HIGHLAND STRAIGHT CAT

Courtesy of The holidog Times,

WCF & Cattery MaScott Pet

The Highland Straight cat belongs to a small family of Scottish cats. Often confused with their English cousin, the British Longhair, the Highland Straight is nonetheless a breed in their own right with their wonderful personality and quirks.

History of the Highland Straight

The Highland Straight originated in Scotland in the 60's. Mary and William Ross, after coming across a cat with unusual folded ears, named Susie, decided to acquire one of her female kittens, named Snooks, in the hope of finding our more out their unusual physical trait.

This is the starting point of the Scottish Fold race, inseparable from the Highland Straight. Mary and William Ross practiced crosses with British Shorthairs. The latter, often crossed with Persians, gave birth to kittens with medium-long hairs, whose type was nicknamed Highland.

Mary Ross then sent some of these cats to the USA, where breeders took over. The breed was not recognized until the end of the 80's.

Highlands are divided into two categories: Fold and Straight. This denomination is above all due to the shape of the cat's ears. If they are folded, they will be a Fold. If the ears are straight, then the cat will be a Straight. Similarly, if the cat has short hair, it will be considered Scottish, not Highland.

Appearance

The Highland Straight is a medium to large sized cat with solid muscles and robust build. They have large shoulders and a strong neck and legs that finish with round paws.

The Highland Straight has a round head, short nose as well as round and well-spaced apart eyes. The eye color must match the coat.

The Highland Straight's tail is a plume, meaning it's thicker at the base, medium sized and rounded at the tip. The ears are obviously straight.

The Highland Straight cat gives a general impression of softness, accentuated by the shape of its mouth, which seems to arch into a smile.

Coat

All coat colors are accepted for a Highland Straight cat or kitten. All shades and varieties are also permitted.

Personality

The Highland Straight cat or kitten is a more reserved cat, but is nevertheless still very affectionate. Intelligent, they are calm and quite cats who are become very attached to their owner.They get on very well with other cats and animals, loving to play. The Highland Straight cat or kitten is particularly easy to live with and makes for a great family cat.

Health and care

The Highland Straight cat isn't susceptible to any particular health problems. They are a hardy and solid cat, little exposed to genetic diseases.

Upkeep

Due to the length of their fur, Highland Straight cats need to be regularly groomed.

Standard by WCF

 

Body

The medium to large sized cat is muscular and stocky. Chest, shoulders and back are broad and massive.
The legs are short and muscular, the paws are thick and round.
The tail is of medium length, reaching at least to the shoulders. It ends in a rounded tip. It should not have
thickened areas or stiffness and should be fully flexible up to the tip.
The neck is short and solid.

Head

The head is rounded, massive, broad with a firm chin. The nose is short, broad and straight.
The profile is curved (without a stop). The cheeks are full and round.
The large, round whisker pads give definition to the short, pronounced muzzle.

Ears

The ears are small and forward folded, with slightly rounded tips, which point towards the centre of the head.

They are set wide apart and lie flat to the skull.

Eyes

The eyes are large and round. They are wide set.

Eye color corresponds with the coat color.

Coat

The coat is of medium length and very dense, with substantial undercoat. It is crisp and does not lie flat.

Color varieties

All colors, patterns with any amount of white and pointed colors with Siamese points without white
are recognized. The description of colors is listed in the general list of colors.

Faults

1. •Inflexibility in any part of the tail is a severe fault.
   

2. •ears not lying flat to the skull
   

3. •profile with stop
   

 

Breeding and Registration

1. •Mating between Scottish Fold / Highland Fold x Scottish Fold / Highland Fold is not permitted.
   

2. •It is only permitted to use British Shorthair / Longhair and Scottish / Highland Straight for breeding.
   

3. •It is not permitted to register kittens with straight ears as British Shorthair / Longhair. They must be registered as Scottish /     Highland Straight, and it is not permitted to use these kittens for breeding British Shorthair / Longhair.
   

NOTE: Any articles located on this website are NOT to replace a veterinarian visit; please take your cat to a vet immediately at any sign of odd behavior or any symptoms of illness or injury. Call your vet and describe your cat's symptoms with any of your concerns about the cat's well-being. Your veterinarian may discover changes in your cat's health that you have overlooked. It is always better to err on the side of caution.