Scottish chinchilla: color variations, character and conditions of keeping cats

The Scottish cat breed leaves few people indifferent. With an aristocratic appearance and huge eyes, she is an adornment of cat shows and the pride of breeders. The material in this article will acquaint readers with the peculiarities of the appearance of these pets, tell about their varieties, and also dwell on the key nuances of the content of funny plush cats.

The breed of Scottish chinchillas is considered young, the color is artificially bred, it originated from the long-haired Persians. The color, like the behavior of the animals themselves, is in many ways similar to the British relatives. During the breeding of the breed, to expand the gene pool, breeders took British cats for mating, including individuals with a chinchilla color. The name "chinchilla" bred cats borrowed from the color of small rodents.

The family tree of Scots with a chinchilla coat dates back to 1959, when a small kitten with drooping ears was born on one of the Scottish farms, which was named Susie. His mother was a British cat. After a while, the kitten came to the breeders William Ross and his wife Mary, who specialized in breeding the British.

In 1691, as a result of selection, the fold cat gave birth to its own baby, who was given the name Snooks. After 5 years (in 1966) the breed was officially registered with the GCCF. As a result of selection, not only fold-eared (Scottish Fold), but also straight-eared kittens (Scottish Straight) were born.

The breeders also performed mating of two lop-eared individuals, but as a result of it, babies with diseases of the musculoskeletal system were born. The bones of the skeleton also suffered from this mutation, as a result of which the joints thickened and were short, and the spine healed.

For this reason, felinologists have decided not to breed the breed. Therefore, breeders at one time were engaged in breeding Straight Scots. A little later, geneticist Neil Todd joined the breeding work, who, together with other breeders, eliminated the negative consequences when breeding the breed, while maintaining the lop-earedness. The solution to the problem was the selection of individuals for mating: folds were crossed with strikes. This is how the Chinchilla Scotsman appeared, which is still the reference standard for the breed.

European breeding was based on mating with short-haired British, which is why these representatives of the feline family have a more massive skeleton and large ears that are not particularly pressed to the head. Cats were admitted to exhibitions already in 2004, and it is still forbidden to cross two lop-eared individuals.

The appearance of the Scottish chinchilla is unique, so those who decide to have a kitten of this breed often choose a baby for a long time. It is customary to call chinchillas cats and cats of the breed with silvery shaded fur, although today plush aristocrats may have other colors. The appearance of the ears differs: they can be straight and hanging down, while directed forward and tightly pressed to the muzzle.

Besides the Scots, chinchilla color is possessed by the British and Persians. The standard prescribes clear requirements for appearance: the body of these cats is medium in size, it is compact with a wide bone. The back of individuals is straight, the paws are short, but powerful, have round pads. The tail of the Scottish chinchillas is thick and lush, but at the same time proportional to the body.

Cats have rounded shapes representatives of the breed weigh on average from 3 to 7 kg, the height at the withers can be up to 30 cm. The length of the coat of these pets can reach 12 cm, and there are many fine and silky hairs in the fur coat, the coat is quite thick and dense. A large number of individuals have a characteristic collar on the neck and shoulders. Among the individuals, there are individuals with a short coat length. The life resource usually does not exceed 10-15 years.

The head of the Scottish chinchillas with blue or green eyes is spherical, the forehead is convex, the cheeks are full, and the mustache pads are embossed. The eyes of the breed are large and wide open. The neck is not long, the ears are compact, have a high fit. Their ends in lop-eared cats are spread apart, at the tops they are pointed in females and rounded in males.

Chinchilla color can be divided into two varieties.

• Ticked. Abyssinian color or ticked coat means coloring each hair according to the gradient principle. In fact, the hair is colored in several tones and when the animal moves, it creates the effect of being colored in a different color.

In this case, ticking is not observed on the chest, abdomen and inner sides of the paws. Many cats have black eye rims. Most often, silver chinchillas are born with this color, but the color can vary. For example, some members of the breed are almost white and silvery, while others are golden or bluish-golden. At the same time, golden color in chinchillas is rare, tacoed golden kittens are more expensive than any other brothers of their breed.

• Shaded. Shaded color differs from ticked color: if in ticked color of cats, hair coloring is allowed for 1/8 of the length.Here the hair can be dyed in a specific color for no more than 1/3 of its entire length. Shading can be different: in addition to using silver, golden or red shades, their combination can be allowed. For example, a shaded coat can combine a golden coat with a creamy undercoat, or a combination of a silver coat with a white down.

By nature, Scottish chinchillas are aristocrats. Not contradicting their own principles, they do not stoop to conflicts with other pets living in the house. Quite sociable and peaceful cats prefer to get along with everyone, including dogs. However, if the need for protection arises, these cats will be able to stand up for themselves without unnecessary help.

Scottish chinchillas prefer not to show their affection. They do not allow themselves to be intrusive, they are distinguished by a restrained character, they do not like excessive squeezing. To some, these pets may seem phlegmatic, but despite their seeming indifference, they rarely refuse the opportunity to play with both the owner and his children.

They are moderately patient, they can wait for their master and miss him in his absence. When bored, pets can follow the owner, waiting for their portion of attention.

Chinchillas of this type are characterized not only by a royal appearance, but also by an outstanding intellect. They very quickly understand the rules established in the house, adapt to everything, including the lifestyle of the owners. Being inquisitive by nature, they often sit on the windowsill, observing what is happening on the street. If they have their own toys, they will always find something to do with their time in the absence of household members.

Unlike many other representatives of the feline family, Scottish chinchillas cannot stand stuffiness and lack of fresh air. The optimum temperature for them is from +21 to +25 degrees. You can bathe the Scots no more than four times a year using a pet shampoo. The water temperature should not exceed +40 degrees; to improve the quality of the coat after shampoo, you can use a conditioner.

After bathing, the cat must be placed in a warm place, wipe it with a towel and dry the coat. You can dry the coat with a hairdryer if the animal is not afraid of it.

If the animal categorically does not want to swim, it is better to purchase dry shampoo in the form of powder, spray or foam for washing. With this washing, the cat is first combed, then the agent is applied, after which the comb is again passed through the wool. Brush clean wool either with a regular brush or with a furminator.

The second comb is a kind of comb with a trimmer. It is especially necessary for a cat during its molting period. The furminator is selected taking into account the length of the coat and the size of the pet. And also when buying, they pay attention to the frequency of the teeth, which is important for a dense and thick fur coat.

Grooming cats of this breed is undesirable for aesthetic reasons. Considering that the claws of the Scottish chinchillas do not grind off, they have to be cut. This is done with a special device - a claw cutter, cutting off the keratinized part of the claw by no more than 1.5 mm. When a living part is injured, it is treated with hydrogen peroxide.

In addition to nail care, it is important to keep your chinchillas' ears and eyes clean. Considering that pets of this breed are prone to watery eyes, their discharge from the eyes is often oxidized, acquiring a brownish tint.It is necessary to remove them with damp gauze dipped in warm boiled water. As they become dirty, they also clean the ears, removing sulfur deposits with a cotton swab with vegetable oil or hygienic lotion.

Oral hygiene should also be monitored. Scots often have inflamed gums, so brushing your teeth is a must. It is necessary to brush your pet's teeth at least once a week, both from the outside and from the inside. A finger attachment or a special brush is used as a brush for cleaning. If the cat categorically refuses to brush his teeth, he is wrapped in a cloth, in extreme cases, cleaning is replaced by chewing the pillows to clean the teeth.

Timely preventive examinations and vaccinations are important. The kitten gets to the owner already vaccinated, but the veterinarian determines the further introduction of vaccines, giving the baby about two weeks to adapt to the new place. Periodically, cats are injected with a complex vaccine and given antiparasitic drugs. Prevention of worms is performed once a quarter.

Chinchilla Scots are fed premium industrial feed. For example, breeders consider good products Fitmin For Life, Brit Care, Summit, Blitz, Leonardo. However, some owners feel that commercial feed alone is not enough to keep cats growing and developing normally.

Therefore, lean meat (for example, boiled chicken or offal) is often included in the nutritional diet of their pets. And you can also add greens and vegetables to food, combining them with meat. Someone feeds fluffy pets with quail eggs and lean sea fish.

Nutrition should be balanced, appropriate for the age of the cat. If natural food is chosen as the basis for feeding, it is necessary to give the cat fermented milk products. Regardless of the type of food, the animal should always have a bowl of clean water. In the early days, it is better to feed the kitten with the usual food (what he ate in the cattery). It must be transferred to another nutritious diet gradually.

The grass is needed to get rid of hair that settles in the stomach after the cat licks itself. It is undesirable to mix food, because this upsets the digestion of pets. In addition, this can result in poor absorption of nutrients. Babies are fed 5 times a day, adult cats - no more than two or three.

Breeding chinchillas is difficult. The color is poorly maintained during breeding, in addition, it is not so easy to find a partner due to the small number of specialized nurseries. For knitting, you can pick up a British silver or golden color.

If in the future the cat will not take part in exhibitions, you can bring the pet with the Persians. Individuals that will take part in exhibitions need a special partner, in search of him you will have to contact the nursery.

You can start mating a cat after estrus, but at the same time its minimum age should be at least a year and a half. As for the frequency of mating, experienced breeders note that it is impossible to mate with a cat at every estrus. A cat's next estrus may occur immediately after childbirth (approximately on the fourth day). If there is a cat nearby, it must be removed so that neither he nor the cat itself accidentally injures the tiny kittens. The minimum interval between mating, according to experts, is 4–5 months. After mating, the behavior of the female changes, she becomes sleepy and relaxed. The belly begins to grow in about a month after interacting with the cat.

The duration of pregnancy in cats is 9 weeks. Two months after the birth of kittens, passports are issued for them.

To do this, they turn to a special club that can issue such documents. Documentation is required to legally breed and sell chinchillas. If the breeder is not interested in breeding Scots, the cat is castrated or neutered.

For 5 facts of the Scottish chinchilla breed, see below.