Known recently as Taylor Swift's cats, the Scottish Fold cat offers easy care and are comfortable with all members of the family.

Scottish Fold - At a glance

Weight range:                   Male: large: >12 lbs.
                                         Female: medium: 8-12 lbs.
Eye color:                         Blue, Green, Gold, Odd-eyed
Expectations:                   Longevity Range: 9-12 yrs.
Social/Attention Needs:   Moderate
Tendency to Shed:           High
Coat:                                Length: Short, Medium, Long
Characteristics:               Straight
Colors:                         White, Blue, Cream, Red, Silver, Cameo, Brown, Bluecream, Tortoiseshell, Black
Pattern:                       Solid color, Tortoiseshell, Tricolor/Calico, Bicolor, Tabby, Ticking, Smoke, Shaded, Spots
Less Allergenic:                 No
Overall Grooming Needs:  Moderate, High

The Scottish Fold is a medium-sized cat with medium sized boning. She is a very round looking cat.

The head is round and the folded ears heighten that illusion of roundness. The eyes are very round, bright and clear. The legs appear round, as does the tail in comparison to its length. The short coat is easy to care for. Some registries allow a longhaired version of the Scottish Fold called the Scottish Fold Longhair. Their longer coats can vary slightly in texture, and require regular care.

Personality:
The Scottish Fold is a sweet, charming breed.  She is an easy cat to live with and care for.  She is affectionate and comfortable with all members of the family.  Her tail should be handled gently.  Some of these cats are known to develop stiffness in the tail that can cause pain if it is mishandled or accidentally handled in a rough manor

Living with:
Care should be taken with the nutrition of the Scottish Fold.  This breed has a roundness about it to begin with and she should not become overweight.​ She is a good eater and is not as active as other breeds, so nutritionary control is critical

The Scottish Fold needs some interactive play with her parent in order to keep in good condition. While the coat is an easy one to care for, she appreciates being brushed as part of play.  As the Scottish Fold ages, play gently with the tail, moving it from side to side, and up and down. If any stiffness is noticed or if she appears to be in pain when the tail is manipulated, she should be taken to the veterinarian to make certain she is not suffering from arthritis.

History:
Cats with drooping ears or folded ears are ancient. The first word of one goes as far back as 1796. In this year, an English sailor brought back one of these cats when he returned from China. The Chinese also contributed the second example of a folded ear cat to the cat fancy history when one was noted in 1938.
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But the Scottish Fold as we know her today was first born in 1961 in Pertshire, Scotland. There, a kitten with folded ears was discovered in a litter of otherwise "normal" eared kittens. This kitten, named Susie, was then bred to domestic cats and British Shorthair cats to establish the folded ear. To this day, every Scottish fold can trace her ancestry to Susie.
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While the British established the Scottish Fold as a breed, she has never been as popular there as she is in the United States. Not only did Americans fall in love with this breed, but developed the breed into the beautiful cat she is today.
The Scottish Fold is difficult to breed. The folded ear cat must not be bred to another folded ear cat. Allowable outcrosses, in addition to a straight-eared cat, are the American Shorthair and British Shorthair. If two folded eared cats are bred to each other, the resulting kittens can be impaired to the extent of having difficulty walking. Even with this outcross, Scottish Folds tend to have small litters and not all of these kittens have folded ears.

Photo by Omar Ram on Unsplash

2. Negative Experiences
​Another reason cats may not care for water is because of negative experiences — or lack of experience — with it. If your cat’s only exposure to water was being trapped in a downpour, forced into a flea bath or squirted as a disciplinary measure, it’s hardly surprising that they’re not fond of it.

Felines that aren’t accustomed to water may also shy away from it because cats are creatures of habit and they typically don't enjoy surprises.  Cats that have received regular baths since kittenhood, or those that have warmed up to water on their own terms, may love to join you for a dip. However, trying to force a cat into water will likely initiate the animal’s fight-or-flight response, potentially injuring you and your cat — and making your pet wary of both you and H2O.