Scottish Fold vs British Shorthair - Breed Comparison

The Scottish Fold is a domestic cat that has an owlish look to it. This is because of the natural dominant-gene mutation that affects cartilage in the cat.

The ears of the Scottish Fold cat folds in a weird way so that the cat has an owl-like look to it. These cats are also known as Highland Fold and Coupari.

It seems that the first Scottish Fold was a white barn cat with the name of Susie. When Susie had kittens, there were a couple of them born with these folded ears. A cat fancier registered the breed in the United Kingdom and in 1966 started a breeding program. These cats were later exported to America.

A cat breeder, Harrison Wier took a street cat of Britain and with an intensive breeding program, transformed it to the British Shorthair.

The British loved this beautiful pedigree cat. During the Second World War, the British Shorthair all but disappeared but re-emerged as a popular cat that is today accepted in cat registries around the world.

This is a medium-sized cat that weighs between 3 and 6kg. The entire body of this cat is of a rounded nature. The legs are also fairly short.

All Scottish Fold kittens are born with regular ears but within the first few weeks after birth, the peculiarity with the ears starts to come in. However, some kittens don’t develop folded ears.

The first cats had one fold but with selective breeding, some have 2 or 3 folds or creases so that the ears lie flat against the head. The cat has a round head and large, round eyes. These cats can have a long- or short coat which is thick and soft and the coat can be in a number of colors.

Temperament:

Your Scottish Fold is a good-natured, placid cat and adapts well to different homes and lifestyles. He gets on well with children and pets, becoming just a little bit more attached to the one who feeds him.

He ‘talks’ with quiet meows and purs. They’re playful cats and love to spend time outdoors. A climbing tree and stimulating toys will be a good idea for this energetic feline as he is active and curious. He won’t like being left for long periods though.

The British Shorthair is a medium to large-sized cat and he can be anything from 5 to 9kg. He has a short to medium-length dense coat that can either be a solid color, bi-color tortoiseshell or patterned.

The coat becomes thicker and longer in the winter. This is a robust, strong cat, being heavily muscled with heavy bones. The cat also has a broad chest with thick, strong legs. The ears are fairly small and the round eyes give him a totally amicable expression on his face.

Temperament:

The British Shorthair is an amicable cat and makes a superb companion as it's an easy-going cat that adores his human family, being loyal towards them.

The British Shorthair is an active cat and it is able to get by on his own for a few hours without human company. If you do work particularly long hours and you go out a lot, it will be kind to perhaps get another cat for him as a friend.

He is quiet and undemanding and because he is big and heavy he doesn’t like being carried around.

With his big, round eyes, the Scottish Fold has an amicable looking face and he is a friendly calm cat.

They love attention and get on well with children and pets who have been trained to be gentle around cats. It is also quite a vocal breed although he 'talks' in a quiet voice.

Because they thrive on pampering and attention, it is better for this cat not to be in a home where the owners are away at work all day.

The British Shorthair is such a companionable cat, being intelligent and affectionate, even though he isn’t a lapcat as such.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t love being around his human companions. He does and is loyal to them.

They’re laid back cats and are capable of getting on well with children in the home as well as with other pets. He just loves lazing around in the sun and can spend a few hours on his own without feeling anxious or lonely.

These cats are really great companions and they make themselves at home in different lifestyles, whether you live in the countryside or in town and whether you are single, a couple or a family with children and other pets.

Easy to care for, the British Shorthair cat is guaranteed to make you an excellent companion.

Perhaps one of the things to look out for with these cats is a disease known as osteochondrodysplasia.

This is a hereditary disorder of the bones and cartilage. The disease is caused by an autosomal dominant trait and a cat can inherit just one copy of the abnormal gene to have the disease.

Having this disease comes with other health issues and a cat with this disease will be reluctant to jump and may even become lame.

Whenever you suspect anything wrong with your Scottish Fold cat, get him to the vet just as soon as possible.

These beautiful cats are a robust, healthy type of cat breed and if you care well for him, you aren’t going to be taking him along to the vet too often. He can also live to be up to 20 years of age.

This cat has been bred with Persians in the past, so this should alert you to some of the diseases that this particular cat breed is susceptible to. It makes the cat a little bit vulnerable to polycystic kidney, an inherited condition in cats that causes cysts to form in the kidneys. They are small at first but they can grow bigger and actually result in kidney failure.

Scottish folds have thick fur and you should at least brush it once a week to get rid of dust and loose hair.

Keep your cat’s nails trimmed otherwise you could get a nasty scratch.

Provide your cat with a climbing tree as well as a scratching post as these are two things – climbing and scratching – that are in the nature of cats.

Provide your Scottish Fold with a litter box and make sure that it is kept clean and that you remove the feces every single day.

Provide your pet with stimulating toys as they are active, intelligent cats.

Protect your cat from fatal cat diseases by having him vaccinated. Your vet will inform you about which vaccines are best. Kittens need vaccines when they are between 6 to 8 weeks old These vaccines come in a series but you don’t have to stress, as the vet will give you a card with the date on which your kitten must return for his next vaccine.

Your Scottish Fold needs to receive the highest quality cat food there is as these foods are balanced with the right amount of vitamins and minerals. When it comes to commercial cat foods, you’ve got choices. You can choose wet or dry food or even combination – something to tempt the fussiest of cats. Cats are carnivores and their food needs to be almost entirely of meat.

The British Shorthair is a fairly large, robust cat but that certainly doesn’t mean he must be fat. Being overweight can bring about a range of health issues and you want to follow an appropriate diet for him ad see that he gets enough exercise.

When it comes to feeding your British Shorthair, always look out for the very best, most nutritious food there is as he is a big cat.

You want to ensure your pet gets enough protein as cats are carnivores - they’re meat eaters and they require chicken, beef and fish. You can give your cat some cooked egg as they are an excellent source of protein.

Be very careful not to be tempted to give your cat chocolates, grapes, nuts, onions or garlic as foods like this are toxic for your cat and can cause him pain and discomfort.

Remember to ensure that there is always a constant supply of fresh, cool water for your cat. If you’re wondering what to feed your cat or you have any other concerns, don’t hesitate to speak to your vet.

Brush your British Shorthair when he starts to shed his winter coat and trim the nails.

Do things for your cat that you would do for your own human child. This is your beloved fur-child and you want him to be happy and healthy.

Check inside his mouth to make sure there aren’t any loose or blackened teeth that could be causing him terrible pain. Also, check inside his ears for signs of redness.

Your British Shorthair is an elegant, clean type of cat so you want to keep his litterbox nice and clean for him.