The Highland Fold is the long-haired variety of the Scottish Fold — the same folded ears and round, owlish face wrapped in a flowing double coat. Gentle, easygoing and famously fond of sitting upright in the 'Buddha' pose, they are devoted lap companions.
- Origin
- Scotland / United States
- Category
- longhair
- Lifespan
- 11–15 yrs
- Size
- Small–Medium
- Weight
- 2.7–6 kg
- Coat
- Long, dense, plush double coat
- Colours
- All colours and patterns
😺 Temperament
🏡 Best suited to
📊 Personality ratings
📜 History & origin
The Scottish Fold began in 1961 with Susie, a white barn cat near Coupar Angus in Scotland whose ears folded forward due to a natural cartilage mutation. As the breed was developed in Britain and America, long-haired kittens appeared in litters thanks to recessive longhair genes carried by early outcrosses to British and American Shorthairs and Persians. This long-coated version has been recognised under several names, including Highland Fold, Longhair Fold and Coupari.
🧼 Care & grooming
The luxurious coat needs brushing two or three times a week to prevent mats, especially around the ruff and 'britches'. Because the folded-ear gene affects cartilage throughout the body, responsible breeders always pair a folded cat with a straight-eared partner to reduce the risk of skeletal problems. Check the ears weekly, as the fold can trap wax.
🩺 Health notes
The folded ear is caused by osteochondrodysplasia, a cartilage-and-bone disorder that in severe or fold-to-fold pairings can cause painful arthritis of the tail, ankles and knees. Careful breeding greatly reduces but does not eliminate the risk. The breed can also carry Polycystic Kidney Disease and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, so screening matters.
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