Scottish Fold vs British Longhair - 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.

The British Longhair cat hails from Great Britain. The cat is a longer-haired variety of the British Shorthair.

These British Shorthairs were interbred with imported long-haired varieties with the idea being to bring about a cat that was more compact and stout and with a rounder face. Today the British Longhair is an established longhair breed in its own right.

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 beautiful British Longhair cat is a medium-sized feline, leaning towards being a large cat with semi-long hair.

The cat, whether males or females can weigh between 4 and 8kg. It is robust and muscular with round paws and legs of medium length. The ears are smallish and round at the tips.

The color of the eyes can be different - browns, greens, blue, and grey. The colors of the coat can be blue, white, black, grey, calico, tabby, bi-color and tortoiseshell. The coat can be a solid color or it can be in different patterns. The fur is always medium length and silky with an undercoat.

Temperament:

The British Longhair has much the same personality as the British Shorthair – being calm, amicable cats who appreciate their human owners.

They’re adaptable cats too and are willing to get along with any other pets in the home as well. They’re playful and affectionate with their owners but don’t particularly like being held for too long.

Even though this is a docile cate, it is intelligent and will require mental stimulation. You’ll need to invest in a few ‘intelligent’ type of toys to keep your cat physically and mentally active. Take a look at the kinds of games where your cat will be required to ‘hunt’ for his food.

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 Longhair makes an awesome pet and can live happily with children, other dogs, and cats and all of his human family.

He isn’t a cat that wants to be picked up too often – he is independent but is willing and loving towards his humans.

For the friendship he offers, you’ll want to reward him for the joy he brings by providing well for him.

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 can be prone to obesity if kept as an indoor cat only and a cat that doesn't get enough exercise.

Obesity, an accumulation of excess body weight, is a preventable disease. It is necessary to prevent this obesity as it can reduce your pet’s life expectancy. Fat tissue is active, secreting inflammatory hormones and creating oxidative stress on the body’s tissue, and this is precisely what contributes to so many diseases.

The British Longhair cat can also be prone to renal polycystosis. This disease is where many pockets of fluid or cysts form in the kidney and if they grow large over time they can actually interfere with kidney function and this can bring on 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.

Because of the long hair, the British Longhair is going to require brushing as the coat can easily become matted, particularly as the coat thickens in preparation for winter.

You’ll need to brush the hair once a week, but perhaps more in peak shedding times. A gentle but firm brushing keeps the cat’s fur and skin in good condition.

Have your pet spayed and neutered to avoid unwanted kittens.

Take your pet to the vet as soon as he is unwell. He is part of your family now and must be treated as such.

Provide your pet with human companionship especially if you buy one of the more social cats.

If your cat is an indoor pet, provide him with a litter box ad be prepared to clean it every day.

Provide a clean, dry, comfortable bed in a quiet area.

Provide your cat with stimulating toys.

Vaccinate your cat against the major feline diseases. Also, have your cat dewormed.

Diet:

In terms of nutritional requirements, make sure that your British Longhair gets the very best cat food there is, whether you provide him with homemade food or you give him some of the excellent commercially manufactured cat foods there are.

There are wet- and dry foods and it's for your furry friend to decide which one he prefers.

Learn to read labels and make sure your cat is getting foods high in protein, after all, your cat is a carnivore.

Be sure that the food has lots of vitamins and minerals for his health. A cat also needs a constant supply of fresh, cool water.