What is special about Scottish cats? This breed is similar to the British feline, but has its own characteristics. Scottish kittens are extremely sociable and calm in nature. They can not be left alone for a long time, someone from the household must pay a lot of attention to the pet, otherwise it will get bored.
The lop-eared Scottish kittens, like the straights, are well trained. They are pretty smart animals and very curious.
How was the breed formed?
In fact, these cats did not appear as a result of special selection, but only because a random malfunction occurred in nature. One of the farmers took a fold kitten and noticed how good this pet is. This happened in the 60s of the twentieth century. After high-profile disagreements and disputes, it was the Australians who accepted this breed and determined all the standards regarding ideal shapes and colors. Then, all over the world, they began to be recognized and recognized as a separate breed.
It is believed that kittens were brought from eastern countries to Europe by sailors. And perhaps the history of the breed is quite rich and much more interesting than is commonly believed.
Although in our time the English association has abandoned this breed, many fans at exhibitions still take leadership positions with their pets. The American Association continues to nurture and raise purebred Scots.
How to feed a kitten?
From the moment the Scottish kitten settles down under your roof, you will have more responsibilities. You need to take care of proper nutrition, vaccinations and many other things.
The owner needs to know that you can not give dry food to a kitten for up to 2 months. And then you can try one of those feeds that the breeder will advise you.
If it is more convenient to feed the baby with ordinary food, then take note of the list of those products that are forbidden to give Scottish fold kittens:
- Smoked sausage and sausages.
- No herring.
- Too greasy foods.
- It is forbidden to feed bones.
- Nothing sweet.
- It is also completely forbidden to give pork, even boiled, even raw.
- Boiled, you can give chicken,
- It is also not recommended to give chicken eggs raw so that the kitten does not get salmonellosis. If you cook eggs separately, then give the kids only the yolk at first.
It is very important to monitor how much calcium, along with food, enters the body of the pet. When there is a lot of calcium in food, the ears of a kitten rise, it becomes a straight. The gene that defines lop-eared affects joints and cartilage. If there is a lot of calcium, the cat’s joints will be stronger, but your kitten will not become the winner of the competition.
As for the frequency of nutrition, the kitten is fed up to 2 months every 2 hours. Then, by the age of 8 months, the cat is fed already 4 times a day, 250 grams for each meal. And in a year the Scot is already an adult, and he needs to be transferred to 2 meals a day.
Very small kittens are cooked oatmeal with the addition of pieces of chicken. If you plan to feed the animal with dry food, then a bowl of clean water should always be nearby. Feed, it must be said, dear. Those types of feed that contain the entire diet for the day, taking into account the ratio of meat and vegetable foods, are expensive for many families.
In general, proper nutrition ensures that your pet lives a long and happy life near you.
What does a thoroughbred kitten look like?
The main difference between the Scottish breed is its completely round head with ears pressed forward and large eyes. The eyes usually have the same shade as the coat. The head goes into a short but powerful neck.
The muzzle is short, with full convex cheeks. The chin is strong. Their coat is short, very soft and thick.
The body of the animal is strong, "knocked down", quite muscular with strong graceful legs. You probably saw them at least once at the exhibition. This is enough to remember exactly what the Scottish kittens look like. A photo of them always touches even those who don’t really like cats.
It is impossible to confuse a fold little Scottish with another breed. But the straights, kittens of the same breed, but having ordinary ears, are often confused with a British cat.
Features of the Scottish breed
Scottish kittens are loved by everyone, but not everyone knows how to care for them. These are entirely domestic cats, many purebred boys and girls take prizes at exhibitions. But if you took such a kitten to the house not for exhibitions, but for yourself, know that this is a wonderful home friend for your children. Cats of this breed love to play with children and will never offend them.
They will not offend furniture. Since they have a calm, almost "aristocratic" disposition, they quickly get used to the rules of the landlord and will not do it to you in spite.
One of the strange features of these kitties is that for some reason they do not know how to meow like everyone else. The sounds they make are completely unlike the usual meow.
Scottish Newborn Baby Care
In fact, the Scottish kitten is an unpretentious animal in terms of heat and food. Of course, they like to sleep on the battery, like all cats, but you do not need to specifically monitor the thermal regime if the kitten is more than a month old. But newborn babies should not freeze if the owner’s apartment is cold. They need to create a cozy thermal regime for at least 2 weeks.
Of course, the mother cat warms them with her body, the first weeks completely caring for them, licks. But by the end of the 3rd week, the owner can already feed the kids. By the 18th day after birth, some kittens lose their ears. But they are all born with perfectly ordinary, straight-standing ears.
Feed, comb immediately. Kittens are clean, their mother immediately teaches them where to go to the toilet.
They are taken from the cat at the age of two months. But it is better to wait until 2.5-3 months of age. At this time, they are slightly larger than the palm of a person and already have the color that is given by nature. Cats can weigh a little more than a kilogram, and cats up to 800 grams.
Bathing and combing a kitten
Part of the mandatory care is swimming. You need to train a kitten as soon as possible. Although cats themselves lick themselves, sometimes swimming is necessary. Especially when the cats begin to molt.
The water temperature should be at least 35 degrees. For bathing, the kitten needs to be prepared, special droplets are dripping into the eyes, and the ears are covered with cotton balls. Many cats and cats gradually become accustomed to such procedures and behave calmly, without scratching or breaking loose. For bathing you need a special cat shampoo, which will make the coat even softer. A particularly good shampoo is needed when the owner prepares the kitten for the show.
It is advisable to bathe your pet about once a month. Remember to sometimes wipe his eyes with cotton swabs. In addition to this procedure, the kitten still needs to be accustomed to the fact that sometimes its ears need to be cleaned and its claws slightly trimmed. From a young age, a kitten must also be trained to tear its claws only on a special claw-claw.
Since the hair is full of a fold kitten, it is also recommended to constantly comb it. The owners of the Scots love to take care of their pet. Since they are very calm kittens and usually do not scratch.
Which suits are popular?
Which Scottish kittens are valued? There are many suits of the Scottish breed. There are monophonic and two-color individuals. Ordinary gray colors are popular, but they prefer purely white or white with red Scots.
The most popular ashy kittens are of Scottish breed, but we also like red color, pure white, as well as cream tones, black and torbi.
There is a theory that pure white cats with blue eyes are often deaf, this may be due to the fact that their genes are weak. But they look very cute.
House for acquired crumbs
Before the appearance of the crumbs in the house, you need to take care of a personal place to relax. Cats sometimes need to be alone, like humans, and they seek a secluded corner. They can get into your closet with clothes, it is better that he has his own house.
It is not necessary to buy expensive soft corners, any kitten will be happy with the usual box, which the owner "equips" with soft upholstery inside. Near the house you need to put a scratching post.
When to vaccinate?
It is recommended to vaccinate a Scottish cat kitten from 3 months. There are a lot of viruses and bacteria right on your shoe. And your cat or cat, even without leaving the apartment, can become infected.
Before vaccination, the pet must be prepared. Be sure to give the baby an anthelmintic and look for his general well-being. If contraindications to vaccination are noticed, this procedure is moved to another time.
You can not vaccinate a kitten in the following cases:
- If the baby has lethargy and poor health.
- If he was recently operated on. After any surgical intervention, they are vaccinated only after 2 months.
- Antibiotics were used as a treatment.
- The vaccine is the one that was bought directly at the veterinary clinic, and not at the pet store.
What vaccinations are needed:
- Felovax. This comprehensive vaccine acts as a defense against 3 diseases: rhinotracheitis, chlamydia and calcivirosis.
- Nobivak Triquet is also over 3 months old. Protects from plague.
- At 6 months, they give an injection against lichen.
- At 13 weeks, a rabies vaccine is given and revaccinated per year.
Plague - one of the most dangerous diseases. Almost 50% of cases of illness result in the death of an animal. It is better to once again drive the kitten to the veterinary clinic and do all the recommended vaccinations.
Lop-eared kittens and straights
A Scottish cat kitten is born with ordinary straight ears. But after 10-20 days, some ears "fall", while others remain so, kittens with ordinary ears also need breeders.
They are called straights. Scottish straight kittens are required for breeding. Those who deal with such cats know that lop-eared kittens do not have enough calcium, and so that offspring have normal healthy genes, crossing two lop-eared animals is prohibited. Crosses and lop-eared are always crossed.
Highland fold and highland straight
Lop-eared Scottish kittens are called Scottish Folds. But there is another branch in the breed - long-haired Scots. They are called Highland Fold. Their ears are even smaller, and from under the long hair they are almost invisible. Highlands are sometimes born from a shorthair cat. But still they are trying to display them separately.
Highland is a beautiful area in Scotland. In the USA, these kittens are simply called longhair Scottish folds. They are also crossed only with long-haired or highland straights. Previously, these kittens were rejected from a pure breed. But in 1993, they nevertheless recognized and determined the norms for the exhibition. The color of the coat is recognized by anyone. And the color of the eyes, just like ordinary Scots, should ideally match the color of the coat.
How to find a kitten?
There are many sites on the Web where breeders place advertisements regarding the sale of animals. The site "Avito" is popular in St. Petersburg. Scottish kittens are sold there at different prices: from 6 thousand to 20 thousand rubles. Cheaper kittens do not have a pedigree, but are simply taken for home maintenance as a gift to children.
On the Avito website, Scottish fold kittens are often sold. This is one of the favorite breeds around the world. And Russia is no exception.