The Scottish Fold.

It’s not all about the ears.  

Well, it is in a way, but a Scottish Fold’s ears may be folded or straight.

• Scottish Folds are born with straight ears; they look like any other kittens ears until about one month of age.  If the ears are to fold, they will begin to do so at about four weeks of age.
• The fold quality of the ears is important in determining whether a Scottish Fold is show quality.  If the fold is loose, they are not show quality.

• Stanley has heard a popular belief that high stress situations, such as taking a kitten from the mother too early, can cause the ears to actually unfold.  He’s not sure he believes it because he couldn’t have been abandoned from his mother any earlier than he was and enduring CPR for 20 minutes to be finally revived might also qualify as “high stress”, yet his ears are still folded.  Oh.  Maybe his ears would have been MORE folded had he not undergone such trauma.  Hmmm. 

A Scottish Fold should be medium-sized with a rounded body and a flexible tail that is not stubby or rigid. 

Their legs and feet should not be thick or lack mobility and their toes should be compact but not flayed.

• Tail flexibility can be checked by running your hand gently down the tail arching the tail up slightly.  There should be discomfort or “popping” when the tail is flexible.

• Stanley says to remember that if the owner has not followed the strict breeding guidelines, a Scottish Fold will have the thicker legs and mobility will decrease with age.  More about that later.

A Scottish Fold’s eyes should be large, broadly spaced and owlish. 

Whisker pads should be round, the nose short and gently curved. 

Their profile should be gently curving.

A Scottish Fold’s coat should be dense with a silky feel. 

The length of their coat could either be short hair and long hair.

Scottish Folds are known for posing in unique positions. 

They may sit back with their belly exposed like Buddha, sit up like a Meerkat, lie on their backs like a sea otter, or spread out like a rug.

• Stanley checks things out by sitting up like a Meerkat or dog.  He also spreads out like a rug when relaxing.

A Scottish Fold’s coloring and marking patterns are so variable.

Coloring can’t really be used to determine whether you are looking at a Scottish Fold or not, though there are a couple of colors registries do not recognize.

A Scottish Fold is known for:

Its intelligence, sweet temper, deep attachment to their owners, and not being very vocal. 

• Stanley agrees with all of these attributes, especially the intelligence part.  He tries to maintain his sweet temper.  He is deeply attached to the only parents he’s known.  And is not very vocal.  More on that later.

When a Scottish Fold female has a litter, the breeder can determine the quality of a kitten at about three months of age.  Of course, they use the cat registry qualifications to determine whether the kitten is show quality.