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Are you looking for a purrfect pet companion that will melt your heart with their adorable looks and warm personality? Look no further than Scottish Fold cats! With their unique folded ears and friendly demeanor, these feline friends are sure to steal your heart in an instant
Not all Scottish Fold kittens are born with folded ears. For those born with straight ears, the typical ear shape often starts to develop when the kittens are around three to four weeks old. And by the time they reach four months, their ears will have their final shape.
Scottish Fold cats are known for being good companions because of their gentle, affectionate, and sociable nature. When it comes to personality, Scottish Fold cats are some of the friendliest around. They love spending time with their favorite humans and are always up for a cuddle or a game.
They are good with children and other pets, and can make ideal family pets.
Scottish Folds are also known for being easy to socialize and train, making them good apartment companions. One of the best things about Scottish Folds is that they adapt well to almost any situation. Whether you live in a small apartment or a large house, these cats will be happy as long as they have plenty of human interaction. If you’re looking for a laid-back, affectionate companion, then a Scottish Fold is definitely the cat for you!
Scottish Fold cats are:
Social: They enjoy human company and bond deeply with their owners, often following them around and wanting to be involved in activities.
Playful: They enjoy playing games and exploring, and also like cuddling.
Energetic: They have an even temperament and are more energetic than lap cats, but not abnormally active.
Don't like being left alone: They can get bored and destructive if left alone for too long.
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Cats do love their humans, even if sometimes they have a funny way of showing it. In fact, they form strong attachments to their owners and display their emotions very similar to humans. Just like people, cats can show their love through understanding and concern for others. In some instances, they have been known to risk their lives for their owners, protecting them from dangers like poisonous snakes or other hazards. Cats can also detect when their owner is upset and will often console them or, in some cases, even lick away their tears! Some cases exist where an owner left or passed away, and the cat exhibited signs of distress like sitting and meowing at the owner’s bedroom door, going into hiding, even refusing to eat. But perhaps some of the most incredible evidence that cats do get attached to their owners is in the cases where cats have traveled miles upon miles to places they’ve never been in order to find their person.
Afectionate Cat BehaviorIf our cat isn’t traveling cross country for us, how do we know they love us? What are some telltale signs and affectionate cat behavior? Well, cats have a reputation for being aloof and rather unaffectionate, but the truth is, that’s not always the case! They just show their love in many different ways. You might mistake their request for attention as a request for food, or you may see their tail standing up and assume it’s a sign of hostility rather than affection. Here are some other examples of affectionate cat behavior:
– Headbutting and rubbing the sides of their face on you
– Rubbing up against your ankles
– Jumping up on counters/furniture to get closer to you
– Kneading (some call it “making muffins”)
– Purring
– Trills
– Mews
– Chirps
– Curling up in your lap
– Grooming/licking
– Happy/excited to see you
The Science
A study published in the journal Current Biology did a deep dive into this topic and discovered that cats see their owners as more than just a source of food; they are also a source of security and comfort, too. The research found that cats form attachments with their humans similar to those that dogs and even babies form!The study utilized 108 cats — 38 adults and 70 kittens — and placed them in a room with their owners individually. The owner would leave the room after a few minutes, then return, and the cat’s response to their return was recorded to determine the type of attachment style it had to its owner (secure or insecure attachments). The results showed that around 64% of the cats were secure in their attachment, trusting that their owner would look after their needs. This also debunked the myths that cats are solely standoffish, emotionally distant, and unable to bond with their humans. “We’re looking at cats through dog-colored glasses,” said cat behavior and wellness expert Jackson Galaxy to NBC News in response to the research, and he’s absolutely right! Most cats won’t wag their tail or jump excitedly as you walk through the door, but they are capable of loving us, bonding with us, and attaching to us nonetheless.
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Preparing to Bathe Your Kitten
- Start by taking a wet washcloth and gently wiping your kitten with it. If your kitten isn’t immediately accepting of this, try offering tasty treats or wet food while wiping it. Be sure to wipe not only its back but also its head and feet.
- If your kitten doesn’t mind the wet washcloth, fill a cookie sheet with water to create a shallow pan for your kitten to stand in. Coax your kitten to walk into the pan of water by offering treats or gently place your kitten in it while giving it treats. Repeat this as long as necessary until your kitten is comfortable in the standing water.
- Next, try combining the two methods: wipe your kitten with the wet washcloth while it also stands in the pan of water. Continue offering treats and employ the help of a friend if necessary. If your kitten seems scared or stressed, stop and try again later. Especially stressed or anxious kittens may benefit from the use of a behavioral supplement or pheromones designed for anxious cats.
- Once your kitten seems comfortable in a shallow pan of water, try drizzling water from your hand over its back and head. Slowly work your way up to using a small cup of water and gently pouring some water onto your kitten while petting it and continuing to give it treats if necessary. Your kitten is now ready for bath time!
What You Need
Now that your kitten is used to water and ready to get a bath, make sure you have all the supplies you need:
- Bathing container: A sink, bathtub, or another container, such as a storage bin, should be used for bath time with your kitten.
- Cup: You’ll need a small cup to gently pour water over your kitten in order to wet it and rinse the shampoo off.
- Kitten-safe shampoo: Ideally, you’ll want to use a shampoo designed for kittens. It will be tearless and formulated especially for felines. If you don’t have kitten shampoo on hand, you can use baby shampoo or gentle dish soap.
- Treats: Have treats or canned kitten food ready to distract your kitten if it starts to get anxious.
- Towel: A dry, soft towel should be ready to dry your kitten off as soon as bath time is over.
Bathing Your Kitten
Once your kitten is used to water and you have all your bathing supplies ready, you can give your kitten a proper bath. Fill the bathing container/sink with a couple of inches of warm, not hot, water. Make sure the water isn’t too deep for your kitten. It should only be up to its knees.
Place your kitten gently in the water and start using the cup to pour water over your kitten to wet it, starting from its hind end and working up to its head. Take a dime- to nickel-sized dollop of shampoo and gently massage it all over your kitten. Then rinse your kitten using the cup. Once all the shampoo is rinsed off, take your towel and gently pick up your kitten and dry it off.
Your towel should do all the drying work but if you need to, you can use a pet dryer as long as it has a warm or cool setting. Do not use a hairdryer if it only has a hot setting as this could dangerously overheat your kitten.
Preventing Problems With Your Kitten During Bath Time
Avoid submerging or putting your kitten under running water during bath time, as this may scare it. If it starts to get scared, try giving it treats or take a break and remove the kitten from the water and wrap it in a towel. Work as quickly as possible, without stressing out your kitten, to avoid your kitten from getting too cold.
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The Scottish Fold cat is gentle, intelligent and docile. Extremely flexible and well-adjusted, the Scottish Fold cat is also very affectionate. And though it can get extremely attached to you, it will not be a pest or a nuisance. Like many other cats, it enjoys playing, but is especially responsive to training.
Loves to perch on laps or next to their favorite people. Sweet temperament and quiet, soft voice. Enjoys sitting up on its hind legs in a look that resembles an otter or flopping on its back when napping.
Does not enjoy being home alone and benefits by being paired with another cat or other pet. Adjusts to new surroundings like hotel rooms and new people relatively easily. Somewhat playful and will enjoy an occasional game of fetch. Welcomes the company of children and family dogs.
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The reality is that behind all of the warm cuddles and purring is an animal that improves mental health by decreasing stress, offering companionship, purring the pain away, and serving as a therapy animal.
Cats are Stress Relievers
Adopting a cat is basically like adopting a walking, meowing, sassy, stress reliever. Cats are shown to relieve stress in a number of different ways by simply being themselves. When you’ve had a hard day, coming come and spending some time petting a fuzzy feline can cause your body to produce stress reducing hormones. When you do so, your heart rate and blood pressure decrease and your anxiety levels normalize.
Many people benefit from a relationship with a pet. Both cats and dogs – along with a slew of other stress reducing activities, have helped college students during finals week because they offer powerful stress relieving properties. Hospitals and nursing homes are other common places where cats are helpful to patients in stressful settings. Sitting with your cat and petting them can have a lasting, positive effect on overall health.
Cats Make Great Companions
An added benefit to having a cat is the feeling of companionship, and how that friendship positively affects mental health. Having a cat can help people with feelings of loneliness and provide purpose. Having an animal react to you, rely on you, and love you in such a simple and pure way can elevate positive mental health. The relationship established with a pet is one that offers predictability, encouragement, and positivity, which can be a big help for many that may experience negativity within human relationships.
In the same way that friendships, family, and romantic relationships can prove to be positive (as long as they are healthy), animal relationships can also provide an abundance of mental health benefits. Whether a person suffers from mental health issues or not, having a relationship with an animal is rewarding. Knowing your furry little one is waiting for you at home can give purpose to one’s life and combat loneliness. And as long as you offer plenty of gentle petting and yummy treats your cat will reward you with head boops, purrs and lap naps. Human and cat are both happy.
Cats Have the Healing Power of the Purr
A cat purrs within a range of 20-140 Hz which is known to be medically therapeutic for illnesses in humans. A cat’s purr can not only lower stress it can also help labored breathing, lower blood pressure, help heal infections, and even heal bones. For some it can be difficult to legitimize the positive effects on mental health that a cat can offer. But studies have shown and proven the physical effects are real. So it isn’t a far stretch to imagine that if purrs can help heal bones, they can positively impact the effects of stress and anxiety. Any cat owner will tell you how relaxing it is to pet a sleeping cat and listen to their purrs – it’s not just in your head (so to speak).
Cats Make Great Therapy
AnimalsTherapy animals are highly effective in so many settings, some of which were already discussed. In schools, hospitals, and addiction centers, pets are routinely used for therapy. Horses are popular in addiction settings as a therapy animal due to their need for trust and creating a bond. Dogs are popular therapy animals for soldiers suffering from PTSD – they offer similar calming effects that cats have on their owners. Those that suffer from dementia, have experienced sexual assault, or even those that suffer from seizures use and appreciate therapy animals on both an emotional and physical level.
Cats are beneficial to us from a mental and physical health perspective.
Because of a cat’s ability to calm us, lower our stress levels, and offer companionship, they are great therapy animals for a wide variety of uses and patients. While a cat isn’t a substitution for medication or therapy, there’s no denying the subtle positive effect on mental health.Cats are loving and affectionate animals – despite having a reputation for being aloof and headstrong. Every cat is different, but for cat-people especially, we love and celebrate their unique personalities and idiosyncrasies. Little did we know, cats help our mental health just by being themselves. Their ability to reduce stress, offer companionship, heal with purrs, and offer their services as therapy animals makes them the ideal champions for mental health. So next time your cat rubs its body against you, give her a loving pat and thank her for her role in helping your mental health stay positive.
SCOTTISH FOLD & BRITISH SHORTHAIR MAGICAL PANDORA CATTERY
AVAILABLE KITTENS SCOTTISH FOLD & STRAIGHT, BRITISH SHORTHAIR & LONGHAIR, SEATTLE, WA, USA