Scottish Shorthair Temperament:

adorable, very quiet, affectionate Cost:

$500 (vaccinated and micro-chipped) Lifespan:

average 15 years Maintenance:

low Recommended for:

families, singles, apartments

BREED: Scottish Shorthair cat

COSTS: $500 (desexed, vaccinated, micro chipped)

GROOMING: Double coat needs a brush once weekly.

CHILD COMPATIBILITY: Very good with children.

TEMPERAMENT: Placid and affectionate.

ACTIVITY LEVEL: Not an active breed. Quiet.

AVAILABILITY: Not many breeders. Waiting lists may apply.

TRAINABILITY: Can be taught to walk on a lead.

DUMPAGE RATE: Not reported.

AGGRESSION: A passive breed.

HEALTH & LIFESPAN: Healthy and robust. Up to 15 years.

NOISE: A very quiet breed.

INDOORS POTENTIAL Ideally suited indoors.

IDEAL FOR: Apartments. Elderly.

POPULARITY: Not a well known breed.

TURN-ONS: Happy indoors. Quiet.

TURN-OFFS: Not as interesting as the Scottish Fold.

INTERESTING FACTS: Closely related to the Scottish fold.

The Scottish Shorthair is the straight or ‘pert’ eared progeny of the Scottish Fold cat, a breed so named because its ears are folded over. Confused? How does this work? The folded ears were the result of a spontaneous genetic mutation in a single kitten born amongst a litter of pert-eared kittens. A deliberate breeding program ensued, and resulted in the Scottish Fold breed. However the nature of the mutation is such that cats with folded ears cannot be mated together without risk of other related deformities in the progeny. So, a fold cat is mated with a straight-eared cat, and because it is a recessive gene responsible for the mutation, about half of the litter will have folded ears and the remainder will have straight ears. Hence, the Scottish Shorthair. Apart from the ears, the cats are for all intents and purposes identical. So if you don’t fancy a puss with folded ears, but love the temperament, go for a Scottish Shorthair.

In 2002 the Scottish Shorthair became a fully recognised breed in Australia.

Appearance
Not an overly large nor petite cat, the Scottish Shorthair has an evenly balanced and ‘rounded’ frame. The head is also a round shape, with a short neck and prominent cheeks with a jowly appearance in males. Eyes are large and correspond with the coat colour, which is many and varied.

Much like the British Shorthair, the coat is dense, plush, medium-short and soft in texture.

Temperament
Not an active cat, the Scottish Shorthair’s calm, placid nature makes it ideally suited for life indoors. A good apartment breed, the Scottish Shorthair isn’t demanding or overly vocal.

Health and lifespan
To date, there are no particular breeding concerns and the Scottish Shorthair has an expected lifespan of 10-15 years.

Maintenance and cost
The double coat should be brushed weekly. But if you allow about 15 minutes per week for grooming, there is little else required. A vaccinated, micro chipped and desexed cat will cost around $500.00

Recommended for
If you're interested in a Scottish Shorthair, you may have to be patient. There are not many kittens to each litter, and not too many breeders. Its loving disposition and quiet nature makes the Scottish Fold a great companion for families, elderly and those in apartments. 

Further information

We filmed this segment in Hilltop, south of Sydney with Scottish Fold breeder Bradley Curtis (02) 4889 8538. For breeders in your state contact your respective Feline Association.
NSW VIC

The New South Wales
Cat Fanciers' Association Inc.
Phone: (02) 9834 6577
Waratah National Cat Alliance Inc.
Phone: (02) 9544 1910

Cat Authority of Victoria Inc.
Phone: (03) 5231 4340
QLD SA

Queensland Feline Association Inc.
Phone: (07) 3260 6575.
Queensland Independent Cat Council Inc.
Phone (07) 3245 5764

Governing Council of the Cat Fancy of South Australia Inc.
Phone: (08) 8449 5880 TAS WA

Phone: (03) 6243 7521
Cat Association of Tasmania

Feline Control Council of Western Australia
Phone: (08) 9453 2141 N.T.

Cat Association of the Northern Territory
Phone: (08) 8947 6976 

Copyright CTC Productions 2004