As of: February 5, 2024, 12:02 p.m
By: Sina Lück
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Singer Taylor Swift's life revolves around her velvet paws.
Two of them are Scottish fold cats.
We reveal what makes the breed special.
Benjamin Button, Meredith Gray and Olivia Benson: What sounds like a star line-up from film and television is actually the velvet paws of US singer Taylor Swift.
And the celebrity kitties seem to be no less well-known than their owner herself. On the current cover of
Time Magazine
, for example, the lively ragdoll cat Benjamin Button is posing casually around her neck.
While the four-legged friend likes to be in the spotlight, the Scottish Folds Meredith and Olivia are less interested in photo shoots and video shoots.
Our breed portrait shows what characteristics the Scottish Fold cats have.
Scottish Fold cats have bent ears - the cause is a genetic mutation
Distinctive feature: Scottish Fold cats, also known as Scottish Folds, have ears that are bent forward.
(Symbolic image) © Marcel Lorenz/Imago
Scottish Fold cats have a very special look.
Their most striking feature is the forward-bent ears, which arise from a spontaneous genetic mutation and give the cat breed its name.
At birth, the kittens' ears are still straight.
The kink only develops at around three weeks of age and gives the velvet paws a particularly cute look.
The breed has a compact and rounded build, which enhances the desired effect.
Their head and paws are also rather rounded in shape.
The coat is dense and fluffy, which is due to the heritage of the crossed British Shorthair.
The colors of their fur come in different patterns and variations.
Scottish Fold cats are medium-sized and weigh between three and six kilograms.
Character of the Scottish Fold: The house cats are calm, affectionate and cuddly
Scottish Folds are considered calm, affectionate and cuddly, which is why they are well suited as indoor cats.
The house cats regularly demand your petting.
Despite all the cuddling, Scottish Fold cats also have a playful side and are naturally curious and intelligent.
Therefore, the four-legged friends enjoy occasional playtime with their humans.
The most important facts about the Scottish Fold cat at a glance:
Origin
: United Kingdom/Great Britain
Coat colors
: Black, brown, white, red, blue
Allowed coat pattern
: Tabby, Mackerel, Tortie
Eye colors
: Blue, green, yellow
Weight
: cat 3-5 kilograms, tomcat 4-6 kilograms
Character
: calm, friendly, cuddly
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Schäfer discovered the cat breed by chance - genetic defects often lead to problems
The Scottish fold cat was discovered by chance in Great Britain and first appeared in Scotland.
A shepherd found a cat with clipped ears and crossed it with the British Shorthair.
The genetic defect that causes the kinked ears was passed on to the offspring.
However, this defect leads to health problems for the cats.
They are prone to ear infections and have difficulty communicating with other cats.
The genetic defect can also affect the cartilage and bones in the legs and spine and deform them.
As a result, the cats suffer from pain and sometimes restricted movement.
Many breeding associations therefore do not recognize the Scottish Fold cat as an independent breed.
In Germany, breeding these cats is viewed as torture breeding and is therefore prohibited.
Taylor Swift's cat Olivia Benson is the most successful celebrity cat in the world
Their quiet and reserved nature could be the reason why Taylor Swift's Scottish Folds don't show themselves so much in public.
Meredith Gray in particular apparently doesn't believe in cameras.
And cat Olivia Benson doesn't have her own Instagram account either.
Nevertheless, she made it to third place in the “Pet Rich List” published by the cat fan platform “All About Cats”.
This makes her the richest celebrity cat in the world.
As the platform reports, a whopping $97 million (around 89.8 million euros) goes to the kitty's account.
She earns her money outside of social media, for example through appearances in Taylor Swift's music videos, advertising clips or a merchandise collection that her owner designed for her.
Incidentally, Taylor Swift is said to have recently published her own book under the pseudonym Elly Conway.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.