Let's talk about pets:

Two types of unusual cats

by Ruwini Jayawardana

Scottish Folds

The first Scottish Folds were discovered in a litter of farm cats in Scotland in 1961. As kittens, Scottish Folds are born with straight ears and at three weeks old, they start to fold. A gene mutation is responsible for the folding of the ears.

This dominant gene also affects the development of the spine and legs. So to avoid deformities, Scottish Folds are never bred together. Instead, Scottish Folds are bred with the Scottish or British Shorthair. As a result, the litters have a mixture of kittens; some with folding ears and some with normal, pointy or "pert" ears.

Having a crossbred cat means it will enjoy better health and live longer. The life expectancy of a Scottish Fold cat is 10-15 years.

Scottish Folds are playful and sociable cats. They love company and hate being left alone for long periods of time. They make great pets for families to own because they are very affectionate, relaxed and tolerant towards children.

The Scottish Fold, like the Manx Cat, have a double coat. Twenty minutes should be set aside for brushing each week.

Manx Cats

The Manx Cat is a tail less breed of cat, but there are a few variations. Some have a hollow where the tail should be, they're called "rumpies". Others have the beginnings of a tail, they're called "risers". Those with a slightly longer remainder of a tail are called "stumpies". Finally, those with an obvious tail are called "longies".

The breed originated in the Isle of Man, an island off England's west coast. The reason for its lack of tail is a genetic mutation.

The Manx is a difficult cat to breed successfully. The gene associated with tailessness is also responsible for the death of kittens before they're born. Breeders have to ensure they breed rumpies (those with no tails) with risers, stumpies or longies (those with some sort of tail).

Unlike the Scottish Fold, the Manx Cat breed has been around for over 100 years. They have a sturdy build; a round head, broad chest, short front legs and thicker hind legs.

They run more like rabbits than cats.

The Manx is an intelligent, long-lived cat that comes in a range of coat and eye colours. Like the Scottish Fold, the Manx Cat has a double coat, which might need extra care with grooming.