Long-haired Scottish cats: varieties and features of the content

The Scottish Longhair is a very rare breed. The cat has an amazing coat color. These pets have a docile nature.

Representatives of this breed are original and beautiful. The cat has its own distinctive characteristics. She has a muscular physique, strong limbs. Females weigh less than males, weighing about 5.7 kg. The tail of cats is long, mobile and proportional to the body.

The muzzle is rounded, the profile is smooth, the cheeks are plump, the cheekbones are not sharp. Males have too full cheeks. Their chin does not protrude, the neck is short, the ears are narrow, and are of medium size. If the ears are large or recumbent, this is a breed defect. The color of the coat and the color of the eyes are consistent. The nose of these animals is short and has a small deflection.

Almost all varieties of coat color are considered standard: bicolor, marbled, spotted, solid, harlequin, brindle, etc. Unlike other breeds, Scottish cats have a huge range of colors of their fur. The hairs are dense and do not adhere to the body. If the wool feels like cotton wool, then this is also a disadvantage.

This breed has a meek and calm character. Cats are very intelligent and patient. If the owner is busy with something, the pets will not interfere with him. But even having such qualities, cats of this breed, and especially kittens, are too playful, they will not be boring.

These pets are communicative, they like to be around people. Usually cats like to spend time with the youngest in the family. It is only necessary to ensure that the children do not accidentally offend the pet.

An adult pet will behave with dignity and restraint. The long-haired cat will play with other pets and share its food with them.

Even if this breed has a wonderful disposition and calm demeanor, these pets should not be scolded or beaten, as you can easily lose the trust of your pet. Pets don't like it when someone in the house swears. They need peace, attention and care.

Females of this breed are sensitive to their cubs. Cats raise their kittens on a par with cats.

This breed has several disadvantages.

• Isolation... Cats don't like it if someone invades their privacy. They don't like to be stroked for too long. Cats love to feel free, so the pet owner should respect this need of his pet.
• Spitefulness. Representatives of this breed do not tolerate violent actions, humiliation, and therefore cats remember the insults inflicted by the owner. Animals can take revenge on their owner, for example, by stripping the wallpaper.
• Vulnerability. Long-haired pets are too gentle and sensitive, they do not tolerate screams and swearing. If the owner has a quick-tempered character and constantly begins to raise his voice, then his pet will begin to avoid its owner. This cat should be purchased by those people who have a calm and balanced psyche.

Lop-eared Highland Fold. In appearance, these pets may look very large, but in reality they just have too fluffy fur and a large bone. Therefore, these pets are not obese and overweight. Cats of this breed have such characteristics.

• The head is round, of medium size, with a chin, cheeks and jaw located on it.
• The body is short, in proportion to the head. The paws are small, round, looking too shaggy. The weight of an adult pet can reach 7-8.5 kilograms.
• A cat has a distinctive feature - it's ears. They are always folded. The ears have single, double, sometimes triple folds that define their shape. When kittens reach 3 weeks of age, they already have folds visible. Ears are the main characteristic that determines the breed of a pet.
• The eyes are set wide and large. They are round in shape, so they go well with the roundness of the pet. The shade of the eyes is combined with the shade of the fur. All parts of the muzzle give the cat a surprised expression.
• The cat's coat is very soft, light and silky to the touch. The hind legs and breast have a longer coat.

The color of the coat is varied, but it will not have white spots and it will not have purple and chocolate undertones. There is such a color as color-point - the pet's body color has light tones, and the paws, tail and muzzle have dark shades.

The shade of the cat's coat is monochromatic, striped, spotted. The marble shade is the least common. The most popular are tortoiseshell, gray, smoky, white and black coats. There are representatives of the breed that have such colors as bicolor and tabby.

The rarest color is the "ragdoll turtle". This color can only be found in females. It appears due to the combination of tortoiseshell and bicolor. In this case, the body of the animal will have 3 colors. The lower body will have a light shade, while the upper will have a tortoiseshell tone.

The straight-eared fluffy Highland Straight is a rare breed, so such cats can only be seen at exhibitions and in special catteries. These animals have close relatives - Persian and British cats. Due to this, the animal has a coat of a rare color. The distant ancestor of these breeds is a wild cat that lived in the 18th century in the highlands of Scotland.

Usually this breed is bred by crossing Highland Straight with Highland Fold. If you use a female and a male from the same breed, then genetic pathology can develop. When crossing, kittens can appear that have both erect and drooping ears.

The long-haired cat has a massive but small body. Its weight varies from 4 to 6 kg. The head has a round appearance, the plump cheeks protrude slightly. The forehead is wide, with a small notch near the nose. The eyes of animals are set wide apart. The coat is long, silky, has many color options, each of which can be combined with the eyes.

The ears are medium in size, with rounded ends. The pet has thick legs, so it seems plump. But the body itself is not thick, it has medium dimensions.

These animals are gentle creatures, but cats and cats do not require particularly difficult care. It is necessary to vaccinate from time to time, apply antiparasitic agents to the coat, which the veterinarian will prescribe, and also check the animals for the presence of worms, ticks and fleas. If any illness is found, the cat should be taken to the veterinarian.

Long-haired Scots do not shed very abundantly, but cats still need to brush their hair with a special brush about 3 times a week. With the help of this, you can save the pet from unnecessary fur, besides, the animal's blood circulation will improve. If the molting period begins, then you need to use a slicker brush.

You can bathe this breed no more than 4 times a year... You need to know that this breed is very sensitive, so you cannot use regular shampoos, as they will cause allergies in cats. For animals, you need to purchase special shampoos that soften the fur. After bathing, the pet needs to be dried with a hair dryer.

It is easy to care for. She feels well at home, so she practically does not leave the house. If the pet owner wishes to walk his animal, then the walk should be postponed to cloudy cool weather. This breed does not tolerate heat well.

Scottish cats love to be alone, so they need to equip their sleeping quarters. For this, a scratching post with a stove bench or a closed house can serve.

Hygiene procedures include the following actions:

• in Scottish cats, you need to wipe the hair around the eyes;
• if dirt appears on the auricles, then they need to be cleaned with a damp cotton pad;
• pets need to brush their teeth about 2 times in 7 days;
• cut claws monthly.

Highlands are clean cats, so their litter box should be away from the food bowl. The cat's toilet can be a bathroom. Cats must have constant access to their litter box, so the room doors must always be open.

You need to buy filler with large granules, as small ones can stick to the fur. For cats, you can purchase either absorbent litter or clump litter. No need to purchase flavored products. Because of the extra odors, animals will not go to their toilet. The filler needs to be changed from time to time and the tray itself needs to be cleaned.

This pet needs to be trained in the litter box, carriers and hygiene procedures. from a young age. Cats and cats feel good at home, but they need to allocate space for the mattress.

For small kittens, you need to purchase toys such as a mouse, a ball, a small fishing rod. Toys must be safe and free of toxins.

There is no need to let cats go for an independent walk. Before you walk your cat, you need to vaccinate your pet and spray it with a special flea-protecting spray.

The coat of this breed is amazing, but you do not need to wash the animal often, it is enough to comb it. When molting occurs, a furminator can be used. You need to bathe a cat of this breed using a special shampoo, which is intended for such pets.

If pets have tears in their eyes, plaque on their ears, and discharge from the nose, this is a sign of a disease. In this case, it is necessary to take the pet to the veterinarian. For prophylaxis, the nose, ears and eyes should be periodically examined and cleaned from discharge. The inner corners of the eyes should be wiped every other day. For this procedure, you must use clean cotton pads with a cat eye care product. Do not wipe your eyes with dry cotton wool.

If there is a slight inflammation, then you need to use disinfectants - hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, boric acid. The ears must be cleaned with a cotton pad, but it is forbidden to insert the cotton pad deep into the ear, otherwise the animal will be injured. Use a clean cotton pad each time.

The nails need to be trimmed carefully; for this procedure, special tweezers are used, which can be bought at the pet store. Claws will not delaminate, tweezers will not carry an infectious disease. The claws, which are located on the front legs, it is necessary to cut once every 14 days, on the hind legs - once a month. Do not use regular nail clippers as the pet may be injured.

These purebred cats do not have any hereditary diseases, but they can get rickets. It can appear due to calcium deficiency. Cats should be given food that contains enough of it.

Long-haired Scottish cats should be given food that is intended for pedigree pets. These feeds contain all the necessary vitamins and nutrients. It is better not to buy cheap feed, as many of them are of poor quality.

Don't put too much food in the bowl because cats often overeat. Also, a bowl of clean water should be freely available to the pet.

Cats can also eat natural food, but you cannot feed pets with human food, because animals will begin to have digestive problems. There is no need to drastically change the diet, it is better to consult with the breeder.

Some owners of long-haired Scottish cats combine dry food, canned food and treats. The pet will remain healthy, and their digestive system will function well.

Scottish Longhair cats are the most beautiful pets with a kind and peaceful character. The main thing is to take good care of such pets and create good living conditions for them.

More details about the character of Scottish cats are described in the video below.