understand how Scottish cats differ from British ones. And it is important for buyers to carefully study the pedigree of cats and figure out what breed their parents belonged to.

Character

What is the difference between Scottish cats and British cats in terms of character and behavior? British cats do not like noisy games with children. They prefer gentle strokes, and even then, when they are in the mood. The British periodically need privacy. Therefore, if the family has small children, the Scottish cat will be a more suitable option. Their character allows you to actively play with the child for a long time. They are calm and not prone to aggression. When a cat is not in the mood for play and affection, she most likely will notbiting and scratching, but simply retire to a safe corner.

Special habits

Another interesting difference is the habit of Scottish cats to stand in a column. This posture, in which the cat resembles a meerkat, serves a very important purpose - the way the Scots straighten the spine. In addition, these cats love to sit on the pope. This is not the case for other breeds. Another "feature" of Scottish cats is the fear of heights. Do not be surprised that the pussy does not climb on the bedside tables and cabinets. This is typical for the breed and is also associated with the structure of the musculoskeletal system of these cats. But you should not be afraid, because these animals feel great, and they have no he alth problems. But the British like to watch what is happening from a height and often climb higher.

Crossbreeding

What would a British/Scottish mix look like? It must be understood that interbreeding of the British and Scots is prohibited. At first, they were regularly crossed - the British diluted the "lop-eared" genes, preventing developmental anomalies from manifesting themselves. But over time, two separate breeds were identified. Scottish Straight have been recognized as different from the British, and it is these cats that perfectly interbreed with the lop-eared. Straight-eared Scots also carry the lop-eared gene. Why is this important? Modern standards for the breed have become stricter. Initially, these cats had only slightly tilted forward ears. At the moment, it is required that they fit as tightly as possible to the head and have folds. After all, "fold" in English is a fold! Crossing withBritish causes the ears to be too large and quite noticeably away from the head. But that's not the biggest problem. Lighter than their British ancestors, the Scottish skeleton serves an important purpose. The shape of the ears of these cats is due to a mutation in the cartilage tissue. Possessing light bones, these cats do not suffer from their mutation at all, but the more massive complexion of the British can provoke anomalies in them. Besides, blurring the boundaries of rocks just doesn't make sense.

And to the question of whether a fold cat is a British or Scottish breed, the answer is obvious. British cats are not fold-eared, and advertisements for the sale of fold-eared British are simply illiterate. This trait is unique to the Scots.

Choose a pet

Which cat to choose: British or Scottish? It all depends on the preferences of the owners. For a noisy family with children, a tartan is more suitable, but these active animals are demanding attention from the owner. Therefore, if everyone in the family works and is absent for a long time, a British woman will like this lifestyle more. Well, the most important thing is to listen to your heart. Sometimes one kitten can conquer with its charm so that all logical arguments fade into the background. The main thing at the same time is to remain responsible and soberly assess your capabilities: can you provide the animal with suitable conditions.

Which cat is better: British or Scottish? There is no definite answer to this question. After all, “better” or “worse” are subjective concepts. The main thing is to carefully approach the choiceanimal, study its pedigree and exclude the presence of genetic anomalies, especially when it comes to Scottish cats.