Scottish Fold Kitten Question

I've got a foster kitten whose ears fold at the tips. It has intrigued me. He is by no means & far from purebred, if he's even got a lick of Scottish Fold in him.

But....he is 4-5 weeks old. What do a SF kittens ears feel like at that age? Are they soft?

Any pictures?

Originally Posted by fuzzmom

Any pictures?

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That would be helpful, wouldn't it?



Otherwise, here are threads #1 and #2 of pics I've posted.

White,

Try searching scottish fold breeders and see if they describe what the ears do at certain points or something.

I think the Folds are softer. I've felt the American Curls (the ones that fold backwards) and they seem a bit stiffer folded backwards.

I've been Googling Scottish Folds all day. Not that I understand much of what I'm reading. I'm much better with my moggies!

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I think the Folds are softer. I've felt the American Curls (the ones that fold backwards) and they seem a bit stiffer folded backwards.

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You would think in all the years I bred and showed American Curls, I would have asked a Fold exhibitor if I could feel a fold's ears..never did! A curl eared Curls' ears are distinctive in that there will be firm cartilage from the base to at least one third of the ear's height...the ear tips ***should be soft and flexible** very important, it is not expected nor desired to see the entire ear have firm cartilage.

http://images.google.com/images?q=sc...-revision&cd=3

Check out that link - I just put Scottish Fold kittens into Google Image search, and that's what it came up with. The SF kittens ears look more folded.

I think your little one is much cuter though!!!!

http://www.kerrileefolds.com/scottish_fold_facts.html

Says their ears fold between 3-4 weeks. And that it is soft catilage.

While he is not fully folded(that sounds silly), I still wonder if this could be a "loose fold" thing going on?

Drat!! I wish we had more of the litter, or the real mom.

I found this...

Interesting fact: Not all Scottish Fold kittens will have folded ears. All Scottish Fold kittens are born with straight ears. It isn't until the kitten is about three weeks old that a breeder will begin to know which kittens will have folded ears and which will not. There are degrees of folding, too -- usually described as a single, double, or triple fold. A single fold is generally a "loose" fold and isn't show quality. The most desirable fold is a triple fold, which is tight to the head.

http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/scottish.html

Scottish Fold kittens are born with straight ears. At about three to four weeks of age, their ears fold...or they donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t! It is usually around eleven to twelve weeks of age that the breeder can determine the quality (pet, breeder or show).

I know young kittens have folded down ears, I wonder if Figaro's just haven't fully straightened out yet?

Originally Posted by white cat lover

http://www.kerrileefolds.com/scottish_fold_facts.html

Says their ears fold between 3-4 weeks. And that it is soft catilage.

While he is not fully folded(that sounds silly), I still wonder if this could be a "loose fold" thing going on?

Drat!! I wish we had more of the litter, or the real mom.

Click to expand...

In the link given above, check out the longhair folds labeled montesorricats.com ..they look just like figaro to me (yes, I am stubborn, I think he's fold eared! )

I mean the link sarahp gave after doing a google image search.

Originally Posted by sarahp

I know young kittens have folded down ears, I wonder if Figaro's just haven't fully straightened out yet?

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That's what I wondered too. But, I think that we're guessing young on Figaro. The HS's "official" position on his age is 4 weeks(best to guess young). My opinion is possibly 6 weeks.

He's big if he's 4 weeks. Like, as big as Confetti @ 8 weeks.

Drat! Someone come to my house to see him so you can give me your opinion!

I need to find another kitten his age to look at in person for ear comparison! His ears seem to me to stick up like a "normal" cats....but then they fold at the very tips. I'm second guessing everything I remember about a kitties ears right now, though!

And Pat, to me he looks like the very first one on the montessoricats.com link....a orange/white kitten(forgive me & colors ).

Originally Posted by white cat lover

I need to find another kitten his age to look at in person for ear comparison! His ears seem to me to stick up like a "normal" cats....but then they fold at the very tips. I'm second guessing everything I remember about a kitties ears right now, though!

And Pat, to me he looks like the very first one on the montessoricats.com link....a orange/white kitten(forgive me & colors

).

Click to expand...

I found a great link! Traces a litter of fold kittens from birth to 6 weeks. Page 30 or so is at 4-6 weeks, at least one has a loose fold. No matter what, it is a wonderful photo gallery showing the development of fold kittens ears. Enjoy! http://cats.about.com/od/kittencare/...ttensBirth.htm

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

I found a great link! Traces a litter of fold kittens from birth to 6 weeks. Page 30 or so is at 4-6 weeks, at least one has a loose fold. No matter what, it is a wonderful photo gallery showing the development of fold kittens ears. Enjoy! http://cats.about.com/od/kittencare/...ttensBirth.htm

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His ears look similar to those on page 34, Bluebelle.

i dont know if this will help , but our 3 week olds once of the boys still has his tips folded they sort of drope over a little bit , there very soft , weather or not they will straighten though is another matter , but i will see if i can get a picture of him.

ok this is the best picture i have of him with his ears at the moment , i will try and get a better one later for you.

I didn't read through the whole thread, so forgive me if this is a repeat. Scottish Fold kittens ears stay folded down from kittenhood, and if they will straighten, they will be straight by 6-8 weeks old. From the looks of it, your kitten doesn't seem to have folded ears... I think the tips will straighten out. Some of Sneakers' kittens (and Sneakers is an unfolded Scottish Fold) ears did that, and it wasn't because she is a Fold.

Fold breeders typically classify their folds as single, double, or triple folded. Yours might end up being a single fold, if she is folded at all. The triple folded ears are the ones that are hardly visible from the front view.

In order for a cat to have folded ears, one of the parents had to have folded ears too. Folded ears don't show up unless at least one parent has them. As a sidenote, if you breed two folded ear cats together, some of the kittens will have congenital defects.