Lop-eared British And Scottish: Key Differences In Appearance, Character, Photo, How Do British And Scottish Cats Differ

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

How do British cats differ from Scottish ones?

British and Scottish cats are often confused with each other. The thing is that they have common ancestors. For a long time, representatives of the breeds were allowed to cross in order to improve the exterior and give the characteristic features of the physique. However, now this is not welcome, and cats are very different in appearance and habits.

Content

• 1 History of the origin of British and Scottish breeds
• 2 External differences between British and Scots
• 3 Character differences
• 4 Differences in care
• 5 So who is better?
• 6 Owner reviews

History of the origin of the British and Scottish breeds

The British breed appeared so long ago that the exact history of its origin is unknown. There are several versions, one of which says that the Romans brought Egyptian cats to Britain. The latter gradually changed and adapted to new conditions: they acquired thick hair for protection and became larger. This hypothesis is supported by the discovery of mass cat graves in Badbury, Danbury and Gassedge. Another version associates the British breed with the French (chartreuse). It is believed that the animals could have come to Europe from Africa during the Crusades, after which the monks began to breed them.

In the 1960s, no one could have thought that the Scottish cat breed in just 50-60 years will become one of the most popular

The Scottish cat breed came about by chance. The first representative was Susie, a purebred resident of the farm. She was born in the 1960s. Susie was not the world's first fold-eared cat: mentions of such animals were found in China, but until the 20th century, no one thought to fix the mutation. Later, one of Susie's kittens was brought together with a British cat. From the resulting offspring, one kitten was selected, after growing up he was crossed with a British cat. It is their kittens that are considered the first full-fledged representatives of the Scottish breed. In the future, the latter were brought together with the British in order to give a "plush" appearance: to make the skull more rounded, and the wool - thick.

External differences between the British and the Scots

Most often, when it comes to the Scottish Fold cat, people mean Scottish Folds. This is one of the four main varieties of the breed. Scottish folds have small ears that ideally should not go beyond the contours of the head. This appearance is due to a mutation associated with cartilage. The more folds a cat has in the ears, the more they are bent to the head. There are animals with a weak crease, but they, as a rule, are not allowed for breeding and become common pets.

Apart from the ears, only attentive people will notice the differences in the shape of the muzzle: the British have a more massive skull

Scottish straights have straight ears, but, unlike the British breed, the distance between them is less. Their ears appear to be narrower at the base. Additionally, Highland Folds and Highland Straights are also distinguished. They differ from their counterparts in longer hair.

Thanks to the lush fur coat, the highland straight looks more massive

Representatives of the Scottish and British breeds differ in the shape and size of the head. The former are more miniature: their head is rounded, their chin is strong, and their jaws are strong. The British have better cheekbones. The cheeks stand out. The head has a more oval, elongated shape.

British cats look much more robust because of their massive necks

In physique, the British look more robust and downed. The Scots are in good physical shape, but rather graceful and agile. The British have a massive and rounded silhouette due to powerful legs. The Scots have slender and longer legs. This makes them look taller and lighter.

Despite the fact that the Scots and British are about the same in size, the former seem taller due to their lightness and fragility.

The British tail is only 2/3 of the body length. The Scots have more massive tails, but the main requirement for them is mobility. This is due to a special mutation in cartilage that can cause vertebral fusion, disability and death. Even if the animal is feeling normal, due to the sedentary tail, it is likely to be removed from breeding, since it can pass on the defective gene to offspring.

A short tail, an altered gait, inactivity, the inability to jump high and growths on the hind legs in a Scotsman are a reason to consult a veterinarian

Short-haired Britons and Scots hardly differ in fur coat. Only experienced breeders will find to the touch that the former have more padded and dense wool, while the latter have fluffy ones. Highlands have a silky coat with a dense undercoat. They have a long collar on their necks, and their tail resembles a fan.

Differences in character

Scottish cats have a gentle disposition. They are more prone to compromise than the British. The Scots are affectionate and sociable, they go after the one whom they have chosen as the owner, and are happy to contact family members. They often find a common language with children, but this does not apply to all representatives of the breed. Scottish cats love active games, travel and exhibitions. They will not give up walking on the street, if the owner takes care of safety and puts a harness on the pet.

Scottish cats can stand on their hind legs when they are curious or want to attract the attention of the owner

The British are called aristocrats. They are calm and sedate, sedentary and majestic. They are more inclined to watch what is happening than to participate in anything. The British are not very demanding: if they are hungry, they will not ask loudly, but will wait silently. They are unobtrusive and well suited for those people who do not like it when pets draw attention to themselves.

Scottish cats have amazing artistry, flexibility and charisma: they even love to sit like a human being, not like a cat

My sister has a British cat, and I have a Scottish cat. My favorite is not as affectionate as in the descriptions of the breed: she can bite if she doesn't like something, and doesn't like to sit in her arms. Before castration, the cat often hid from me or sat in her house. But now she often comes up, asks to stroke her and does not mind if I do it spontaneously, but my sister's cat does not like too much attention to herself. When guests arrive, he climbs upstairs and sits there. Mine loves to meet new people, although she sniffs for a long time. Both my cat and my sisters do not like children: they hide behind furniture. Mine, however, will hiss at first and can bite. The Briton is more patient, but he clearly does not like obsession. From my own experience, I will say that Scots are better for those who want a cat to be a companion. The British make contact and play with pleasure as well, but it is difficult to wait for signs of attention and devotion from them.

Differences in care

The health of the Scots is worse than that of the British. They differ from the latter in a more flattened muzzle. In the case of lop-eared representatives, the defective gene should be added to this. Scottish owners are advised to select dry food with glucosamine and chondroitin in the composition to avoid problems with the musculoskeletal system.

Osteochondrodysplasia manifests as joint growths in cats and can lead to disability or progress slowly throughout life

Lop-eared cats should not be bred with each other: they are crossed only with straight-eared representatives of the breed in order to avoid problems with the spine and joints. Also, Scots are more prone to eye problems and watery eyes.

So who's better?

Scots are inquisitive and charming companions, but they require a lot of attention and must be constantly in someone's company. They cannot tolerate loneliness and begin to feel bad if ignored. The British are more independent, so they are better suited for busy people, but these cats get along worse with children and other animals.

Owner reviews

Both Scottish and British cats have their own advantages and disadvantages. The former are more peaceful and companionable, the latter are independent, but they are perfect for those people who do not like obsessive pets. However, when choosing, you need to be guided not only by the general characteristics of the breeds, but also by the appearance and behavior of a particular kitten.