Scottish cat - who is he?

SCOTTISH STRAIGHT & FOLD

Body: Medium to large, muscular and bulky. Chest, back and shoulders broad and massive. Neck short and strong. Legs short and stable, paws thick and rounded. The tail is of medium length, reaching at least to the shoulders. Ends with a rounded tip. Without any stiff or thick part and must bend well from root to tip.
Head. The nose is short, broad and straight. The profile is curved (without stop). The cheeks are full and rounded. Large, round whiskers give a firm line to the short cone.
Ears: The ears are small and folded forward. They have rounded tips pointing towards the centre of the head. The setting is wide and well close to the head. Straight cats have ears that are perked. NOTE: Our breeding does not handle the loose-haired version – they are at risk for joint problems.
Eyes: Eyes are large and round, with a wide set on. The colour of the eyes must correspond to the colour of the coat.
Coat: Short-haired: the coat is short and very dense, standing away from the body. It is airy due to an adequate undercoat. The texture must not give the impression of wool. Long-haired: coat of medium length and very dense, with sufficient undercoat. It must not be sticky.
Colour: All colours and patterns, with any percentage of white and point colours are allowed.

Errors

A stiffness in any part of the tail is an error (on the fold).
Ears to keep away from the head (fold only)
Profile with stop

Scoreboard
body	10 points
saba	15 points
head	15 points
Ears	30 points
Eyes	15 points
Texture and colour of the jacket	10 points
Situation	5 points

Breeding and registration

Mating between two loose-haired cats is forbidden; Our breeding farm no longer handles loose-haired cats due to the risk of joint problems!
Only British/American/Scottish short- and long-coated cats are allowed for breeding;
It is forbidden to register kittens with pricked ears as British Shorthair or Longhair.

NEWS

In 1961, a shepherd called William Ross found the first known Scottish fold on a farm near Coupar Angus. He asked this one little white cat with floppy ears to join him, and the cat, named Susie, is the foundation of the breed. This cute look, reminiscent of a night owl or a bear cub, attracted a lot of attention from cat lovers and show judges alike, and as early as 1978 the breed was the first in the world to be recognised by the American Cat Club (CFA).

ARETUS

There are two types of Scots: those with floppy ears and those with crooked (normal, straight) ears. London ears are caused by a dominant gene, which is the cause of a natural mutation. Straight cats are very important in breeding because of this. One of the parents must always be straight, otherwise the kittens may have stiff joints. This can of course also occur in cats with a single fold gene, but ethical breeders do their best to use healthy animals in breeding and to keep the chances as low as possible. If you want to avoid the risk altogether, choose a straight cat. All the good qualities are the same, including temperament, but there is no risk of joint problems. This is why our breeding has gone down the route of only breeding cats with prick ears. In Belgium, and in certain other EU countries, the loose-eared version of the breed is already banned, and other countries’ policies on the matter are probably going the same way. Animal welfare is an important factor.

For a couple of decades, both British and American shorthairs have been used in the breeding of Scots. However, the breed is completely unique. It does not have the strong, powerful body and nose of the American. Nor does it have the stocky and massive body of the British, very short legs and flat head. Instead, the Scot is a medium-sized, rounded and soft cat with a short, dense coat that stays away from the body. It has large, round, wide-set, wonderful eyes that radiate love. Her cheeks are also round and full and her short nose has a gentle curve when viewed in profile.

Scottish kittens are all born with floppy ears. By three to four weeks, it’s clear who will fold and who will be straight – some will have ears that fold upside down, others will remain erect. By the time the kittens are 6-8 weeks old, you can roughly tell what class they are – a pet, a breeding cat or a show cat. If it’s just a mating of two kittens with floppy ears, only straights will be born, and they won’t have the gene that could cause painful joint problems.

ISELOOM

Scots are cats of unparalleled character. This is why they are so appreciated and different from other breeds. They are quiet, enjoy human companionship immensely, and express it on a daily basis. They are also very adaptable – they are not bothered by noisy children, other pets running around, new places or people. They are also quite relaxed at exhibitions, and are not usually stressed by a new showroom or hotel room.

The Scottish is a very affectionate breed and wants closeness. It’s so nice to watch TV in the evening, a cat sleeping on your tummy, or to feel a gentle hand-kiss in the morning just a minute before the alarm – open your eyes and there’s a big-eyed, purring pet waiting for you. When they come home, they’ll express their delight by running to meet you at the door. A typical Scotsman also enjoys the company of other pets. My first cat, for example, socialised with our nymph cat, and my second cat’s best friend is a small dog. They bathe each other, sleep in each other’s arms and play.

COLOURS

Scots come in absolutely all colours. There are also many patterns and, in addition, variations are created by short and long strokes. A very interesting breed to work with and there is a variety to suit every taste. The gold/silver and chocolate/cinnamon colours and point patterns, which are the biggest trend of recent times, are the stand outs. Our farm is the first in Europe to breed in point and gold. Some examples of the different colours:

SEARCHING FOR AND CHOOSING A STEPSON

One thing is for sure – a kitten should be bought from an approved breeding centre. They only use cats that have undergone clinical examinations, thoroughly investigate their backgrounds and make every effort to ensure that the kittens are healthy and do not carry any hereditary or viral diseases. Of course, no breeder can guarantee that no disease will occur in the future (it is a known fact that every animal of any species carries at least three diseases that may not manifest themselves), but by doing his best he can rule out the presence of diseases that can be controlled and prevented.

Unfortunately, this is still a developing process in Estonia. Even though the internet is full of ads for cheap paperless Scottish folds, who is to say that it won’t be many times more expensive at the vet later? Unfortunately, this is usually the case. You have to be extremely careful because you are taking on a pet for at least 15 years, and saving money in the wrong place can be cruelly costly.

So far, it has to be said that every owner of a female cat thinks it would be nice to have a litter and without researching the health or her lines, let alone the background of the littermate or the breeding quality of the cat, a litter is obtained. This is irresponsible. Kittening doesn’t end well for every mother – the life of her own pet is risked.

Serious cat breeders will be there to help and advise you throughout your cat’s life, and that’s a great asset.

A lot of work would also be done to get the cat ready for life before it reaches its new owner. Our kittens socialise from birth with children, other animals and people. They are trained to make different noises in the home, such as a vacuum cleaner. They will also be practised clipping nails, cleaning ears, combing, touching tail loops and showmanship. All of this is not something a person would bother to do if their only aim was to make money.

First, you need to decide what the cat will be used for. Whether it is just a pet or if you also want to show it. Each litter will have kittens of a different class. The price of a breeding cat depends on its own quality and type, who the kitten’s parents are and what lines it has. A beautiful kitten can go either for breeding or as a pet, depending on how the breeder decides who is in the queue and how suitable the family is for a given kitten. Pets are all cut. A person who would like to take a kitten to shows and do well there should get a show quality pet. The following are brief descriptions and price ranges:

Favourite – most people simply want a Scot as a pet in their home. He’s just as cute as a showcat, for example, just with less big eyes or a tail that’s a bit shorter than is ideal by the standard. None of this matters when it comes to a pet cat. The main thing is that it is a healthy cat with a good temperament, who will grow up to be a fully-fledged member of the family. Price on pet: €1400.

Show cats – cats in the show class that are being sold as pets and have been spayed/neutered. Going to shows is an interesting hobby for the whole family and is easily addictive – especially when those gorgeous cups and rosettes start to pile up. And you can’t really blame them, beautiful cats are meant to be shown to the public. Price for show class favourites: €1500.

A rare colour favourite – exclusive cats! This includes, for example, scattered silver and gold, odd-eye (different coloured eyes), point, white, solid blue, black. Rare colours all over the world. Price: €1600.

Breeding class (Breeding/show) – these kittens are intended for breeding breeding. Either they have a special colour or something else that the breeder is looking for. They are the closest to perfection and therefore the most expensive. These cats are only sold to other breeders, the best of the litter is passed on for breeding or co-owned (a good way to get a show class cat).

Price from

Age-appropriate complex vaccines
Rabies vaccine at 12 weeks of age
Neutering/sterilisation – the new owner doesn’t have to worry about the kitten’s surgery, the kitten arrives at its new home cut and rehomed.
Ussicures
Thermal microchip with registration (directly in the name of the owner)
Europass
Registration certificate from either TICA or WCF
Kassipoas pack
Guide
Socialisation with children and dogs
Membership of the Cat Club for the first year

The queue for a litter of kittens should be started early, before the litter is born. The more tolerant you are about colour or sex, the easier it will be for you to get a kitten from our foster home.
You can fill in the form HERE.

A kitten knows how to walk in the sandbox and sharpen its claws in the right place when it goes to its new home. Our kittens are generally very strong nerves and, being socialised with dogs, will quickly make friends with the animals in their new family.

HOW IS THE PRICE OF A KITTEN DETERMINED?

We’ve already explained the prices of kittens by class, now let’s talk about why they cost so much. Although from the outside it may seem that breeding and selling cats is a lucrative “business”, the reality is far from it. It is a very expensive hobby and it is almost impossible to stay in the black. Of course, all breeders would wish that! Let’s disentangle the costs involved in breeding and you will see that staying profitable is very rare for a breeder. We do it for the love of the breed, not to make money (and the real costs are often unknown even to our friends and family – they would think we had gone mad!). For ethical breeders, it is very important to improve the breed. The aim is to keep moving up the ladder and, with luck, to find that one rarity from each carefully planned litter to continue with, to go to shows, and so on. The rest of his siblings will then be sold as pets, or some of the higher class bred elsewhere in the country.

For example, it costs €2 000 to €4 000 to import one top-quality breeding sire into a farm. Our cats are all of good lines, temperament, type and HEALTH. In order to have beautiful and healthy babies, you need to start with good parents. And once offspring have been obtained from one line, after about two litters, the parents go on holiday, are cut off and sometimes go to a new family to live out the rest of their lives. At that point, new lines need to be brought in. You can work out for yourself how much you need to invest in breeding inputs to breed to a high standard. If you just “produce” kittens to make money, there would be no need for expensive new cats, no interest in diseases, etcetera. This is the fundamental difference.

On average, care, supplies, a couple of exhibitions, blood tests and veterinary costs for a single foster cat up to 1 year of age cost €1000. By the time the first litter is born, the breeder has invested thousands of euros. High-quality food with vitamins; cat liver; vaccines; worming; FeLV/FIV tests and exhibitions for one cat cost on average €450/year. In addition, the cost of rearing one litter, which is at least the same per litter. This does not take into account insurance, sickness, show trips abroad, DNA testing, marketing and website costs, etc.

Because we want to be dedicated to the kittens, we generally raise one litter at a time so they have our constant attention. This means that we spend several thousand euros a year caring for the remaining cats that are currently waiting. All this would have to be covered by the sale of kittens that do not stay in the breeding and go into the family. Vaccinations for one kitten (2 times) with worming, microchipping, europass and sterilisation or neutering alone cost over €400. In addition, high quality food, feed additives and cat liver for over €200. In total, more than €600. If the papers are full of adverts for kittens for sale for around €100, then logical thinking should immediately set off a red light. Consequently, he has not been raised in a good enough environment, not to mention health checks on his parents, etc. either. It all costs, and a lot.

In addition to the financial outlay, we as educators give them our time, affection and care. We weigh them every day, play, clean, tidy, socialise, etc, etc, etc. The kittens have a room all to themselves in the house to grow up in, with room to run around. Outside there is a cat house with separate rooms for males and females, complete with an outdoor area and roof. There they have climbing apparatus and lots of fun in the fresh air. The males are separated from the females. The cost of all the equipment must be taken into account. In winter they have constant lighting and heating.

It will go well if, apart from the investment in one cat, everything works out and she gives birth to a beautiful litter of kittens. Experience shows that you can never be sure – you have to be prepared for a caesarean section or the death of kittens, a quick trip to the clinic, etc. There have also been several cases where a cat imported for a few thousand euros turns out to be unfit for breeding and all that is left is to cut it up and give it to a good home as a pet. On none of these occasions have we ever got our money back. Perhaps it pays to be very critical when importing a cat based on pictures or videos. And thanks to that, we do our best to keep the buyer happy. All the more important for us to be honest ourselves.

We are very grateful to those owners who stay in touch with us after taking the cat, send us pictures from time to time and tell us how they are doing. Absolutely every kitten born in our foster home is “our own baby” that we have raised with great love, so any subsequent contact is a joy!

WHEN THE KITTEN COMES HOME

Before the kitten arrives home, the equipment must already be in place. Here’s a small list:

A scraper or, better still, a scraping board fixed to the wall.
Sandbox with sand
High quality dry food for the kitten (the same as used by the breeder).
Drinking and eating utensils – ceramic is best. Preferably, the drink should be away from the meal.
Sleeping bag – could be closed from above. The cat will sleep anywhere, but it should have its own safe place to go. The contents should be washable
Comb according to hair length
Shampoos and conditioners – recommended by the grower. These can also be bought later
Toothbrush and pasta – you have to practise from an early age
Special tools for cleaning ears
Candlesticks
The game – a funny character or a feather dummy on a string. This encourages the kitten to play and strengthens your relationship with him.

The kitten should be allowed to see the place in peace when it gets home. He’s so small that in a big house you should enclose the territory at the beginning. For example, a few rooms for the first week and then gradually get bigger. This will make him more confident. You need to introduce him to his sandbox and the food. If a towel or a piece of cloth with the smell of his litter has been brought along, put it in his litter box, it will give him confidence. If it is decided that the kitten can sleep in the bed, he will do so for life and the rules cannot be changed afterwards.

Rules must be in place from the start. No chewing on flowers, scratching your nails in the right place, no walking on the table, etc. These must also be taught to the kitten. A young cat learns very quickly and afterwards life is carefree. All it takes is a couple of startling bangs, a jingle of keys or a squirt of water to call the cat to order. Generally speaking, I have never had to call my own kittens to order, they are so well behaved from a very young age. Scots are not mischief makers, so it’s easy.

Rise from