Scottish Fold cat lying down with its legs tucked in

Scottish Fold Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

These laid-back and friendly cats make great family pets. But if you&#39;re looking to add a Scottish Fold to your home, you should be aware of the care they need and health risks that they might inherit. This breed guide tells you everything you need to know about Scottish Fold cats.&nbsp;

Domestic

Type

15 years

Lifespan

Medium

Size

2.7 - 6 kg

Weight

20 - 25 cm

Height

Sweet, affectionate, gentle

Temperament

20 - 30 mins per day

Exercise

Medium - high maintenance

Grooming

A Scottish Fold is a breed of cat known for its folded ears. The folded ears are the result of a natural genetic mutation that occurred in a farm cat in Scotland in 1961. Unfortunately, the folded ears come with associated health problems so despite their sweet personalities and &lsquo;cute&rsquo; looks, many consider it unethical to breed Scottish Fold cats. They were originally known as lop-eared ears (after the lop-eared <a href="/rabbit-insurance" title="Link to the Everypaw Rabbit Insurance page">rabbit</a>).

Scottish Fold cats will generally reach their adult size at about 10-12 months.

What is the average Scottish Fold’s lifespan?

Scottish Folds typically have a life expectancy of around 15 years of age.

Scottish Fold cats can be either short-haired or long-haired and both versions will shed. Most of the time, a weekly brush will be enough to keep their coats in good condition. They&rsquo;ll shed more during spring and autumn.

Scottish Fold cats aren&rsquo;t hypoallergenic &ndash; even those with short coats. All cats produce the allergen that is responsible for cat allergies.

<ul>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Scottish Fold. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/scottish-fold" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's Scottish Fold Cat page">https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/scottish-fold</a>.</li>
	<li>David Godfrey, Richard Malik (online) Scottish fold osteochrondrodysplasia. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/scottish-fold-osteochondrodysplasia" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's Scottish Fold Osteochrondrodysplasia pageCat page">https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/scottish-fold-osteochondrodysplasia</a>.</li>
	<li>Martha Cannon, Rachel Korman (online) Kidney: autosomal dominant polycystic disease. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/kidney-autosomal-dominant-polycystic-kidney-disease" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat autosomal dominant polycystic disease page">https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/kidney-autosomal-dominant-polycystic-kidney-disease</a>.</li>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/owner-factsheets/polycystic-kidney-disease" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat autosomal dominant polycystic disease factsheet">https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/owner-factsheets/polycystic-kidney-disease</a>.</li>
	<li>Serena Brownlie, Phil Fox, Philip K Nicholls, Penny Watson (online) Heart: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/heart-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/heart-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy</a>.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Cardiomyopathy in your cat. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/owner-factsheets/cardiomyopathy-in-your-cat" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cardiomyopathy in your cat factsheet">https://vetstream.com/treat/felis/owner-factsheets/cardiomyopathy-in-your-cat</a></li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

Content provided from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat information">Vetstream&#39;s Vetlexicon Felis</a>.

Vetlexicon is the world&rsquo;s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world&rsquo;s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

That’s All You Need to Know About Scottish Folds

Scottish Folds are sweet natured and easy-going and make great family pets. They enjoy being around people and, if left alone all day, they may need another cat to keep them company. But be aware that they&rsquo;re a controversial breed and can inherit serious health problems along with those folded ears.

Scottish Fold kitten sitting on a window ledge

Scottish Fold kittens are actually born with unfolded ears. The ears usually fold over by the time they are 3 weeks old. <a href="/kitten-insurance" title="Link to the Everypaw Kitten Insurance page">Kittens</a> that don&rsquo;t develop folded ears are known as &lsquo;Straights&rsquo;.

You should expect life with a Scottish Fold Kitten to be full of cuddles. With their sweet personality, they will make great companions and will love to spend lots of quality time getting to know their new family.

Scottish Fold cats are typically good-natured and easy-going with soft voices. With their affectionate temperament they make great companions. They&rsquo;re usually good with children and don&rsquo;t like to be left alone for too long so are best suited to homes with other pets. They may have a strong prey drive and be good hunters.

Scottish Folds can often be found sitting or lying in unusual positions! You may find them lying on their backs with their legs stretched out or paws in the air, sitting on their hind-legs or sitting up like a Meerkat. You may even find them sitting in a Buddha position with their legs stretched out and their paws on their stomach.

Make sure you provide your Scottish Fold cat with a nutritious, balanced diet. If you <a href="/all-things-pet/buying-a-kitten-heres-what-you-should-look-out-for" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to buying a kitten">buy your kitten from a breeder</a>, ask if they can provide you with a feeding schedule. And if you decide to change their diet, do so gradually as this will help to avoid any stomach upsets. You can also ask your vet which cat food they recommend to best fit the needs of your Scottish Fold and how much to feed.

Scottish Folds can be either short-haired or long-haired. The short-haired coats are thick and soft, and just need a weekly comb or brush will keep in good condition. Long-haired cats will need to be <a href="/all-things-pet/bad-fur-day-read-our-cat-grooming-101" title="Link to Everypaw's cat grooming guide">brushed more frequently to prevent tangles</a>.&nbsp;

All cats are <a href="/all-things-pet/unhealthy-cat-teeth-spotting-the-signs-of-dental-disease" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to dental disease in cats">prone to gum disease</a>, so take extra care to look after your Scottish Fold&rsquo;s dental hygiene by regularly checking inside their mouth and cleaning their teeth. Watch our inhouse vet explain what you should be looking out for and <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/all-things-pet/how-to-keep-your-cats-teeth-clean" title="Link to Everypaw's Guide on Cleaning Your Cat's Teeth">how to clean your cat&rsquo;s teeth here</a>.

Scottish Folds are moderately active cats. Interactive toys and a cat tree or perch will keep them entertained. &nbsp;Make sure that you always have time to play with them as <a href="/all-things-pet/your-guide-to-cat-exercise" title="Link to Everypaw's cat exercise guide">regular exercise</a> will keep them in good condition and maintain a healthy weight.

Scottish Folds are intelligent and can be trained to play fetch and other tricks.

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A cute kitty the Scottish Fold may be, but that doesn&#39;t mean they&#39;re immune to illness or injury. Unfortunately, their distinctive ears can be an area for concern and can affect your Fold&#39;s health. So to be on the safe side you should think about protecting those paws.

<a href="/Home/cat-insurance.html">Everypaw&rsquo;s Cat Insurance</a> has range of Lifetime cover options to choose from. Insure your Scottish Fold as soon as you pick them up from the breeder, and our Lifetime can be there to look after injuries and illnesses. And because it&#39;s Lifetime, it can be there if your Fold develops an ongoing conditions.

A cute kitty the Scottish Fold may be, but that doesn&#39;t mean they&#39;re immune to illness or injury. Unfortunately, their distinctive ears can be an area for concern and can affect your Fold&#39;s health. So to be on the safe side you should think about protecting those paws.

<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/cat-insurance">Everypaw&rsquo;s Cat Insurance</a>&nbsp;has range of <a href="/lifetime-pet-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw Lifetime Pet Cover">Lifetime cover</a> options to choose from. Insure your Scottish Fold as soon as you pick them up from the breeder, and our Lifetime can be there to look after injuries and illnesses. And because it&#39;s Lifetime, it can be there if your Fold develops an ongoing conditions.

Did you know that all Scottish Fold cats can be traced to a white farm cat called Suzie, born in 1961 in Perthshire, Scotland? Suzie had an unusual fold in her ears, caused by a naturally occurring mutation and the breed was developed with this trait.&nbsp;

Scottish Fold cats will get along with everyone - children who treat them kindly, <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Breed Guides">other cats</a> and cat-friendly <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to the Everypaw Dog Insurance page">dogs</a>. If they&#39;re left alone all day, they may need another cat to keep them company. They enjoy playing with their pet parents and will curl up on your lap to be close to you.&nbsp;

With their cute looks, Scottish Folds are popular with celebrities (especially in the US). However, many consider the distinctive fold of its ears to be an undesirable deformity. This makes the Scottish Fold (or Highland Fold as the long-haired version is known) a tad controversial and prone to certain health problems. So, the breed isn&rsquo;t recognised by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy of Great Britain.

Scottish Fold cats will get along with everyone - <a href="/all-things-pet/how-children-should-act-around-pets" title="Link to Everrypaw's article about how children should treat pets">children who treat them kindly</a>, other cats and cat-friendly dogs. If they&#39;re left alone all day, they may need another cat to keep them company. They enjoy playing with their pet parents and will curl up on your lap to be close to you.&nbsp;

With their cute looks, Scottish Folds are popular with celebrities (especially in the US), but they are controversial and, being <a href="/all-things-pet/living-with-brachycephalic-pets" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to caring for Brachycephalic pets">Brachycephalic</a>, long-term health problems are associated with this <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Breed Guides">breed of cat</a>.

The degenerative joint disease associated with the folded ears of the Scottish Fold is known as osteochondrodysplasia and this can lead to osteoarthritis in their tails, knees and ankles. This can be extremely painful and crippling.

Cats that have two copies of the abnormal gene (identified by genetic testing and known as being homozygous) develop severe osteoarthritis early in life and are no longer bred deliberately by breeders. A less severe osteoarthritis may be seen in cats that have one copy of the gene (heterozygous).

Osteoarthritis can develop in Scottish Folds in early adulthood with the milder version developing in late middle-aged and onwards. While there is no cure for the inherited genetic mutation, osteoarthritis can be managed through medication and nutraceuticals, and by changes to the cat&rsquo;s environment.

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (AD-PKD)

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (AD-PKD) is another inherited condition that can affect Scottish Fold cats. <a href="/all-things-pet/autosomal-dominant-polycystic-kidney-disease-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to AD-PKD in cats">AD-PKD in cats</a> causes cysts to form in the kidneys and cats will develop signs of kidney disease between 3-10 years of age. While there is no cure, treatments are available that may help to improve the cat&rsquo;s quality of life. Affected cats should not be allowed to breed.

<a href="/all-things-pet/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-hcm-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's article about HCM in cats">Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) in cats</a> is a common heart condition affecting many breeds including Scottish Folds. Cardiomyopathy means disease of the heart muscle. In HCM, the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick and can&#39;t work properly which leads to heart failure. Long-term medication can help to slow the disease down.

Common Scottish Fold Health Problems by Vetstream

The folded ears of the Scottish Fold are caused by a natural genetic mutation that affects cartilage and bone development. The mutation causes the ears to fold downwards and forwards and affects cartilage throughout the cat’s body. The condition is inherited as a dominant gene mutation so that if a cat only inherits one copy of the gene, it will be affected. Here are the common health problems Scottish Folds can have.

Scottish Fold Cat Insurance and Health Advice | Everypaw

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Scottish Fold

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Scottish Fold Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Scottish Fold Cat Facts

Is a Scottish Fold Cat Right for Me?

What Are Scottish Fold Kittens Like?

Life with a Scottish Fold Cat

Caring for Your Scottish Fold

Dinner time

Grooming time

Training & exercise