On closer inspection, it was apparent the cartilage in her ears was bent in the middle, giving her a notable ‘owl-like’ appearance. When she gave birth to a litter of kittens, two inherited their mother’s exotic looks.
They crossed Snooks with British Shorthairs and farm cats and in the first three years the program produced 76 kittens. Of these kittens, 42 had folded ears.
Unfortunately three months after Snooks was born Susie was hit and killed by a car. But through her daughter her bloodline and fascinating looks lived on. All Scottish Folds can trace their lineage back to Susie and Snooks.
Ross registered the breed in the UK with the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in 1966. The cats were originally called ‘lops’ after lop-eared rabbits but their name was soon changed to ‘Scottish Folds’ to honour their country of origin.
Scottish Folds can have both long and short hair, and come in a broad array of colours. Long-haired Scottish Folds are known by a number of different names, including Highland Fold, Scottish Fold Longhair, Longhair Fold and Coupari.
Despite their distinctive appearance Scottish Folds still use their ears to express themselves like other breeds. Their ears lay back when they are angry, prick up when they are interested and swivel to listen to noises around them.
Folds have a number of other unusual characteristics beside their ears. They are well-known for sleeping on their backs and sitting with their legs stretched out and their paws resting on their belly in the so called ‘Buddha Position’.
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They are sweet-natured, placid cats that generally become extremely attached to their owners. They are playful and adaptable pets that handle children and other animal companions well.