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If you ask someone to draw a cat, they would probably give it a head with two triangular ears on top. If they draw as well as I do, a circle and two triangles might be all you get. But not all cats have perky ears. The Scottish Fold breed only exists because one barn cat’s flattened ears made her stand out.
William Ross was a shepherd, but he was also a cat fancier. He and his wife bred British Shorthairs. In 1961, he was visiting the McRae farm in the Tayside region of Scotland when he noticed something peculiar about one of the barn cats. Her name was Susie, and she was a white she-cat with strange ears that folded forward and down on her head. Ross thought this unusual trait might be the makings of a new breed, so he asked the McRae’s if he could buy Susie. They reached a compromise: instead, he could have the pick of Susie’s first litter. When the time came, Ross took home a white female kitten he named Snooks and subsequently used his own British Shorthairs to found a new breed.
The Rosses originally called the breed lop-ears, thinking of lop-eared rabbits, but they later decided on the current name in honor of the cats’ country of origin. The breed reached the United States in the early 1970s, and by now it is popular around the world. It remains a rare breed. All true Scottish Folds are still descended from Susie via Snooks, so there hasn’t been long to build up a large population from that single breeding line, and they can be difficult to breed for genetic reasons.
Breed Characteristics
Of course, the thing that Scottish Folds are known for is their folded ears, but actually not all of them have this trait. The ear folding is caused by a spontaneous mutation affecting the development of cartilage (1). The mutation is incompletely dominant, so kittens only need one copy of the mutation to have folded ears, but the presentation of the trait may be intermediate. As such, there are three degrees of ear folding: single, double, and triple. The single fold bends forward about halfway up the ear and doesn’t hug the head, while the double and triple folds are progressively tighter (2). The triple fold is most desirable for show cats (2).
When a Scottish Fold doesn’t inherit the ear folding mutation, they will have straight ears. Sometimes straight-eared Scottish Folds are acceptable for showing under a different name, but many organizations don’t accept them (2). They are an important part of breeding programs (3), however, and are often sold as pets for a cheaper price than their folded-ear compatriots (2). Breeders won’t know which kittens have which ears until about three to four weeks of age, though, because all Scottish Folds are born with straight ears that later droop down–or not.
Regardless of ear type, all Scottish Folds are medium-sized cats with a stocky body and round head. They have large, wide eyes which probably contribute to the notion that the folded-ear cats look like owls. Scottish Folds have somewhat short muzzles and legs. They may have short or long fur and be any color or pattern except point.
Scottish Folds are playful, moderately active cats that are known for being quiet and sweet. They are people-oriented but typically get along well with other pets, too, as well as children. Although they like attention, they aren’t so much a clingy breed. They are laidback and adaptable, the kind of cat that can roll with the changes.
Health Concerns
Scottish Folds were first recognized as a breed by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) in the United Kingdom in 1966, but only five years later the GCCF banned further registry of the breed (2). They still don’t recognize the breed (4). In 2017, the British Veterinary Association called for the breed to be banned outright (4). The cause of all this is concerns over the health and welfare of the cats.
All pedigree cats have higher incidences of some diseases. The question is whether the characteristic of folded ears which Scottish Folds are bred for inherently leads to suffering. At first, the GCCF stopped registering Scottish Folds over concerns that the folded ears caused a risk of ear mites, ear infections, and deafness, but this is now believed to be untrue (2). However, there are demonstrated health problems associated with the mutation in cartilage development that causes the ear drooping, and this has led to the continuing controversy about the breed.
The disease associated with the folded ear mutation is called osteochondrodysplasia. It is a disorder of abnormal bone and cartilage development which leads to arthritis and can be debilitating (1). It primarily affects the tail and leg joints from the knees down (1). The British Veterinary Association says that all Scottish Folds with folded ears will suffer from osteochondrodysplasia to some degree during their lifetime (4), and there are studies that back this up.
A study that examined the inheritance of the disease in Scottish Folds did find that all cats with folded ears had the disease (5). On the other hand, cats in the study with mild osteochondrodysplasia did not present symptoms (5). Of course, with cats, it’s sometimes hard to tell. Another study which examined Scottish Folds in clinics and a cattery also came to the conclusion that this is a breed-wide problem and recommended not breeding folded-ear Scottish Folds (6).
Some think the problem has been blown out of proportion. The BBC quoted a woman who has been breeding Scottish Folds for over a decade: “If I had discovered there had been a significant problem I would certainly have stopped breeding them” (4). And you would certainly hope this would be the case. Scottish Folds are usually crossed to British Shorthairs, American Shorthairs, or Scottish Folds with straight ears in breeding programs to limit any health problems (7). Cats with two copies of the folded-ear mutation are more likely to have severe skeletal problems (8).
To Have and to Fold
Scottish Folds are without doubt charming and easy-going cats. Whether their genetic health problems are any worse than those faced by other pedigree cats is still controversial. If you are interested in a Scottish Fold, the only special grooming needs they have are frequent checks inside the ears and a cleaning if you find it dirty–for the folded-ear cats, that is. Much of the appeal of the Scottish Fold has been the cuteness factor of the folded-ear cats, but don’t dismiss the straight-eared ones out of hand. They have the same sweet, chill personality and are eager to have forever homes, too. Check out Scottish Fold Rescue to look for Scottish Folds that need adoption in the United States.
Fun Facts
- Taylor Swift is the proud parent of two Scottish Folds named Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson. They’re quite the Instagram stars. (9)
- Susie was not the first cat to have folded ears. The earliest record of one was in 1796, when an English sailor brought one home from China. (7)
- Long-haired Scottish Folds are sometimes considered a separate breed called the Highland Fold (2).
Works Cited
- International Cat Care. (2018, September 5). Scottish Fold disease – osteochondrodysplasia. https://icatcare.org/advice/scottish-fold-disease-osteochondrodysplasia/
- Petfinder. (n.d.). Scottish Fold. https://www.petfinder.com/cat-breeds/scottish-fold/
- Cat Fanciers’ Association. (n.d.). About the Scottish Fold. https://cfa.org/scottish-fold/
- Brocklehurst, S. (2017, April 27). Should Scottish fold cats be banned? BBC Scotland. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-39717634
- Takanosu, M., et al. (2008). Incomplete dominant osteochondrodysplasia in heterozygous Scottish Fold cats. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 49(4), 197-199. https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/49b03dae-ac50-3c53-96f5-f1281561939d/#
- Malik, R., et al. (1999). Osteochondrodysplasia in Scottish Fold cats. Australian Veterinary Journal, 77(2), 85-92. DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1999.tb11672.x
- Hill’s Pet. (n.d.). Scottish Fold cat information and personality traits. https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/cat-breeds/scottish-fold
- UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. (n.d.). Scottish Fold. https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/scottish-fold
- Cook, J.R. (2019, July 10). They’re beauty, they’re grace…a guide to Taylor Swift’s absolutely adorable cats. Life and Style. https://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/guide-to-taylor-swifts-cats-meredith-olivia-and-benjamin/
- Cat Time. (n.d.). Scottish Fold. https://cattime.com/cat-breeds/scottish-fold-cats#/slide/1
Published August 2nd, 2020
Updated October 29th, 2020
