Scottish straight cats: breed description, color types and content

Scottish cats are incredibly friendly, positive and lovable creatures. They get along well with people and become loyal friends.

Scottish Straights are one of the subspecies of the Scottish cat breed. They are sometimes compared to the British, this is due to the fact that representatives of the British and the Fold Scots were crossed to breed the breed.

The history of this breed begins with the Scottish Fold cat Susie. She was born with a genetic disorder, which caused her ears to be pinned to her head. This defective gene was passed on to some of the kittens from her litter. The history of the Scottish Fold breed began with them. But kittens born with straight ears gave rise to the Scottish Straight breed. However, breeders were not interested in straight-eared kittens for a long time.

The impetus for the development of the Straight Scottish breed was given in 1975, when a study was published on how and with whom to properly knit Scottish Folds. The fact is that if you knit two lop-eared representatives, then the kittens were born weak and painful, but if you knit them with straight-eared Scots or British, then the kittens appeared healthy. And to strengthen the genes of Scottish Straights, they, in turn, were mated with representatives of the British breed.

A new stage in the development of the breed began with the appearance of the Fold and Straight Scots in America. There, work was carried out to derive stable parameters and qualities of their representatives. Scottish Straights were mated there with a medium-sized American cat. Thus, two subspecies of Straight Scots appeared.

Interesting that Scottish Straights began to be registered as a separate breed only in 2004, before that they were referred to as a British breed. And although not all international associations and organizations recognized them as a separate breed, Scottish Straights can participate in international exhibitions with the code SFS71.

Representatives of Scottish Straights are divided into:

• on long-haired (Highland Straight, sometimes isolated as a separate breed);
• shorthaired.

Each registered breed has its own fixed parameters registered by the WCF. For Scottish Straights, the following indicators are considered fixed.

• The head is gracefully rounded. Slightly pointed ears are widely spaced (in kittens, 2-3 fingers of an adult are placed between them, and in adults - 3-5 fingers).
• The muzzle is oval and slightly flattened. Scottish Straights have large "hamster" cheeks and a long mustache. The eyes should be large. Straight Scots have a small and slightly upturned nose, while American representatives have a wider and longer nose (the result of crossing with an American cat). More recently, representatives of the breed have been registered with a large, long nose, uncharacteristic for the Scots. Due to the special structure of the muzzle, it seems as if the Scots are always smiling.
• The head is set on a short, powerful neck... Due to the density of the coat, it seems that there is no neck, and the head is attached directly to the body.
• The body is not very long, but strong and muscular... The front and back are approximately the same in width and volume.
• Feet are short and very strong. Small pads. The fingers are tightly pressed together.
• The tail is long and flexible.
• The Scottish coat is quite thick... Its length depends on the type of breed. In long-haired representatives, a kind of "collar" is formed on the neck, and "pants" on the legs.Cats are very soft to the touch. Some people compare the softness of wool to plush.

The color of Scottish Straights is very diverse. This breed has over 25 shades of coat color. Here are the most common ones:

• pure white;
• white with black and red dots;
• white with a golden tint;
• ginger;
• pure sandy color;
• sandy color with darker stripes;
• shaded color (light undercoat and tips);
• cream;
• smoky;
• marble;
• black color;
• black smoke;
• black interspersed with other colors;
• pure gray;
• gray with darker stripes.

Character is one of the important features of the representatives of this breed. Cats are very affectionate, calm and not vindictive at all. Even when transported to a new location, they remain calm and obedient. They are not aggressive, which makes it possible to have them in homes with small children. Representatives of this breed are very sociable and sociable. There have been cases when cats, living with people since childhood, adopted the human mode of life, habits and even intonation in their voices.

Scottish Straights prefer to be friends with their masters. They do not tolerate excessive affection, do not like to be squeezed or forcibly taken in their arms. Nbut at the same time they very much love to climb into the hands of the owners themselves. They become attached to a person and get bored if he is away for a long time.

Scots do not require special attention to themselves. Although they love to play and spend time with the owners. They are easy to train and train. But do not expect from them actions that are not typical for cats. The personal abilities of the animal also mean a lot for training.

One of the traits we see in Scottish Straights is importance. They consider obsession and unnecessary pranks beneath their dignity. But at the same time, straights are very sensitive and responsive animals. If the cat thinks that someone needs his help, he will immediately appear. And if the owner is in a state of irritation, he will try not to be seen.

But do not think that these animals cannot protect themselves. If they are wrongly brought up or pestered with excessive attention (and also if the child decides to play with the cat's tail), then they will show character without any problems. Do not forget that cats (even domestic ones) are still predators.

Like representatives of other breeds, straight-eared Scots know how to hunt mice. However, if the little friend has never hunted, and the mother cat has not taught him, then most likely he will treat the mouse like a toy.

Several factors can influence the character and behavior of an animal.

• The presence and behavior of children in the house. If the animal is constantly pestered, then it will grow twitchy and aggressive. Most likely, it will be difficult for the cat to make contact.
• The presence of other animals in the house... This is especially important if, in addition to a cat, a dog or another cat lives in the house. Scottish Straights prefer to build good relationships with all animals, but in the case of a dog or other cat, this will depend on their behavior. In addition, the fact of competition for the attention of the owners will be added.
• The atmosphere in the house. Scottish Straights love calmness and comfort. If there are always many guests in the house or the owners do not seek to maintain order, then the animal will be uncomfortable.
• Toys. Breeders note that kittens that have enough toys grow up more agile and not prone to gluttony. It is also important because through the game the kitten learns the world and improves its capabilities and skills.
• Sterilization. Animals that have undergone this procedure become calmer and lazy.

From all of the above, the following positive conclusions can be drawn:

• they are very open, friendly creatures;
• it will always be interesting with them;
• they are independent, but do not ignore the owners;
• another quality is that it is easy to perform with them at competitions and exhibitions.

But even such cute creatures have their drawbacks. We will list the main ones.

• Specificity and willfulness. If they don't like something, then you will know for sure about it.
• Excessive sociability. They like to accompany their actions with various "moore" and "meow". Some believe that this is how they attract the attention of the owner.
• And yes, they love to be the center of attention.
• Some owners note the animal's excessive affection. The cats literally never moved away from them.
• They do not like contact with strangers very much, but do not show aggression.
• Stubbornness. If Scottish Straight wants something, he gets it.

Scottish Straights live about the same as other cats. Their lifespan is 15 years, although individuals who have lived up to 20 years or more are often found. In the wild or outdoors, the lifespan is reduced to 5–7 years. The lifespan of domestic cats is due to a number of characteristics of the breed.

• Scots are prone to bone development problems. Because of this, in adult cats, paws may begin to hurt.
• Cartilage problems. Also manifests itself with age. This is a consequence of the fact that one of the kitten's parents has a genetic disorder associated with cartilage tissue.
• Scottish Straights are prone to obesity. With this disease, the pet becomes less mobile, often experiences problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
• A pet's weak point can be its ears. If you do not clean it regularly, excessive contamination and even abscesses will occur.
• Since cats brush their fur with their tongues, excessive fluffiness leads to problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

To extend the life of your pet, you need to follow a few rules.

• Nutrition should be balanced. It is advisable to feed your pet at the same time.
• It is necessary to vaccinate in a timely manner. Even if the animal does not leave the house, it can pick up the infection from the owners' street clothes and shoes.
• Periodic walks. They will help your pet to keep in good shape.
• Hygiene procedures should be carried out approximately 2-3 times a month. These include cleaning the ears and brushing the fur.
• The kitten should have enough toys so that it doesn't lose interest in outdoor games.

The owner's task is to take care of creating all the necessary conditions for keeping the pet. This requires taking care of timely vaccination, proper nutrition, timely mating, proper care and preparation of the premises for the appearance of the pet.

Taking care of a kitten is more difficult than taking care of an adult. This is due to the fact that the kitten requires more attention and is more susceptible to diseases. In addition, the development process of the body can be a source of poor health of the animal.

Immediately after purchasing a pet, you need to show it to your veterinarian.A professional will be able to tell about the individual characteristics of a little friend and draw up a schedule for taking the necessary medications and vaccinations.

To prevent the development of most dangerous diseases, you need to be vaccinated. They begin to make them at 8 weeks of life of the kitten. Considering that kittens from a mother cat are taken only at 8-10 weeks, vaccinations are done within a few days after purchasing a pet.

All vaccinations are divided into mandatory and recommended. Recommended vaccinations include rabies vaccinations (mandatory for cats going outside) and leukemia. Vaccination against leukemia is carried out twice: the first time at 8 weeks, the second at 12 weeks of life. But the rabies vaccine is not recommended for a kitten under 6 months old. In subsequent years, it is recommended to vaccinate your pet once a year. Mandatory vaccinations include vaccinations: against panleukopenia, calicivirus, chlamydia, rhinotracheitis. All vaccinations with the exception of chlamydia are given at 8 and 12 weeks. Chlamydia vaccinations are given at 16 and 18 weeks of a pet's life. In subsequent years, all vaccinations are given once a year.

While the kitten's body is not strong enough, more attention needs to be paid to the cleanliness of those objects with which it comes into contact. This applies mainly to the streetwear and footwear of the owners. It is recommended that you keep your pet out of the open door and wash the hallway floors with a disinfectant.

Toilet trays must be carefully handled. The filler must be renewed every time, be sure to completely clean the used one, after which the tray must be rinsed with warm water. About once every 3-4 days, kittens' trays should be treated with a disinfectant solution. After cleaning, the tray should be dried and refilled with filler.

If the kitten was born weak, then you can give him immunostimulating or antiviral drugs. To choose the right drug, you need to consult a veterinarian.

Worms become another danger for cats. They live in the body of almost every individual. If a straight-eared cat is healthy and strong, then the parasites have no opportunity to develop, but when the body is weakened, then the worms can get into the gastrointestinal tract, where they will develop. And even if the parasites cannot do serious harm to the body, they will still cause ailments. The weakening of the pet's body can be triggered by stress, illness, heat, pregnancy.

A characteristic sign of the appearance and development of worms is vomiting (of course, if the cat's body has not rejected hair or other foreign objects) or cough (without other signs indicating a cold).

A check for the presence of parasite larvae in the pet's body is carried out every 6 months. If they were found, then the veterinarian prescribes a course of treatment - usually it is 21 days - after which a second check is carried out. Another necessary measure is the disinfection of all objects with which the animal came into contact (toys, its bed, etc.).

Some owners need to trim the marigolds of their pets. This should not be done before 6 months.... And in the process of trimming the claws, you cannot touch the pinkish part. Damage to the capillary part of the claw can make your pet feel unwell. It is necessary to carry out this procedure with special nippers; they can be purchased in specialized stores. Before the procedure, the nippers must be disinfected so as not to accidentally infect.

Coat grooming is also very important.... The fact is that the Scots have a very thick coat, and often overgrow with an undercoat. To make it easier for the pet to lick its fur coat, the owners need to periodically brush the hair with a special cat comb.... This process can become a kind of pleasant communication with your pet.

There are several nutritional options for Scottish Straights.

• Ready meals. To date, a large number of ready-made mixtures are presented in stores. Manufacturers draw up a menu for pets based on all the substances and vitamins they need. However, it should be noted that in addition, some manufacturers may add addictive substances. If the pet eats such food for a long time, then over time, he will no longer eat anything except it.
• Homemade food. It consists in preparing individual dishes for the pet with your own hands. This is the best option for kittens. However, it takes a lot of free time.
• Combined menu. Includes a mixture of commercial and homemade food.

The choice of the type of food depends on three factors:

• time that the owners can devote to cooking;
• pet health;
• what the beast used to eat.

Let's take a closer look at how each type of food differs.

To create a natural menu, you will need to study the literature on what vitamins a little friend needs. Usually the natural menu includes steamed or raw vegetables, fish, eggs, dairy products, poultry, offal, cereals and cereals. Since cats are predators after all, the basis of their diet should be meat and protein (it is necessary to strengthen the skeleton).

The prepared food can be divided into dry and wet (bagged food). And in terms of quality, they are divided:

• for premium feed;
• super premium class;
• economy class.

Since Scots are very responsive to the composition of food, economy class food is not suitable for them. They can be used one-time, for a variety of meals.

To maintain the pet's body, it is necessary to supplement its nutrition with vitamin complexes. They are sold at veterinary clinics or pharmacies. There are vitamin complexes created specifically for the Scottish breed. In this matter, there is no difference between lop-eared and straight-eared representatives of the breed. In addition, it is worth growing special cat grass on the windowsill. The seeds of this herb are sold at pet stores. This will allow the animal to always receive fresh vitamins. You should not feed your pet with grass grown outdoors, as the stems may contain parasite larvae.

Special attention should be paid to drinking water. The pet should always have access to it. You can pour water into a bowl or a special drinking bowl. Many pets prefer to drink tap water. Also, for the representatives of the Scottish Straight breed, they celebrate the love for cooled tea.

Breeding kittens is a pleasant experience, allowing you to take part in strengthening this breed.

Sexual maturation of a straight cat falls on the 7-9th month. Nevertheless, it is recommended to carry out the first mating no earlier than a year and three to four months. At this point, the cat is ready to become a mother. If you hurry with the first mating, then this can lead to psychological trauma to the cat, loss of offspring.

The first mating is carried out during 2-3 estrus. The number of leaks per year may vary. Experts note that pedigree cats have much less of them than representatives of mixed breeds. The period of estrus for each individual is individual, but on average it is 4–6 days. Since there are also "early" cats, ready for motherhood before reaching one year, experts have introduced an optimal indicator of a cat's readiness.This indicator is defined as the achievement of a cat weighing 3 kg.

Determining the period of heat in a cat is quite simple. There are a number of signs by which one can recognize her readiness for motherhood.

• Will yell. In this way, the cat will call "gentleman". Contrary to popular belief, it does not always manifest itself. During the first heat, the cat can remain completely calm.
• Changing habits. For example, he will begin to roll on the floor, lie down on the floor and trample the floor with his hind feet.
• Can start to mark territory. This happens when she was left without a cat for several streams in a row. In this way, the cat will seek to indicate its presence for potential "gentlemen".
• During this period, the cat becomes relaxed. Even the most aggressive individuals allow themselves to be picked up during estrus.

To obtain offspring with parameters that meet the standard, you must adhere to the rules established by the WFS (World Federation of Cats).

Scottish straights are mated with Scottish folds. A Scottish Straight pet can be associated with the American version of this breed. Mating with representatives of the British breed is prohibited.

To obtain beautiful offspring, you need to select individuals with a similar color. For example, a good result will be obtained from mating individuals of sand and tortoiseshell color. But experiments with individuals of completely different shades (for example, gold and silver) usually end badly. Kittens are born with irregular colors or bicolor eyes. Since most buyers choose a pet for aesthetic reasons, these kittens will be difficult to sell.

Before sending your pet for mating, you need to ask the owners of the "gentleman" for all the necessary tests, as well as certificates of vaccinations. It is not necessary to happen to a cat with a cat, if his "ladies" are "conveyor", as cats also have sexually transmitted diseases. Even if the cat was healthy at the time of passing all the tests, he could pick up something from one of his “ladies”.

A cat's gestation period is about 9 weeks (56–64 days). Only a qualified doctor can determine the fact of pregnancy after 3 weeks. However, the owner should pay attention to possible changes in behavior. The cat will be more lazy, will visit the litter box more often, she may develop toxicosis.

Special attention should be paid to the place where the cat can give birth. You can determine the approach of the moment of birth of kittens by the following criteria:

• the cat becomes restless, refuses to eat, licks a lot, breathes often and drinks a lot;
• in 2–3 days the cat settles in the place that she chose for childbirth and does not leave it again.

Usually the cat is able to cope on its own, but if you see that bleeding has begun or the labor is delaying, call your veterinarian.

Names for girls:

• by the status of the eminent persons: Lady, Marquis, Countess, Princess, Viscountess, Queen;
• names of literary characters: Hermione, Ginevra, Lavender, Luna, Joe, Minerva, Lucy, Susan, Theloni, Cassandra, Lily, Glozel, Ashartha, Betty, Gail, Jadis;
• the names of the heroes of the films: Elizabeth, Jane, Katherine, Elizabeth, Gertrude, Arya, Anna, Emma, ​​Macbeth, Katnis, Louise, Josephine, Alice, Scarlet, Tess, Holi, Becky, Nancy, Shirley, Eliza, Mary, Lisabeth, Lisale, Dorothy, Matilda, Judy, Clarissa;
• just pretty names for cats: Berta, Sayuri, Masai, Verika, Rosa, Kama, Nili, Terry, Patchet, Amelie, Agipa, Stephanie, Ronessa, Cleo, Gaia, Ida, Shirley, Zara, Vesta, Lana, Nur, Fati, Della, Samia, Adelaide, Astra, Virginia, Beatrice, Vassa, Virginia, Sherl, Charlie;
• unusual nicknames for cats: Aquamarine, Pearl of Aslan, Artemis, Daphne, Ornela, Simona, Amelia, Verika, Jasmine; Aurora, Diana Audrey, Mei, Farah, Greta, Lavia, Onett, Rania, Levi, Lada, Melody, Amazon, Icicle, Muse, Hebe, Giselle, Augusta, Vasilisa, Isolde, Andromeda, Evredika.

Male names:

• unusual name for a cat: Apis, Ajib, Aikhi, Gliss, Xenon, Albus, Avalon, Genghis Khan, Bersek, Lazar, Lubomir, Viking, Ambrose, Black, Bree, Buddy, Charlie, Yudwig, Bacchus, Vissarion, Robinson, Cupid, Dragon;
• names associated with literature: Bruno, Sirius, Digori, Ouray, Roland, Aslan, Leo, Martel, Hermes, Gordius, Oracle, Helios, Ichthyander, Attil, Hades;
• just nice names: Archie, Marx, Amaris, Goga, Goshan, Cameron, Albert, Filch, Adam, Sphinx, Augustine, Asterix, Pechorin;
• by the status of the eminent persons: Marquis, Senor, Earl, Prince, Emperor, Baron;
• funny nicknames: Scotch, Octave, Schubert, Brawler, Jedi, Jacuzzi, Waltz, Webster, Erofei, Viking, Citrus, Baton, Neo, Dylan, Jingo, Zhmot, Zhuzhik;
• names of cats by their color: Snowball, Blond, Young, Peach, Garfield, Ginger, Gold, Belize, Gray, Archie, Cloud, Arctic, Snowdrift, Winter, Rainbow, Smoke.

Most owners note that representatives of this breed are very intelligent and easy to educate. Scottish straights are stress-resistant, not aggressive, they love attention very much. Some owners note pickiness in food and difficulty with paws and stomach in childhood.

At the same time, the Internet is replete with reviews about the obnoxious nature of animals. It is noted that kittens love to tear wallpaper and furniture. Due to the selfish nature, the affection of the owners towards other pets is very frowned upon.

All about this cat breed, see the next video.