PATTERNWALK
Cattery
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History Page
About The Scottish Fold
Those of us who have had the pleasure of being owned by a Scottish
Fold or three already know that they are very unique, even for a cat. I,
in the course of my research over the past two years; began to wonder
if even we; the Fold possessed, know how much so.
There have been tiles, mosaics, pottery, and woven tapestries found in
China (Sung Dynasty 1200, s) that depicted white drop-ear cats.
It was in 1796 that we find the first written reference. Universal
Magazine of Knowledge 1796 referred to the fold-eared cats as wild
cats in China. Speculation and probability would allow us to presume
that a sailor or passenger aboard one of the ships just might have
brought a few out of China to other parts of the world. Although I can
find no concrete evidence of this, I suspect it as cats were so useful
aboard ships. Many cat breeds are documented to have spread out
from their counties of origin along shipping routes. There is some
anecdotal evidence, but no actual documentation until 1938 when
another white folded ear was found. These cats were unknown at best ,
curiosities but not much more.
We will now fast forward to 1961. Singularly among pedigreed cats;
today’s Folds can trace their lineage to Susie. Susie was a white folded-
ear barn cat living and working on the McRae farm at Coupar Angus in
Tayside, Scotland 1961. Legend has it that William Ross was a
shepherd and was herding flock of sheep by the McRae barnyard when
he saw Susie playing there. He went to the house and asked that if
Susie ever had a folded-ear kitten could he and his wife; Mary have
one? This was duly promised and fulfilled in 1963 with the presentation
to the Rosses of a white folded ear female christened “Snooks”.
Unfortunately Susie was killed by an automobile after producing only
the one litter. Meanwhile the Ross’s mated Snook’s first litter was one
male kitten “Snowball”. He was one mated to a white British shorthair
“Lady May” and they had five folded ear kittens. In 1969 Snooks gave
birth to a third litter of two folded ear kittens Denisla (Den-eye-la),
Hester and Hector. The Rosses registered their cattery. Denisla; the
name being a combination of the Den and the Isle rivers, which were
close to the Ross cottage. That done; and with Hester, Hector and the
kittens from Snowball and Lady May thus began the odyssey that led to
our beautiful babies of today.
Still all was not to be catnip and kibble for either the Folds or their
breeders yet. The breed had originally been called lops after a peculiar
lop-eared rabbit. This was changed in 1966 when they were formally
named Scottish Folds and were accepted for showing as such. The
British Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) closed the
registration on Folds in 1971 under the erroneous assumption that
Folds would be more prone to deafness ear mites and ear diseases
which would be difficult to treat. Assumptions that were proved to be
unfounded later but the GCCF were also becoming concerned with
other possible genetic problems. Fairly well chased out of their
homeland the Fold first came to the states in the company of Dr. Neil
Todd a geneticist with The Carnivore Genetics Research Center in
Newtonville, Ma. Distinguished subjects to be sure; three of Snook’s
daughters, Denisla: Judy, Joey, and Hester. During the reseach project
Judy and Joey had two litters then the project was discontinued and all
of the cats were scattered to different homes.
The plea had gone out from Mary Ross to find breeders in 1974 as
there was only one other breeder in Scotland that was actually working
with Folds.
Enter now several names that recur in just about every Scottish Fold
history ever recorded. Judging by my research. Salle Wolf Peters who
had gotten Denisla Hester from a doctoral student of Dr. Todd’s; Lynn
Lamoreaux. Salle subsequently acquired Martina
Shona owned by Briony Sivewright; who was showing Martina at a CFA
show in Utah
1972 when another of the Great Names appeared. Karen Votava who
found Mr. Morgan
Lefaye and Bryric Cattery- one of the first catteries in the states on any
Fold pedigree.
Several other breeders got interested and between 1974 and 1978
were very instrumental in going from experimental 1974 registration to
provisional status in 1977 to Championship status in 1978. The longhair
variant of the Fold was finally recognized for Championship status in
1993.
The saga of the Folds will continue and happily we will be helping to
write some of the future chapters. Blessings upon the pioneers that
came before us and know that here at
Patternwalk Cattery we hope to do you proud.
All of us here at Patternwalk
Mike
Carla
Corwin
Amber
Dori
Reggie
Hammish
Cori
Brenna
Those of us who have had the pleasure of being owned by a Scottish
Fold or three already know that they are very unique, even for a cat. I,
in the course of my research over the past two years; began to wonder
if even we; the Fold possessed, know how much so.
There have been tiles, mosaics, pottery, and woven tapestries found in
China (Sung Dynasty 1200, s) that depicted white drop-ear cats.
It was in 1796 that we find the first written reference. Universal
Magazine of Knowledge 1796 referred to the fold-eared cats as wild
cats in China. Speculation and probability would allow us to presume
that a sailor or passenger aboard one of the ships just might have
brought a few out of China to other parts of the world. Although I can
find no concrete evidence of this, I suspect it as cats were so useful
aboard ships. Many cat breeds are documented to have spread out
from their counties of origin along shipping routes. There is some
anecdotal evidence, but no actual documentation until 1938 when
another white folded ear was found. These cats were unknown at best ,
curiosities but not much more.
We will now fast forward to 1961. Singularly among pedigreed cats;
today’s Folds can trace their lineage to Susie. Susie was a white folded-
ear barn cat living and working on the McRae farm at Coupar Angus in
Tayside, Scotland 1961. Legend has it that William Ross was a
shepherd and was herding flock of sheep by the McRae barnyard when
he saw Susie playing there. He went to the house and asked that if
Susie ever had a folded-ear kitten could he and his wife; Mary have
one? This was duly promised and fulfilled in 1963 with the presentation
to the Rosses of a white folded ear female christened “Snooks”.
Unfortunately Susie was killed by an automobile after producing only
the one litter. Meanwhile the Ross’s mated Snook’s first litter was one
male kitten “Snowball”. He was one mated to a white British shorthair
“Lady May” and they had five folded ear kittens. In 1969 Snooks gave
birth to a third litter of two folded ear kittens Denisla (Den-eye-la),
Hester and Hector. The Rosses registered their cattery. Denisla; the
name being a combination of the Den and the Isle rivers, which were
close to the Ross cottage. That done; and with Hester, Hector and the
kittens from Snowball and Lady May thus began the odyssey that led to
our beautiful babies of today.
Still all was not to be catnip and kibble for either the Folds or their
breeders yet. The breed had originally been called lops after a peculiar
lop-eared rabbit. This was changed in 1966 when they were formally
named Scottish Folds and were accepted for showing as such. The
British Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) closed the
registration on Folds in 1971 under the erroneous assumption that
Folds would be more prone to deafness ear mites and ear diseases
which would be difficult to treat. Assumptions that were proved to be
unfounded later but the GCCF were also becoming concerned with
other possible genetic problems. Fairly well chased out of their
homeland the Fold first came to the states in the company of Dr. Neil
Todd a geneticist with The Carnivore Genetics Research Center in
Newtonville, Ma. Distinguished subjects to be sure; three of Snook’s
daughters, Denisla: Judy, Joey, and Hester. During the reseach project
Judy and Joey had two litters then the project was discontinued and all
of the cats were scattered to different homes.
The plea had gone out from Mary Ross to find breeders in 1974 as
there was only one other breeder in Scotland that was actually working
with Folds.
Enter now several names that recur in just about every Scottish Fold
history ever recorded. Judging by my research. Salle Wolf Peters who
had gotten Denisla Hester from a doctoral student of Dr. Todd’s; Lynn
Lamoreaux. Salle subsequently acquired Martina
Shona owned by Briony Sivewright; who was showing Martina at a CFA
show in Utah
1972 when another of the Great Names appeared. Karen Votava who
found Mr. Morgan
Lefaye and Bryric Cattery- one of the first catteries in the states on any
Fold pedigree.
Several other breeders got interested and between 1974 and 1978
were very instrumental in going from experimental 1974 registration to
provisional status in 1977 to Championship status in 1978. The longhair
variant of the Fold was finally recognized for Championship status in
1993.
The saga of the Folds will continue and happily we will be helping to
write some of the future chapters. Blessings upon the pioneers that
came before us and know that here at
Patternwalk Cattery we hope to do you proud.
All of us here at Patternwalk
Mike
Carla
Corwin
Amber
Dori
Reggie
Hammish
Cori
Brenna
CONTACT
information
information
Carla W.
e-mail address
CarlaW@patternwalk.com
phone
417-576-1927
You can also text
message at the above
number.
e-mail address
CarlaW@patternwalk.com
phone
417-576-1927
You can also text
message at the above
number.
Michael S.
e-mail address
MikeS@patternwalk.com
phone
417-576-2122
You can also text
message at the above
number.
e-mail address
MikeS@patternwalk.com
phone
417-576-2122
You can also text
message at the above
number.