20 Scottish Fold Facts You Didn’t Know

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It’s probably the cutest cat in the world; the Scottish Fold. It’s got tiny, folded ears and the sweetest face you’ll ever encounter. It is the kind of cat you can’t refuse and every little girl (and grown woman) wants to call her own. In fact, it’s the kind of adorable kitten that Taylor Swift owns and loves to show off on her social media pages. They’re cats with some unusual traits that make them more adorable than just about anything else you’ve seen in your life, but that doesn’t change the fact that these sweet kittens are pretty interesting little creatures.

1. They Sit

Seriously, these adorable little cats have a habit of sitting on their behinds like a human being. You’ll be hard pressed to find another cat breed that bothers to sit in this manner, but the Scottish Fold loves to do it and does it often.

This cat will place its front paws along its sides the same way that a human does when sitting. It is a bit alarming the first time you see a cat sit in this position, but it really does grow on you over time. In fact, it’s a bit of a party trick when you really think about it. Their favorite position is the Buddha Pose, as it’s commonly called.

2. They Sleep on Their Backs

Again, these cats are very human like in the way that they sit and relax. Most cats will curl up into a ball when they want to go to sleep. When the Scottish Fold wants to go to sleep, it will lie on its back. Much like a human, it prefers the comforts of back sleeping, and it will do this most of the time. It’s actually fairly uncommon to see the Scottish Fold sleep like other cat breeds. It’s another great party trick your guests will at first be a bit freaked out by.

3. They Love People

Most cats are aloof and uninterested in human companionship unless it’s on their terms – which is rare and infrequent. The Scottish Fold, however, is completely different. This cat is not aloof. The reputation cats have for being judgmental and uninterested in the antics of humans and other animals was not derived from this breed. In fact, these cats are stuck to their humans like glue. If you have one, you’re not getting rid of it anytime soon. It loves people and wants to be close at all times.

4. The First Scottish Fold

Perhaps this is not a surprise, but the first Scottish Fold kitten was found in Scotland. This cat was unusual to the farmer who found it. Its ears were naturally folded and the cat didn’t appear to have been injured in any way. The farmer liked the cat, so he took it in. It had a litter of kittens and two of the five had naturally folded ears. A neighbor adopted one and began breeding it, and that’s where the Scottish Fold comes from.

5. Genes

If you breed two Scottish Folds, you will not get kittens with folded ears. In fact, you will get a normal kitten. The only way to get a Scottish Fold is to breed a Scottish Fold with a regular cat. However, even then it doesn’t guarantee that you will receive another naturally folded-ear cat. You have a 50 percent chance of having another Scottish Fold. It seems that approximately half of a litter will receive the naturally folded ears of one parent and the other half will not. It’s a game of chance, but if you have a Scottish Fold, it can be a pretty good chance.

6. They’re New to the States

All right, so they’re actually 42-years-old in terms of being in the United States. It was 1971 when the first Scottish Fold cat was brought to America. It was also the same year that they became recognized as a breed and not simply a cat with a genetic mutation. These cats, however, are not as common here in the states as they are elsewhere in the world, which makes them a very expensive, and very difficult cat to find. Most of these cats are found with breeders who will charge as much as $1,000 for just one Scottish Fold kitten.

7. Do Not Breed Two Scottish Folds

Not only will you not get another Scottish Fold kitten from breeding two of the same cat, you will actually get a litter of cats with hearing issues. For some reason, the genetic mutation that these cats have that causes their ears to fold naturally also causes some hearing issues when brought together. A normal cat might be born without hearing or with significant hearing loss. It’s considered unhealthy to breed to Scottish Folds.

8. Osteochondrodysplasia

This is the term used to describe what happens to the arms and legs of a kitten born to two Scottish Folds. The genetic abnormality that Scottish Folds are born with is passed onto their offspring when they are bred with one another. What this means is that the mutation that causes the Fold’s ears to fold will have the same affect on the kitten’s arms and legs. This can make it difficult for kittens to walk. It can also mean that they will be born with arthritis and other health issues.

9. They’re Quiet

Some cats are very vocal when it comes to purring and letting their families know they are hungry, happy or annoyed. The Scottish Fold, however, is not a vocal cat. This cat is actually very quiet. Even when it purrs, it’s not really noticeable unless you’re listening for it and the rest of the house is very quiet. There’s no real reason they’re not very loud, they just aren’t. It’s not that they can’t be, they just choose not to be as vocal as some other breed of cats.

10. They’re Lazy

These are not cats that love to be very active. They do have an occasional burst of energy that makes them want to run around like crazy animals (pun intended) for a little while. However, they are mostly just lazy cats that don’t bother with doing too much as far as activities go. They’d prefer to sleep all day, lounge on something soft and just hang out. In fact, they’re well known for having their owners carry them around since they’d rather not walk at all if they can avoid the act.

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11. No Grooming Necessary

This is the kind of interesting fact that people love to hear. Not only does obtaining a Scottish Fold mean you get one of the cutest cats in the world to call your own, you don’t even have to worry about grooming your cat. Many cats groom themselves, but these have short hair and they’re not cats that shed much. What this means is that you’re not going to need to form a personal relationship with the groomer to keep this cat looking good and looking adorable.

12. They’re Born With Straight Ears

The thing about the Scottish Fold is that you won’t know whether or not your kittens are a Scottish Fold until they are about 3 weeks of age. These cats are all born with tall, straight, pointed ears. They don’t begin to fall over and droop until the cat reaches about three weeks of age, and it’s then that they begin to fall over. Breeders have to wait to see which kittens in their litter are going to end up being classified as a Scottish fold nearly a month after the kittens are born.

13. They’re Cuddly

You already know they love humans and they are very affectionate. However, what you don’t realize about the Scottish Fold is that this little cat is very cuddly. It would much rather sit in your lap than on its own. In fact, it’s going to find your lap, curl up and go to sleep there more often than anywhere else in your home. These cats will lie for hours on your lap whether you are sleeping in your own bed or sitting on your chair or couch. If you work from home, this cat will make its home on your lap while you sit at your desk.

14. Maru

Maru is the most famous Scottish Fold cat in the world. This cat was made famous by his owners, who like to put him online in the form of videos and pictures. He’s developed a large following and people just adore this adorable little cat. What’s more interesting about Maru than any other Scottish Fold on the internet is the fact that he is one of the breed without folded ears. But people love him anyway, and it’s because he’s just adorable.

15. Scottish Folds are Very Social

These are cats that love attention. You throw a party at your house and the average house cat is going to make himself disappear for the duration of the evening. You throw a party with a Scottish Fold cat in your house and it’s going to greet every guest that walks through your front door. It’s also going to make sure it prances, preens and makes itself noticeable for everyone that’s around. It’s almost as if this particular cat knows it is extra adorable and it wants to grace everyone with its presence and cuteness.

16. They’re Laid Back

You aren’t going to shock or scare this cat. Nothing bothers it. Feel like bringing a large dog and 10 little kids into your house? That might be enough to make any normal cat make a quick escape to the highest or most hidden location in the house, but not the Scottish Fold. This cat isn’t going to scare away that easily. In fact, it’s going to do what it always does; sleep and stay put. It’s not going to be bothered. Kids, large dogs, lots of people – they don’t bother the Scottish Fold. It’s too laid back.

17. They Look Like Owls

I don’t see it, but many people do, which is why these cats are often called Owl Cats. They’re supposed to look a lot like the owl. Perhaps it is the large eyes of the Scottish Fold and the way that it stares at you with its big eyes and folded ears. Whatever it is, however, is enough to make most people think this cat is the cousin of the owl. It’s not, but if you look closely, you might just see a bit of the resemblance of this particular cat breed with the owl. Or you might not.

18. Taylor Swift Has One

She’s constantly showing off her Scottish Fold online, and now she has a second one. She named her first Scottish Fold Meredith Grey, after her favorite character on Grey’s Anatomy (played by Ellen Pompeo). The cat has become quite famous thanks to its adorable face and her popularity on social media. This cat has more followers than most people, and it’s okay. It’s adorable and it’s hard not to love the cat she bought as a tiny kitten and decided to keep.

19. They’re Not Recognized in Europe

Despite being born and bred in Scotland, this particular kitten is not one that is recognized in Europe. These cats are considered regular cats and not recognized as a breed. The reason is the many different hearing issues these cats are prone to having. The European Cat Fancier’s Association doesn’t want them to become a breed because they feel they are too unhealthy and not worthy of their own breed. They’re abnormal, at best, in the eyes of the Europeans.

20. They All Come from One Cat

Every Scottish Fold in the world is a direct descendant of Susie, the first Scottish Fold ever found in Scotland way back when. This cat was bred with another cat which produced a litter of five. Those five were then bred with other normal cats and produced more Scottish Folds. From that point on, every cat that was ever born a Scottish Fold gets to call itself a direct descendant of Susie, the world’s earliest known Scottish Fold. If she had lived longer, she’d have tens of thousands of great-great-great-great-etc. grandkittens.

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