When folds ears can go up
There are a number of reasons why a fold-eared cat's ears may be erect. If a healthy adult animal slightly raises the tips of its ears, this is considered normal.
An attentive owner will quickly assess the situation and identify the reason that caused such a reaction in the Scottish Fold:
- Excitation is a very powerful mechanism that causes all senses (vision, smell, hearing and others) to become active. Depending on the motivator, these components can act simultaneously or only some of them are included in the work.
- Stress is the second most important element of influence. It is provoked by multiple reasons, including pain, danger, irritation, and resentment.
The two reasons mentioned above must be taken as the main triggers, and all subsequent ones only use the mechanisms inherent in them:
- the reason for a short-term raising of the ears may be hunger, during which the kitten experiences stress;
- During active games, the nervous system comes into a reactive state and forces the cat’s body to quickly assess the situation - the hearing immediately comes into play, the ears rise and fall.
- a sharp loud sound in the room or outside the window - the body will definitely force the cat to assess the level of danger.
Important! Experts recommend purchasing fold-eared kittens at the age of 3-4 months. The fact is that little Scots' ears can drop and rise again, and even the breeders themselves at birth do not know for sure whether the baby will have fold ears. And by 4 months, all transformations have already been completed, the tips have risen or pressed against the head, and will remain in this position forever.
Characteristics of the Scottish Fold
A true Scottish Fold is the dream of every person who wants to have a gentle and calm creature in their home. These character traits are manifested in cats not only in their usual home environment, but also at exhibitions and presentations, where many felines show anxiety and nervousness. A kind character and balanced disposition are one of the distinctive advantages of these pets.
The Scottish cat easily adapts to a new environment and also easily accepts a new person in the house. That is why the animal painlessly endures any trips, moves and holidays, during which many guests appear in the house.
Pets never show excessive hyperactivity. They do not climb curtains or jump on cabinets, preferring a peaceful life next to their beloved owner. Cat habits in the form of interesting poses and displays of tenderness attract attention and touch anyone who watches the animal. Cats are able to stand on their hind legs like gophers. The animal takes this stance especially often when it cannot see something. Even while sleeping, your pet can take an unusual position on its back.
A significant plus of character is the cats' livability. They can withstand proximity to any other pets. Moreover, their aura of calm and nobility somehow magically affects even dogs, who often do not like cats.
The Fold cat can be safely adopted by families with small children. They calmly and happily accept the games of their little owner. But if there are a lot of children in the house who love noisy games, then it is advisable to get only a grown-up kitten, whose age has reached one month. A very small Scottish Fold may be frightened by too loud noises and fuss.
Scottish Fold kittens are easy to train. Good intellectual abilities and a flexible body help them quickly master simple tricks and tasks. A pleasant bonus for anyone who gets a Scottish Fold cat is that they quickly become accustomed to the litter box.
Despite the fact that representatives of this breed do not like loneliness, they do not show excessive intrusiveness. Cats often follow their owner and enjoy spending time on their hands or lap, making sounds of pleasure as they do so. It is worth noting that fold-eared cats do not typically purr. The voice these creatures make is more like a very quiet creaking sound.
Why do the fold-eared kitten's ears rise up?
The reasons why a lop-eared cat's ears are straightened can be caused by genetic predisposition, exposure to external factors, and changes in the pet's health (for example, pregnancy in the cat).
Genetics
Breeding rules require breeders to pair straight-eared and fold-eared animals. Then babies have no predisposition to a number of diseases. In this case, both folds and straights are born in the same litter.
Fold ears are classified according to the number of folds:
- One fold - the kitten is a carrier of the gene for lop ears, but the ears can straighten.
- A double fold is an indicator that the kitten is likely to have fold ears.
- A triple fold is an ideal option, in which the ear fits tightly to the head and will probably remain in this position for life.
In the first two cases, the ears of Scottish Folds will either stand up or fit loosely to the skull.
Heat
Even atmospheric phenomena can affect the shape of a kitten’s ear. For example, a fold-eared kitten may have straightened ears when exposed to high temperatures. This is how the pet’s body regulates heat exchange to prevent overheating. But there is no need to worry, the effect will be short-lived and soon the hearing organ will return to its normal state.
In cool weather or when exposed to air from an air conditioner, your pet's ears may temporarily droop and cover the ear canal. True, this only happens in cats with the lop ear gene and the presence of 1-2 folds.
In this case, moving cartilage tissue obeys the commands of the central nervous system, which is influenced by changes in the external environment.
Pregnancy and lactation
Bearing and giving birth to kittens is another reason why a normal fold-eared cat may have permanently erect ears. This happens infrequently and is associated with changes in internal processes caused by pregnancy. Most often, this phenomenon occurs during feeding of the offspring, and upon completion, the ears take on a normal shape.
The only logical explanation is that the cat is forced to control the babies every minute and during this period she is constantly in an excited state.
Scottish Fold nutrition
A healthy and nutritious diet will make your pet of this breed energetic and cheerful. You can feed your cat either prepared food or cook your own food. Include the following foods in your animal's diet:
- containing a lot of protein and iron: these include beef, which is lightly boiled;
- chicken lungs, kidneys, heart (like beef), chicken or beef liver can be given once a week;
- sea fish. It should be low-fat and always boiled; in exceptional cases, you can cook river fish;
- fermented milk products with minimal fat content;
- porridge with milk or meat;
- boiled eggs.
During the active growth of your pet, if you feed him exclusively natural products, be sure to give him special vitamin complexes. Scottish Folds tend to be overweight
, because they love to eat, so it is necessary to regulate the animal’s diet in order to prevent overfeeding.
Important!
Eating only the same type of food can cause problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Is it possible to artificially lower the ears?
The opinion that a kitten's ears can be lowered artificially is erroneous. In this case, we are talking about unscrupulous breeders who try to pass off straights as folds or sell young animals at an early age (1-2 months).
It is during this period that the raised ears of lop-eared kittens can drop and straighten again, and inexperienced owners try by any means to consolidate the desired effect.
Whether the ears of Scottish cats droop or remain erect depends only on natural factors. Even experienced breeders are unable to predict the number of fold-eared kittens in a new litter. Only in established pairs that have mated repeatedly and have common offspring can we expect a repetition of previous indicators.
In addition, owners of young cats need to know that the external and internal signs of Scots are not the same:
- Straight-eared animals have the fd gene, which clearly affects the structure of the auricle;
- Fold ear is determined by the fd gene, but not every carrier of it is born with fold ear.
A cat with straight ears may be a carrier of the fd gene for folded ears. In this case, it cannot be used in breeding along with folds - the offspring will be at risk for hereditary diseases of the bones, spine and joints. But paired with an Fd owner, such a mother or father can give birth to beautiful fold-eared kittens that can decorate any felinological exhibition.
So there’s no point in giving up on a fold-eared kitten whose ears never drooped. And to avoid disappointment, it is best to purchase Scottish Folds at 4 months of age. By this time, the ears are already fully formed and the chances of their further change are zero.
In all other areas there is no significant difference between Straights and Folds. They are friendly, loving, extremely comfortable, and sometimes even overly intrusive in their irrepressible desire to constantly be near a person.
When properly bred, such cats are distinguished by good health and enviable longevity.
Degrees of lop ears in Scots: 1 fold
In the case of one fold, we can roughly say that the ears are folded in half, as if the fold is closer to the tip. As a result, the ears turn out to be raised above the contour of the head - and it no longer looks 100% spherical. With a very mild degree of lop ears, the ears even look not like they are slightly raised, but like they are slightly drooping. This effect is considered bad, since, according to the observations of breeders, most likely, such ears will subsequently stand up almost completely with a very high degree of probability.
One fold on the ear should cause the cat to become cheaper, because he risks joining the ranks of those with so-called helicopter ears, when they are neither this nor that.
Conditions for a pet
Try to satisfy all the needs of your pet in the conditions of detention, since in any case he will find a way to satisfy them. If the cat jumps on the table and takes food from it, buy a tasty ready-made one and serve it only on the floor.
The Scottish Fold sharpens its claws on your sofa or wallpaper - let it until you buy him a scratching post (stand or board). If you want to wean your animal not to sleep in your bed, buy a house for your cat that is located higher up.
To improve the physical activity of your lop-eared friend, buy him toys, play with him yourself more often, take a laser pointer. An important thing in caring for a cat is the toilet. Buy a tall tray with absorbent filler.
If you bought a litter box trained kitten, there will be no unpleasant smell in your house. Some owners of pets of this breed manage to accustom them to the human toilet; this is not so difficult, since Scottish Folds are easy to train. However, if you plan to take your pet to shows, it is better to train him to the litter box.
When ears drop: timing
After birth, a kitten’s ears do not yet acquire the necessary shape, so it is difficult to draw conclusions about what kind of cat was born. In a fold-eared cat, already on the 18th day after birth, folds form, and the shell itself is slightly tilted forward, opposite from the top of the head. The number of days can range from 21 to 24 days. The most preferable is a triple degree of ear bending. Both hearing organs must descend.
If the ends do not fall equally or unevenly, then over time they may stand up completely. Ears also rise when there are less than 1-2 folds, so the standard kitten should have 3 of them. It is best to see that the ears are erect or curled when the small cat is 3-4 months old. However, breeders recommend adopting a lop-eared baby at 4-5 months, when the teeth change and the baby's fur falls out.
A peculiar characteristic that attracts the attention of others to the Scottish Fold domestic animal is the drooping ears. Some members of the family may lose their interesting features, and this may be preceded by a variety of factors.
