|
Although there are historical references to cats with “drop” or folded ears being sighted in the Orient, the modern breed known as the Scottish Fold began on a Scottish farm in 1961 with a white barn cat named Susie. British Shorthair breeders Mary and William Ross were given one of Susie’s kittens. Breeding this female to red tabby male, and their offspring to known British Shorthairs, the breed was given its foundation.
Not all Scottish Fold kittens develop folded ears. In fact about half of all Scottish Fold kittens’ ears never fold. All kittens are born with normal ears, but at about 21 days, the ears begin to fold down…or not. This does not mean that the straight-eared kittens are “rejects.” Although they cannot be shown as Scottish Folds, they are registerable and are invaluable to a breeding program (as will be seen later).
The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy accepted the breed for registration in 1966 and various UK breeders worked to develop the breed during the mid to late ‘60’s. Concern over various genetic difficulties prompted the GCCF to close registration in 1971. However, several breeders and a geneticist in the United States were interested in preserving the breed and they imported breeding stock and continued working with the breed. The breed was accepted for championship status in CFA in 1978.
Although the early Scottish Folds were healthy but with many cats having stiff and shorted tails, by the early 70’s there were reports of cats also having bone lesions. Believing that this was a result of breeding too closely for too long, breeders began outcrossing more and the breed rebounded. Today, the breed may still be outcrossed, but only to American or British Shorthairs. Additionally it was thought that the gene that causes the folded ear also affects the tail cartilage, so a folded ear Fold is never bred to another Fold, but to a straight-eared Fold (or a British or American Shorthair outcross).
|