Varieties of colors of Scottish Fold cats

Features of the Scottish Fold breed

The popular variety of Scottish Fold cats has been known since 1961. It was then that a kitten with a natural ear mutation appeared in a litter of the most ordinary cat on one of the Scottish farms. The anomaly arose due to weak ear cartilage, which could not support the ear in a straight position. To date, lop-earedness has become the hallmark of Scottish folds, by which they can be distinguished from hundreds of other breeds.

The Scots are distinguished by a graceful physique, neat paws and a medium-length tail, plump cheeks and large round eyes. And the color palette of their colors is multifaceted and varied. Breed standards provide for conformity to the tone of the coat of a certain shade of eyes (varies from brown and copper to blue), paw pads and nose.

Initially, the color of these cats was dominated by exclusively gray shades, also called blue. However, at present, any variation in the colors of Scottish folds, of which there are more than two hundred, is recognized as the standard. To achieve such a wide range, Scottish breeders had to cross them with many other well-known breeds (most often with the British Shorthair).

When describing colors, consider:

• The shade of the animal’s coat and the intensity of staining. Scottish folds are dominated by two main genes responsible for the black and red color of the coat. Each of them can act as a dominant, i.e. suppressing weaker genes, and recessive (suppressed gene), and the third diluent gene is responsible for the saturation of the hue. Various combinations of these genes can produce the most unusual colors. The change in pigmentation causes black to become blue, red to cream, and chocolate to mauve.
• The degree of dyeing of each hair.
• The presence of white spots, pattern and pattern.

A certain color in a Scottish Fold kitten can not always be reliably recognized immediately. The final coloring is formed only by six months during the molting period, when the children’s coat is replaced by an adult.

Color classification

All colors of Scottish cats are divided into the following groups:

1. 1. basic or monochrome, they are also solid or smooth (SOLID);
2. 2. bicolor colors (VAN / HARLEQUIN / BICOLOUR);
3. 3. patterned (TABBY);
4. 4. tortoiseshell (TORTIE);
5. 5. tipped;
6. 6. Siamese or color point (COLOURPOINT).

solid colors

In this case, the wool is evenly dyed over the entire length in one saturated color. The presence of a pattern, spots, inclusions, etc. is not allowed, since this is considered a marriage. The main colors include: white, cream, black, blue, lilac, chocolate and red.

Color	Short description	A photo
White	The presence of white color in Scots indicates the absence of a color gene and dominant genes that could suppress this color. Therefore, among the Scots, both dominantly white cats and albinos are occasionally found. Newborn kittens may have bluish or dark spots on their heads for a short time if there were blue or black ancestors in the genus. The Scottish blonde cat can have eyes ranging from copper and amber to blue, and animals with eyes of different colors are also found. By standard, the nose and paw pads should be pinkish.
Black (ebony)	The Scottish Fold black cat is considered a very rare variety. Red, brown spots and a grayish sheen of wool are not allowed. The eyes are mostly bright orange or amber, the nose and paw pads should match the color of the coat.
Blue	This includes all representatives of the cold dark gray breed. All shades of blue are acceptable, but light blue is more popular. Kittens may have a moiré pattern for some time, which subsequently disappears. The eyes are amber, the nose and pads should be in harmony with the coat.
purple	Color refers to a light beige palette, reminiscent of coffee with milk. The coat of cats is of a pinkish tint, and the mucous membranes must also correspond to it. This includes individuals of lilac (lilac), light lilac and deer hue, which is considered rare.
Cream	The reddish coat, diluted with a delicate peach tone, goes well with the pink nose and paw pads. There are individuals with a mild, fuzzy pattern on the forehead, but the leopard mark is considered a defect.
Chocolate	A warm chocolate shade does not allow extraneous marks – white hairs, undercoat of a different shade, pattern. Eye color copper to yellow. The nose and paw pads resemble milk chocolate. This also includes a unique warm color – cinnamon.
Red	A very rare color, which is an intense solid fiery shade that goes well with red pads and nose. A faded pattern is acceptable on the forehead, tail and paws. The light red tip of the tail is considered a serious fault.

Bicolors

This group of colors is a combination of white spots with the main color – black, blue, chocolate, etc. or with patterned, tortoiseshell, ticked colors. Depending on the amount of white on a cat’s coat, this color, in turn, is divided into the following groups.

Bicolor variety	Short description	A photo
Harlequin	The fifth part of the fur coat is dyed in a light tone. There are also ideally symmetrical large colored markings on the head, paws, back, sides. The tail must be completely dark
Van	The tail and several areas on the head are painted in a color shade, the rest of the coat is exclusively white. Undesirable spots on the trunk and limbs. If the marks are red, then the cat is called a red van
Bicolor	With this variety of color, white color is observed on 50% of the surface of the body of the animal, including the muzzle, chin, neck, abdomen, chest and paw tips. Other shades are distributed evenly, not concentrating in one area. The speck on the muzzle in the form of an inverted V emphasizes the natural beauty of the Scots. The open white collar is highly valued by breeders.
Calico	This color is a tandem of classic white with tortoiseshell.

tabby

This group of colors is characterized by the presence of a zonal, pronounced pattern on the main background. Color solutions in this case can be very diverse, for example, a black pattern on a silver background or a dark red ornament on a light red background, etc.

The features of this color are light spots on the back of the ears, the letter M on the forehead, eyeliner of the main color of the eyes and nose lobes, necklaces on the chest, closed rings on the tail and paws. The standard does not allow the presence of a gray undercoat, light spots on the legs, chest, chin and groin. Depending on the type of pattern, the colors presented in the table are distinguished.

Color type	Description	A photo
Marble (sheated)	The animal’s shoulders are decorated with an ornament in the form of a butterfly, three clear stripes are located on the back, spots are located on the tummy, as well as symmetrical circles and stains. Marble on gold and marble on silver (whiskas) are very popular and rare colors.
Spotted (spotted)	Spots of a darker shade of a rounded or oval shape are located on the sides, and the back is decorated with a vertical stripe.
Brindle (mackerel)	Vertical contrasting stripes are visible on the sides, a dark stripe runs along the vertebrae and tail
ticked	It is characterized by uniform zonal coloring of each hair with alternating multi-colored stripes, which creates a unique iridescent effect.

Tortoise colors

The tortoiseshell color appears in a tandem of dark spots with red or cream. It is desirable if these colors are saturated and evenly distributed throughout the body. Scottish Folds have the following most popular colors.

Color	Short description	A photo
black red	Reddish spots scattered on a dark background
chocolate red	The chocolate tone of the coat is in perfect harmony with the reddish markings.
Blue cream	Characterized by a combination of blue and cream markings on a light background
Lilac cream	Purple and cream spots are evenly distributed on a white background

Only cats are born tortoiseshell. If such a color appears in a male, then this indicates a genetic failure and the infertility of the animal.

Tipped colors

This color group is an uneven distribution of the coloring pigment along the length of the hair. Only the tips of the hairs are dyed, while the basal base remains unpainted.

Color	Description	A photo
Chinchilla	With this type of color, an eighth of the length of the hair is dyed, while the rest retains a white tone. The following subspecies are distinguished: golden, silver and blue golden chinchilla
shaded	Individuals with this color have a light-colored undercoat, shaded hair on the sides, back, ears, head and tail, a light shade of wool on the chin, belly. It is divided into such subspecies: shaded golden, shaded silver, shaded red. Ideally, there should be no pattern on the fur coat, but rings on the tail and legs are allowed.
Smoky	With this type, the coat has a uniform tone, but the base of the hairs is light silvery. The smoky color appears under the influence of the dominant silver gene. Drawing on wool is not welcome, but allowed. Black smoke is considered the most beautiful variety of it.

colorpoint

The body of cats with this color is mainly painted in a light tone, and the paws, tail, muzzle and ears are decorated with a darker color. This is where its name comes from: in translation from English, the word “color” means “color”, and “point” means “point”. Points can be of all basic monochrome colors, as well as patterned and tipped.

Variety of color	Description	A photo
blue point	Blue markings contrast with the light background of the body
Lilac point	The white color of the body is combined with bright purple spots
Cream point	Light cream body blends harmoniously with dark cream markings
Choclite point	Contrasting chocolate spots stand out on a white background
Tortie point	Ground color markings combined with red and cream spots
Tabby point, etc.	The spots are decorated with a striped pattern

Cats with this rare color are obtained due to a gene that colors the coat depending on body temperature. In those parts where the circulation is worse, the color is darker.

Color table

Scottish cats are subject to the international classification of colors. Using the color chart, you can make a description of rare types of colors. It contains symbols in the form of codes consisting of numbers and letters. The color code is as follows: XXX.xx. NN. NN. NN.(NN). It is made up of:

1. 1. capital letters that contain the name of the breed (XXX);
2. 2. lowercase letters (xx) indicating the main color (black, purple, etc.);
3. 3. numbers in the range from 01 to 35, indicating the nature of the color (shaded, chinchilla, etc.), from 51 to 54 – the length of the tail, from 61 to 67 – the color of the eyes, from 71 to 73 – the shape of the ears, from 81 up to 8 – type of wool.