Scottish Kittens
The first mention of the Scottish Fold cat in Scotland dates back to 1959. That year, a Scottish farmer named William Ross spotted a cat with an unusual appearance at his neighbor’s place. It was a short-haired white cat with uniquely folded ears. Her name was Susie.
Susie's parents were regular street cats with nothing special about their appearance. There were two kittens in that litter, but one of them disappeared, and no further information about it remains.
The farmer's wife, who bred Siamese cats, became interested in this unusual feline. The owners of the extraordinary cat promised to give her a kitten from the next litter.
In 1961, Susie had kittens, and the Ross family acquired one of her daughters. This kitten was also a white cat with folded ears, and they named her Snooks. There were two kittens in that litter with the distinctive ear shape.
This marked the beginning of the deliberate breeding of the Scottish Fold cat.
The second folded-ear kitten from that litter was also given away, but unfortunately, was later neutered. Shortly after, Susie was hit by a car, leaving Snooks as the only Scottish Fold cat in Scotland, and the sole heir to the lineage.
Snooks was first bred with a red tabby male cat. From that litter, only one white folded-ear kitten was born, whom they named Snowball.
By 1966, the name “Scottish Fold” had become firmly associated with this breed.
In 1969, Susie had another two kittens with interestingly shaped ears, named Denisla Hactor and Denisla Hester.
When Snowball grew up, he was bred with a white British Shorthair cat named Lady May. This resulted in five white kittens with folded ears. These kittens became the true founders of the Scottish Fold breed.
Personality Traits
The personality of Scottish cats is one of the breed's key strengths. They are calm and balanced, typically affectionate and kind, with a gentle temperament.
They are not particularly demanding of their owners and enjoy being around people. However, they often choose one person in the household to bond with. Scottish cats may feel lonely if they don’t see their favorite person for long periods, yet they don’t demand constant attention and don’t intrude. They do enjoy warmth and affection, though.
Scottish cats are also very clean and easy to train. From a young age, they adapt to using scratching posts and litter boxes, which means they won't cause any problems in these areas as adults.
One unique trait is their soft voice. Scottish Folds are among the quietest of all cats. They meow very rarely, and even when they do, their voice is so quiet that you sometimes have to listen closely. They’ll only vocalize when something is very important, like when they're asking to be fed, but even then, their voice is not loud.
Another distinctive feature of this breed is their unusual postures. Scottish cats can stand on their hind legs if they are curious about something or sleep on their backs, a position rarely seen in other breeds. They seem to enjoy their own version of yoga, lying on their backs, sitting in a meditation pose with their front paws stretched out, sprawling out like a rug, or standing in a squirrel-like pose.
Scottish cats also get along well with other animals if they are introduced early on. Thanks to their calm nature, they can even coexist with dogs. Scottish cats quickly adapt to any situation at home and feel comfortable in both noisy households full of children and dogs, or in quiet apartments with just one person. They usually don’t panic at exhibitions or in unfamiliar places, and they quickly get used to other animals.
Their easy-going personality makes them great companions for children. They adapt well to kids, and are generally affectionate and playful.
