Black Fold cat: description of the breed

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

Scottish Fold is a young cat breed. The first kittens appeared a little over 50 years ago - in the 60s of the 20th century. Animals with flattened ears quickly fell in love with buyers, first conquering Europe, and then moving to the USA.

One of the features that made the black fold cat a favorite of a lot of people is the straight stance. Imitating ground squirrels, these animals like to sit on their hind legs, raising their bodies and lowering their front legs. Only their goals are different - in this way the animals knead the bones of the spine.

Surprisingly, although the black fold cat belongs to the cat family, he is most of the time afraid of heights. This feature is due to the structure of the vestibular apparatus. But when playing, they do not jump on the curtains and rarely jump on the cabinets. Lop-eared Scots love to play and fool around, but they will do it with dignity.

History

The first animal of this breed - Susie - appeared in Scotland with a semi-wild cat. The father remained unknown.

Soon enough, Susie began to bear offspring, which the owners had difficultyattached to friends. In 1963, Mary Ross, a Scottish resident, received one of Susie's kittens as a gift - it was a white cat who received the nickname Snooks. In her first offspring, a kitten was found, very similar to those that we know today as Scottish Folds. It was a white cat with heavy paws, which was called the Snowball. The owner did not have the skills of a breeder, but the woman seemed to have a chance to see the birth of a new breed.

After Snowball grew up, he was crossed with a British Shorthair. At the same time, in the next mating, Snooks was brought together with British blue. It was in this unpretentious way at home that the first Scottish Fold cat was obtained. The black color of the first litter, the rolled up ears, interested the breeders, who helped Mary develop the final breeding algorithm.

The last few decades this breed has become one of the most sought after in the world. As a result of a failure in the gene pool, which arose through the fault of crossing with short-haired cats, geneticists had to make a lot of efforts to eliminate it. If both parents were lop-eared, such crossing sometimes led to disorders in the musculoskeletal system. This is what made it necessary to use in breeding partners of the Scottish breed, which do not have bent ears.

The lop-eared black cat most often appears with ordinary ears. They only curl up four weeks after birth.

Appearance

Light blue is considered a classicwool. But since a large number of different exotics took part in the formation of the breed, today a huge variety of colors is acceptable. Scots can be blue, cream, white, bicolor, black, tabby, chinchilla and so on.

The head of animals of this breed is round, with a flat forehead, lowered ears. The legs are relatively short, the paws are rounded. The nose is straight and wide. The coat is short, thick.

The average black fold cat weighs 8 kg.

Intelligence

Animals are playful and quite active - especially for kittens. They quickly get used to sitting on the hands of the owner. The black fold cat is prone to basic training. These animals quickly figure out for what purpose there is a scratching post in the house, some individuals are able to turn on and watch TV.

The intelligence of the Scottish fold is at a fairly high level, their intuition is well developed, they are highly adaptable. These animals are able to quickly get used to any environment, "read" the owner's emotions, adjusting to his mood. Lop-eared pets are not aggressive, they are almost unable to take revenge.

Character

The nature of these animals is very stable, they do not give in to tantrums, they quickly become attached to the house and the owner, while being self-sufficient.

A striking feature of the representatives of the breed is the voice. It does not at all look like a gentle purr, rather, like the creak of an old tree. The Scots rarely shout, mostly reportingyour needs in a polite way.

In conflict situations, ordinary cats hiss, bite, show aggression in every possible way. However, this does not apply to the Scots, who are born diplomats. If they could go to work, they would certainly break into politics!

Socialization

These animals extremely quickly get used to the family. Experienced owners are sure that cats treat babies and elderly family members with special tenderness. If they really like a person, they will follow him everywhere, trying to get attention. However, no matter how much they want to talk, they will not distract from business, grabbing their legs or jumping on their knees. The most important thing for these cats is to be close to a loved one.

Other animals, including cats, delight the Scots as they love good company. Even living together with a dog does not spoil the mood for cats - they quickly get used to such a neighbor, playing with him and even caring for his coat.

Features

The high intelligence of cats of this breed speaks of their good learning ability, but the cry can forever discourage the animal from obeying. Moreover, a cat can become aggressive and cowardly if yelled at regularly.

Scottish folds don't tolerate rudeness. So, wearing cats of this breed by the scruff of the neck will not work - they simply will not allow it. First, because due to their severity, such a position is painful for animals. Second, it's bad.for the spine. Cats should be worn in such a way that all paws can rest on something in the air.

The master needs to be extremely patient in order to raise a Scot. It is important to understand the individual characteristics of cats. For example, remember that even the smartest animal is not able to remember several commands. It is necessary to move from simple to more complex exercises.

Care

Most breeders talk about the low whimsicalness of cats of this breed. It is necessary to comb their fur daily with a massage brush. Animals get used to it pretty quickly, enjoying the procedure that is beneficial to their he alth.

The lop-eared black cat, whose photo will decorate any catalog of breeds, contrary to stereotypes, does not resist bathing. Often gets used to water procedures after three to five times. Despite this, it should only be washed when absolutely necessary - in case of fleas or significant contamination.

The unique shape of the ears leads to the rapid accumulation of dust and wax in them. Therefore, you should regularly inspect them - 2-3 times a month. When cleaning, use a cotton swab that has been applied with ear hygiene liquid.

Animals need to cut their claws no more than once a month - for this you should buy a steel nail cutter and a scratching post. The claw must be cut to 2 mm. Do not use scissors - this can harm the nerve endings or fingers of the animal.

Nicknames

Many owners, having acquired a newpet, are tormented by the question of how to name a lop-eared (black) cat. First of all, it should be taken into account that thoroughbred animals have pedigrees and brands of breeders. Each kitten is registered, so all animals from the same litter must have names starting with the same letter - this narrows the list.

Scottish fold cat (black) can be called anything, but still most owners prefer beautiful, sonorous nicknames that will sound good at shows. For a home, thoroughbred animals most often have a simpler, shorter and more convenient name. For example, a King All Round at home could well be a Bantik.

Diseases

To take care of the he alth of a cat prone to longevity, it is necessary for the owners. Despite the fact that the average duration of the lop-eared is 19 years, you need to regularly take them to the veterinarian, monitor their well-being at home.

First of all, you should monitor the cat's appetite, sociability and behavior. If there are alarming factors, it is necessary to check the temperature, count the pulse, pay attention to other symptoms. If something bad happens to the animal, you should immediately consult a doctor.

British Fold

In fact, it is impossible to say that you have a black British Fold cat at home, since such a breed does not exist. It can be either British or lop-eared. The British appeared much earlier, their ears do not fold back and their muzzle is fuller.