Highland fold cats are a long-haired variant of the Scottish fold. What is striking about this breed is the appearance of its ears, with a characteristic forward fold of the auricular cartilage, causing the ears to lean towards the skull. It is an endearing, sweet, affectionate, intelligent and calm breed, but at the same time somewhat distrustful at first and independent. It is ideal for all kinds of places, it gets along well with children and other pets and its care is simple, although it is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of its ears and maintain its coat to avoid the formation of hairballs.
Keep reading this article on our site to find out all the characteristics of the highland fold, its origin, character, care, he alth and where adopt it if you want to.
Origin of the highland cat fold
The Highland Fold or Scottish Fold longhair cat breed comes from Scotland, a region of the United Kingdom. Susie was the first known cat with the fold gene for folded ears due to a spontaneous genetic mutation. Two years later, this kitten had a litter in which one of her kittens had the same characteristic in the ears. This gene was named "fold" and it was determined that it is a dominant gene responsible for the permanent folding of the ears at three weeks of age. At this time the Scottish fold breed was born and a program of different crosses with other breeds began, the highland fold breed appearing when were crossed with cats of the Persian breedIn addition, it was found that crossing two homozygous cats for the fold gene caused serious genetic problems. Today, only crosses with the American and British Shorthair are allowed.
The popularity of these breeds became much more important in the United States than in the United Kingdom, where they developed the breed into the cat we know today. In 1987 it was officially recognized by breed associations. As of 2010, cats born of Scottish or Highland descent are called Scottish or Highland fold if they have folded ears and Scottish or Highland straight if they are born with normal ears.
Characteristics of the highland fold cat
Highland fold cats are strong, robust, muscular and medium-sized cats. Males can weigh between 4 and 6 kg and females between 3 and 5 kg, both measuring between 30 and 35 cm.
Although the main characteristic of the highland fol is the appearance of its ears, it has other equally remarkable features. Thus, among its physical characteristics the following stand out:
- Round head, large and wide.
- Strong Chin.
- Thick cheeks that make the face very round.
- Large, round, sweet-looking eyes, which can be blue, gold, or green to match their cape.
- Broad, short and straight nose, with a profile characterized by a delicate curve.
- Ears with a characteristic forward bend, as close as possible to the skull and have a rounded tip.
- Short strong limbs with medium bone.
- Strong, thick, rounded feet.
- Medium-sized thick tail, with a slightly rounded tip.
Colours of the highland fold
The highland fold cat's coat is silky, semi-long and very dense. In addition, it has an inner and outer layer. As for colors, all possible ones are accepted, as well as all patterns. It has a good mane that surrounds the neck.
Highland cat character fold
In general, highland fold cats are affectionate, calm and intelligent, although they are also independent and fearful of strangers. Their tranquility lies in the fact that they love to rest while enjoying their home, they are not very active or restless, although they will not reject a dose of play. They are patient and quiet They also adapt well to circumstances, different types of homes, children, new tenants and animals. Of course, at the beginning they tend to be a little fearful and act with a lot of respect.
Despite not being a very dependent cat, he is very good at showing his affection to his caretakers, being a very sweet and familiar cat.
Highland fold cat care
In this breed it is especially important to clean the ears, specifically the auricle and the folds, because the fold of their ears tend to accumulate wax, which attracts infections, parasites and dirt and will make it difficult to hear.
Another important aspect to highlight in the care of the highland fold is the maintenance of its hair due to its long length, being key for the prevention of the formation of hairballs. Brushing should be done several times a week and every day during the shedding season to remove dead hair.
They are very calm cats, so the amount of daily calories may be lower than those needed for a medium activity cat, but the diet must be complete and of quality to ensure that they ingest all the essential nutrients in the right proportions to prevent deficiencies and ensure the correct internal functionality of the feline.
The same veterinary care will be required as for the rest of the breeds, being essential the vaccination and the deworming and blood pressure and kidney checkups from the age of 7, as well as in the presence of any clinical sign indicative of disease.
Highland Cat He alth fold
Despite being a generally he althy and strong cat, with a life expectancy of 13 to 15 years, the highland fold is homozygous for the fold gene, that is, it has both alleles of the gene, may present bone malformations derived from it, specifically a pathology known as osteochondrodysplasia This occurs when Two Highland Fold cats are crossed and not a Highland Fold with an American or British Shorthair. These malformations consist of shortening of the vertebrae of the tail and of the feet and hands due to the shortening of their bones (metatarsals, metacarpals and phalanges) and some even fuse and produce ankylosis of the joint or lack of movement that causes more pain and limp still. In these cases, the disease varies in each cat and the treatment will consist of analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotectors.
However, if the crossing has been done correctly, we should only worry about diseases that can commonly affect felines, so its prevention and routine visits to the veterinarian are very important for a early boarding.
Where to adopt a highland fold cat?
Highland fold cats are often hard to come by, especially if you're not in areas where they're most popular. If we have fallen in love with this breed and we are willing to take care of one and that it lacks nothing, adopting it is a good idea.
Although you can ask at nearby shelters or protectors, in most cases they will not have a kitten of this breed and it is best to contact breed associations. Likewise, remember that in the shelters you will also find mestizo cats willing to receive a second chance and some of them may present some or almost all the characteristics of the highland fold.
