Scottish chinchilla: color variations, the nature and conditions of cats

The Scottish cat breed leaves few indifferent. With an aristocratic appearance and huge eyes, it is an adornment of cat shows and the pride of breeders. The material in this article will introduce readers to the features of the appearance of these pets, talk about their varieties, and also dwell on the key nuances of keeping funny teddy cats.

The breed of Scottish chinchillas is considered to be young, the color is artificially bred, it originated from long-haired Persians. The color, as well as the behavior of the animals themselves, is much like British relatives. During breeding for expansion of the gene pool, breeders took for breeding British cats, including individuals with chinchilla color. The bred cats borrowed the name “chinchilla” from the color of small rodents.

The Scots family tree with a chinchilla coat dates back to 1959, when a small kitten with drooping ears was born on one of the Scottish farms, which was called Susie. His mother was a British cat. After some time, the kitten got to the breeders William Ross and his wife Mary, specializing in breeding the British.

In 1691, as a result of selection of a fold cat, his baby was born, who was named Snux. After 5 years (in 1966), the breed was officially registered with the GCCF. As a result of selection, not only lop-eared (Scottish fold), but also erect kittens (Scottish Straight) were born.

Breeders also mated two lop-eared individuals, but as a result of it, babies with diseases of the musculoskeletal system were born. Skeleton bones also suffered from such a mutation, as a result of which the joints were thickened and short, and the spine was fused.

For this reason, felinologists decided not to breed. Therefore, the breeders at one time were engaged in the breeding of straight Scots. A little later, the geneticist Neil Todd joined the selection work, who, together with other breeders, eliminated the negative consequences of breed breeding, while maintaining lop-eared. The solution to the problem was the selection of individuals for mating: Folds began to cross with strikes. This is how the chinchilla Scot appeared, which is still the standard standard of the breed.

European breeding was based on mating with short-haired British, which is why these representatives of the feline family have a more massive skeleton and not very pressed to the head bolshevik ears. Cats were admitted to exhibitions in 2004, and it is still forbidden to cross two lop-eared individuals.

The appearance of the Scottish chinchilla is unique, so those who decide to have a kitten of this breed often choose a baby for a long time. Cats and cats of the breed with silver shaded fur are usually called chinchillas, although today plush aristocrats may have other colors. Appearance is distinguished by ears: they can be straight and hanging down, while pointing forward and tightly pressed to the muzzle.

Besides the Scots, Chinchillas are British and Persian. The standard prescribes clear requirements for appearance: the body of these cats differs in average dimensions, it is compact with a wide bone. The back of individuals is straight-forward, the legs are short, but powerful, have round pads. The tail of Scottish chinchillas is thick and lush, but proportional to the body.

The shapes of cats are rounded, representatives of the breed weigh on average from 3 to 7 kg, the height at the withers can reach up to 30 cm. The hair length of these pets can reach 12 cm, and in the coat there are a lot of thin and silky hairs, the hair is quite thick and dense. A considerable part of individuals has a characteristic collar on the neck and shoulders. Among individuals, individuals with a short fur coat are found. The life resource usually does not exceed 10-15 years.

The head of a Scottish chinchilla with blue or green eyes is spherical, the forehead is convex, the cheeks are full, and the whisker pads are embossed. The eyes of the representatives of the breed are large and wide open. The neck is short, the ears are compact, have a high landing. Their ends in lop-eared cats are laid apart, on the tops they are pointed in females and rounded in males.

Chinchilla color can be divided into two varieties.

• Ticked. Abyssinian color or ticked coat means coloring each hair according to the gradient principle. In fact, the hair is dyed in several tones and when the animal moves, it creates a color effect in a different color.

In this case, the ticking is not observed on the chest, abdomen and inner sides of the paws. Many cats have a black eye outline. More often with this color silver chinchillas are born, but the color can vary. For example, some representatives of the breed have an almost white silvery shade, while others are golden or bluish-golden. At the same time, the golden color is rare in chinchillas; the takted golden kittens are more expensive than any other brothers of their breed.

• Shaded. The shaded color differs from the ticked one: if the ticked coloring of cats allows hair coloring by 1/8 of the length.Here, a hair can be dyed in a specific color no more than 1/3 of the entire length. The shading can be different: in addition to using silver, golden or red shades, their combination can be allowed. For example, shaded coloring can combine a golden fur coat with a creamy undercoat or a combination of a silver fur coat with a white fluff.

By nature, Scottish chinchillas are aristocrats. Without transferring their own principles, they do not stoop to conflicts with other pets living in the house. Quite sociable and peaceful cats prefer to get along with everyone, including dogs. However, if there is a need for protection, these cats will be able to stand up for themselves without unnecessary help.

Scottish chinchillas prefer not to demonstrate their affection. They do not allow themselves to be intrusive, are characterized by a restrained character, they do not like excessive squeezing. To some, these pets may seem phlegmatic, but, despite their apparent indifference, they rarely refuse the opportunity to play with both the owner and his children.

They are moderately patient, can wait for their master and miss him in his absence. Having missed, pets can go after the owner in anticipation of their portion of attention.

Chinchillas of this type are characterized not only by their royal appearance, but also by their extraordinary intelligence. They very quickly understand the rules established in the house, adapt to everything, including the lifestyle of the owners. Being curious by nature, they often sit on the windowsill, considering what is happening on the street. If they have their own toys, they will always find something to take their time in the absence of household members.

Unlike many other cats, Scottish chinchillas cannot stand the stuffiness and lack of fresh air. The optimum temperature for them is a range from +21 to +25 degrees. You can bathe Scots no more than four times a year using zoo shampoo. The water temperature should not exceed +40 degrees. To improve the quality of the fur coat after shampoo, you can use conditioner.

After bathing the cat must be placed in a warm place, wipe it with a towel and dry the coat. You can dry the fur coat with a hairdryer if the animal is not afraid of it.

If the animal categorically does not want to bathe, for washing it is better to purchase a dry shampoo in the form of a powder, spray or foam. With this washing, the cat is first combed, then the product is applied, after which the hair is again crested. Comb clean hair with either a regular brush or a furminator.

The second comb is a kind of comb with a trimmer. It is especially necessary for the cat during its molting. The furminator is selected taking into account the length of the coat and the dimensions of the pet. Also, when buying, pay attention to the frequency of the teeth, which is important for a dense and thick fur coat.

Cutting cats of this breed is undesirable, based on aesthetic considerations. Given that the claws of the Scottish chinchillas do not grind, you have to cut them. This is done with a special device - a claw cutter, cutting off the keratinized part of the claw by no more than 1.5 mm. When injuring a living part, it is treated with hydrogen peroxide.

In addition to claw care, it is important to monitor the hygiene of the ears and eyes of chinchillas. Given that pets of this breed are prone to lacrimation, they often oxidize discharge from the eyes, acquiring a brownish tint.It is necessary to remove them with moist gauze soaked in warm boiled water. As the ears are cleaned, they also clean their ears by removing sulfur deposits with a cotton swab with vegetable oil or a hygienic lotion.

It is necessary to monitor oral hygiene. Scots often have inflamed gums, so brushing your teeth is a must. A pet needs to brush his teeth at least once a week from both the outside and the inside. As a brush for cleaning use a nozzle on the finger or a special brush. If the cat categorically refuses to brush his teeth, he is wrapped in a cloth, in the worst case, brushing is replaced by chewing pillows to clean the teeth.

Timely preventive examinations and vaccination are important. The kitten gets already vaccinated to the owner, but the veterinarian determines the further introduction of the vaccines, giving the baby to adapt to a new place for about two weeks. Periodically, the cats are given a complex vaccine and are given antiparasitic drugs. Prevention from worms is carried out 1 time per quarter.

Chinchilla Scots are fed with premium industrial feed. For example, breeders consider good products Fitmin For Life, Brit Care, Summit, Blitz, Leonardo. However, some owners believe that industrial feed alone is not enough to ensure normal growth and development of cats.

Therefore, low-fat meat (say, boiled chicken or offal) is often included in the nutritional diet of their pets. And also in food, you can add greens and vegetables, combining them with meat. Someone feeds furry pets with quail eggs and low-fat sea fish.

Nutrition should be balanced, appropriate to the age of the cat. If natural food is chosen as the basis of feeding, it is necessary to give the cat sour-milk products. Regardless of the type of food the animal should always have a bowl of clean water. In the early days of the kitten it is better to feed the usual food (which he ate in the nursery). It must be gradually transferred to another nutritious diet.

Grass is needed to get rid of the hair that settles in the stomach after the cat licks itself. Mixing food is undesirable, because this makes the digestion upset in pets. In addition, this can result in poor absorption of nutrients. Babies are fed 5 times a day, adult cats - no more than two or three.

Breeding chinchillas is accompanied by difficulties. The color during breeding is poorly maintained, in addition, it is not so easy to find a partner due to the small number of specialized nurseries. For knitting, you can choose a British silver or golden color.

If in the future the cat will not take part in exhibitions, it is possible to bring the pet with the Persians. Individuals who will take part in exhibitions need a special partner, they will have to contact the nursery in their search.

You can start mating cats after estrus, but at the same time its minimum age should be at least a year and a half. As for the mating frequency, experienced breeders note that it is impossible to mate it with a cat with each estrus. The next estrus in a cat can occur immediately after birth (about the fourth day). If there is a cat nearby, it must be removed so that neither he nor the cat accidentally injure tiny kittens. The minimum interval between knittings, according to experts, is 4–5 months. After mating, the female’s behavior changes, she becomes sleepy and relaxed. The stomach begins to grow about a month after communicating with the cat.

Pregnancy in cats is 9 weeks. Two months after the birth of the kittens they issue passports.

To do this, they turn to a special club that can issue such documents. Documentation is required for the legal breeding of chinchillas and their sale. If the breeder is not interested in raising Scots, the cat is neutered or sterilized.

On the 5 facts of the breed Scottish chinchilla, see below.