The history of the breed's origin, the official standard for the appearance of Highland Fold cats, character traits, health and possible difficulties, tips on keeping at home, the price of a kitten. Highland Fold or, as it is called in narrower circles, the Scottish Fold Long-haired cat, today in demand and famous in almost every corner of our planet. These amazingly beautiful pets are not able to leave indifferent even the most inveterate dislike of cats. In addition to its attractive and unusually cute exterior, nature has awarded Highland Fold cats with a very open and docile disposition.
The history of the origin of Scottish Fold Longhair cats
Looking at these fluffy representatives of the feline world, one gets the impression that many of the most experienced and knowledgeable breeders have worked on the breeding of this breed, and they have worked for more than one year and more than a dozen years. But everything is much simpler and not at all dramatic.
The homeland of Highland Fold cats is Scotland, it was there that in the early 60s a British Fold cat lived with a local farmer. Everything was fine, and everyone was waiting for the completion of the cat family. When the cat gave birth, all the kittens were just like her, only one baby (the first representative of the Highland Fold breed) clearly differed from all the others with its unusually long, snow-white fur. This kitten was named "Susie" and they decided not to give it to anyone or sell it, but even if they wanted to, no one would buy it. For the reason that long hair was considered a clear disqualification of the variety.
Susie lived in the family of a Scottish farmer and delighted everyone with her tenderness and beauty. Upon reaching puberty, the owners set about looking for a "groom" for their favorite, and then an unprecedented fortune smiled at them. A few blocks from their house, one woman had a cat, and not just a cat, with exactly the same as their Susie, with unusual ears and long hair - that was fate! As a result of such crossing, kittens were born that inherited all those extraordinary features from their parents.
When it became clear that the long-haired gene did not disappear anywhere, the farmer decided to show his Susie and her kids to a familiar cat breeder. As soon as he looked at the extraordinary kittens, the idea of breeding a new variety was born in his head. The local felinologist was sure that such kittens cannot but be appreciated and that they must not go unnoticed, otherwise it is nothing more than a crime. And he turned out to be right, a few years later long-haired lop-eared purrs flaunted at the most prestigious cat shows in Europe. The Highland Folds received the first documentary evidence of their pedigree breeding already in 1966. Thus, the sweet cat Susie, who was initially considered a marriage, such a “ugly duckling”, turned into a “beautiful swan”, becoming the ancestor of a new breed, which soon after its appearance became one of the most demanded.
By the 90s of the last century, representatives of the Highland Fold variety were officially recognized as pedigree by almost all cat organizations of world importance, such as the International Cat Association, the World Cat Federation, the Cat Fanciers Association and many others.
Highland Fold: description of the standard of appearance and photo
- Torso At first glance, a Scottish Fold long-haired cat may seem very large and weighty, but this is nothing more than an optical illusion created by the presence of the thickest, longest hair. In fact, these pets are of medium size, their body weight does not exceed 7 kg. Cats are always more sophisticated and petite than males. The body of the animal consists of a wide, strong bone skeleton and well-developed muscle tissue. The body of these purrs is stocky and strong, which is not always noticeable under the fluffy cover, visually they may seem just thick. The hips and shoulders are in line with the back.
- Limbs Highland Folds are medium in height, their length harmonizes beautifully with the overall proportions, strong, powerful and stable. The limbs end in rounded legs with smooth contours.
- Tail process very nice, medium-sized. According to the standard, the length of the balance organ of a cat of a given breed should be two-thirds of the general parameters of the body. The tail is very mobile and flexible. From a wide base, it neatly decreases in diameter to a narrower tip. These representatives of the cat world have one very cute and interesting feature, they use their tail not only for their intended purpose, but also as a rug. Highland Folds often sit on it, with the front legs folded over the abdomen.
- Head Scottish Fold long-haired cat is rounded in shape with smooth outlines, the cheeks are large and well-developed, which gives the animal's muzzle a special cuteness and attractiveness. The chin is strong. Mustache pads are rounded in shape. At the transition of the nose to the forehead, a slight depression can be seen. The nose is small, short, the forehead is slightly convex.
- Auricles - this is one of the main features of the breed. Highland Folds are not like all other cats. The ears are medium in size and located quite far apart. The main feature of the auditory organs is that they do not stand straight, like everyone else, but are neatly folded in the shape of an envelope, with an inclination towards the front and downward. If you started breeding lop-eared seals, then you should not be surprised and panic, if newborn kittens have normal ears, they acquire their structure after about 3-4 weeks from birth. And in some babies, the ears may be pressed tightly to the head, you should not worry either, they also have to go through a transformation.
- Eyes they are also rounded in configuration, reminiscent of two buttons of medium size. Set wide enough. As for the color of the iris of the cat's eyes, the breed standard allows any color range from light shades, the only condition is that the eye color must be in harmony with the basic tone of the coat.
- Wool Highland Fold is their main treasure, it is very beautiful, there is a lot of it and it is long. But in different parts of the body, the size of the hairs can vary significantly, for example, on the muzzle and limbs, the hair is much shorter than in other areas. It is characteristic of these cats that they are wearing "pants", they also have a "collar" of extraordinary beauty. The hair on the tail is almost twice as long as on all other parts of the body.
The texture of the coat of Scottish Fold Longhaired cats is extremely soft, velvety and silky. There is also an additional layer of undercoat, also very thick, but even softer in quality. Some call these pets "cloudy and airy" because of their fur.
As for the color, the breed standard allows just a riot of colors, kittens can be red, gray, black and white. However, there are several nuances. Disqualifying signs of thoroughbredness are: lilac color of the coat, dark brown, color-point color, and also cannot have light spots on the coat of a purebred Highland Fold.
Highland Fold: personality traits
At the first glance at a representative of this species of cats, one involuntarily gets the impression that there are no more cute, friendly, peaceful and calm animals on our planet. And this opinion is by no means erroneous. Highland Fold is not just a pet, it is a real family member, with the appearance of which, in the house it becomes even more comfortable, it seems that the home atmosphere becomes kinder and more comfortable.
By their nature, these cats are avid phlegmatic, they can lie down their fluffy sides for a long time on the sofa or on the windowsill, enjoying the rays of the sun. But it is worth beckoning the pet with a ball or lace, as there is no trace of experienced laziness. They can run and play for a very long time and they love to be amused, so most often the child becomes the best friend of this purr. They are comfortable together and adults have nothing to worry about, since these cats simply do not know how to be aggressive. All they can do, if a child crosses the line from the comfort zone, is, offended, to go to their place, but this offense cannot last long.
If you travel often, then you shouldn't worry about the Highland Fold, you can safely take it with you, it tolerates travel quite well, as well as movement by transport. Also, the cat can be left at home alone, but within reason. Although he needs your attention, he will not get depressed from loneliness. Purr will find something to do with himself, and if he is still provided with some kind of entertainment, then he will generally be happy.
Highland-folds get along well with other pets, they will not be jealous and do their best to make them loved more.
Also, these pets are very smart, it will not be difficult for you to train your cat to use such things as a litter box and scratching post. They also do not differ in harmfulness, such a pet will rarely scratch the wallpaper or upholstery, will not climb the bedside tables, throwing out everything that is inside.
Scottish Fold Longhair: Breed Health
Another advantage of Highland Fold cats is their excellent health, from nature they have got a fairly strong immunity and resistance to changes in temperature and other environmental factors. Having reinforced all this natural "wealth" with proper care, care and timely vaccination, and as a result, you will get a healthy, cheerful and always purring pet that will delight you for many years.
Vaccination is a mandatory measure for all animals, regardless of their species, breed and color. Although Highland Folds have good body defenses, they need vaccinations. In the life period of cats there is such a specific period when their immunity is transformed, the passive one disappears, and the active one does not have time to form yet. Although this period lasts only 10-14 days, this time is quite enough for the purr to catch some sore. Kittens at an early age are extremely susceptible to diseases such as feline leukemia, pneumonia, chlamydiobacteriosis, feline peritonitis of infectious origin, various viral, respiratory diseases, rabies and other pathologies.
Experts advise starting Highland Fold vaccination from one and a half months of age and no later than four months. In no case should you choose the drug yourself, each animal is an individuality, with its own characteristics, needs and even allergic reactions. Therefore, you can vaccinate yourself, but a specialist should deal with the selection of the drug, dose and time of administration.
It is important to remember that before vaccination it is important for the animal to deworm the body, approximately 7-10 days in advance.
Highland Fold: keeping a purebred cat at home
- Hair care. Many potential owners of Scottish Fold long-haired cats can be seriously scared off by their fur coat, since it is very difficult to care for it. But this is not at all the case, despite all the splendor of the fur of these purrs, it does not need any particularly difficult and troublesome care. In general, in order for the animal to always look gorgeous, it is enough to comb its fur coat 3-4 times a week with a medium-hard massage brush. You can also use a rubber glove - the choice is yours. During the molting period, this procedure should be increased before daily combing, it is worth noting that the pets shed not very abundantly. But as for bathing, then the opinions of scientists differed. Some advise to wash cats often, while others recommend not to abuse this procedure, since the cat's hair from interacting with water and detergents, especially those that are not of the highest quality, can lose all its splendor. It should be noted that representatives of this breed do not have a special love for water, therefore, in order not to stress your furry friend, bathe him at least as necessary, if such does not arise, then once every six months will be more than enough.
- Ear care. Due to the special structure of the auricle of lop-eared cats, caring for them is a little more difficult than for others. These cats also need to clean their ears, but this should be done about 2 times a week. To carry out this procedure, not entirely pleasant for Highland Fold, you need to use special cotton swabs with a stopper, it will prevent injury to the cat's sensitive eardrum. As an aid, veterinarians advise using a special lotion for cleaning cats' ears, which can be purchased at any veterinary pharmacy. Many cat owners often neglect this hygiene procedure, considering it not particularly necessary, but this is not the case. In the external auditory canal of the animal, earwax, dirt particles and dead epidermis accumulate in large quantities. If all this "goodness" is not removed, the consequences can be fatal, to the point that the cat can lose hearing. In addition, such an environment is just a resort for ear mites, which can cause diseases such as otodecosis. Most often, ticks infect small kittens. The first symptoms of this disease are severe itching and profuse brown discharge. Having noticed something like a Highland Fold, it is necessary to immediately show the veterinarian for diagnosis and prescription of subsequent treatment. It is important to know that sometimes ear mites can come out of the ear canal and spread to the cat's body and be passed on to another pet. Therefore, if you have, for example, a cat and a dog, then it is recommended to show it to the doctor. For people, these ear mites are not dangerous.
- Teeth. These purrs need to brush their teeth in order to prevent tartar deposits and the occurrence of inflammatory diseases of the soft tissues of the oral cavity. The optimal regularity of brushing your teeth is 2-3 times a week, and you can also add special food for brushing your teeth to your cat's diet.
- Eyes wipe once a week with a cotton pad dipped in a disinfectant solution.
- What to feed? The Highland Fold diet should be balanced, with good quality ready-to-eat food, both dry and wet, being the best option. It is best to give preference to premium and super premium feed. Additional vitamin complexes will not be superfluous, especially during the molting period.
Highland Fold: the price of a kitten and where to buy
On the territory of Russia there are many catteries of this type of cats, most of them are concentrated in Moscow. The price for such a pet will depend on the pedigree, the availability of vaccinations and all documents. So a purebred Highland Fold with a full package of documents will cost you about 20,000-28,000 rubles, kittens without documents will cost much less, their cost is about 5,000-8,000 rubles.
