Highland fold

The Scottish Fold and the Highland Fold are two breeds of cats originating in Scotland, which are characterized by ears folded forward (fold meaning "fold" in English). The name Highland Fold is given to the semi-long haired variety while the short haired variety is called Scottish Fold. Genetics It has been established since the 1960s that the mutant gene responsible for folded ears is dominant. During crosses between Scottish Folds or between a Scottish Fold and another breed, we can therefore see cats with straight ears appear; these are named Scottish Straight, or may be considered to be of the breed of their "normal" parent. If folded ears do not cause deafness problems, we do know that the gene responsible for folded ears is sometimes the cause of calcifications, which can lead to paralysis of the tail and legs. For this reason, it is forbidden in many countries to cross Scottish Folds between them, and we prefer to mate them with similar breeds: the British Shorthair in Europe and the American Shorthair in the United States.

The earliest known specimen of a fold-eared cat is Susie, a female cat living on a farm in Scotland. She was discovered in 1961 by William and Mary Ross, a breeding couple, who later acquired Snooks, a female Susie kitten also with folded ears. They crossed one of the kittens of Snooks with a British Shorthair to keep a brevilinear morphology, and gave birth to the breed of Scottish Folds. During crossbreeding, the gene for long hairs manifested itself in some individuals, who took the name Highland Folds. In France, at the beginning of the 90s, the first Highland Folds were born in Perpignan at Michel BIGAS, Founder of the European Club of Scottish Fold and Highland Fold. In 1971, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) assumed (wrongly) that folded ears could cause deafness problems, and decided to no longer recognize the Scottish Fold in the UK. Mary Ross then had her cats sent to the United States where local breeders took over, the round mine of the Scottish Folds bringing them much success in America. The Scottish Folds were recognized by the ACA in 1973, and by the ACFA and CFA in 1974. TICA was the first to recognize the Highland Folds in 1988.

The Scottish Fold would have a calm and rather silent temperament, but it would nevertheless be very playful and would greatly appreciate being able to play with its owner. It is also said that he also enjoys the company of his fellows. However, the character remains individual and depends on the history of each cat, regardless of its breed.