Scottish Fold Growth: Explained Clearly and Easily

When it comes to Scottish Fold cats, it’s essential to understand and monitor their growth. Weight increase or decrease can easily be a sign of health-related disorders, making it critical to know where your Scottish Fold cat should be during specific growth intervals.

A Scottish Fold is a medium-sized cat that weighs between 7-10 lbs (3.1-4.5 kg). Scottish Folds start life smaller than other breeds but will quickly make up the difference in their first year of life. Scottish Fold life expectancy is 11-14 years.

While you could use the average growth rate for any feline to help determine your cat’s growth, it won’t be tailored to their specific breed. But, don’t worry, as we can quickly summarize all you need to know about Scottish Fold growth.

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Scottish Fold Average Size

The Scottish Fold is a medium-sized cat that is a bit sleeker than the British Shorthair. Its breed is known for its folded over ears and short fur. However, there is a long-haired variety.

When it’s fully grown, a Scottish Fold’s average size is anywhere between 7-10 lbs (3.1-4.5 kg), depending on its gender. A male will typically end up anywhere between 9 and 13 lbs (4 and 5.9 kg). On the other hand, a female will be anywhere from 6 to 9 lbs (2.7 to 4 kg).

Their breed is known to have varying weight in the first few months of birth before evening out.

Additionally, the length of the cat from head to tail will be 10” to 30” (25.4 to 76.2 cm). Other essential features include a short coat of various colors with either green, blue, or gold eyes.

How Big Do Scottish Fold Cats Grow?

Scottish Fold cats will grow up to 13 pounds. For a Scottish Fold cat, a few significant changes happen in the first month of life. Below, we list the major milestones you should be aware of to raise a happy and healthy kitten.

Newborn Scottish Fold Kitten Characteristics

Scottish Fold kittens are a bit tricky to measure in weight due to how their weight is determined.

If a mother Scottish Fold has a larger litter, the kittens will weigh less at birth. This is an essential factor to be aware of because an underweight kitten can be at risk for severe health conditions.

According to Pet WebMD, a newborn kitten should weigh an average of 3.5 oz (99 g). Anything above or below this weight is considered abnormal and should be looked into. A veterinarian will be able to give you proper guidance on if your kitten is healthy.

Scottish Fold First Few Weeks Characteristics

The first important growth milestone for a Scottish Fold happens in the first two weeks of birth. During this time, a Scottish Fold kitten will gain 10 g (0.35 oz) a day if well fed. Providing milk or formula will help average out the weight gained and will promote healthy growth.

After the two weeks have passed, a Scottish Fold kitten should weigh 8.8-12.3 oz (250-350 g). If your cat isn’t this weight by the second week, it’s recommended to give additional formula to help bring the weight up to 9.5 oz (269 g).

By the end of week three, a Scottish Fold should weigh 12.3-15.9 oz (397 g).

Scottish Fold First Few Months Characteristics

After the first few weeks pass, your kitten will begin to grow even further as its body develops into full adulthood.

From here on, a Scottish Fold kitten will weigh 1.2-1.4 lbs (550-650 g) by the second month. After that, following the same pattern of weight gain, you can expect them to weigh 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg). And by the fourth, you can expect them to start to gain weight of up to 6.2 lbs (2.8 kg) as they become full-grown cats.

Scottish Fold at 6 Months Plus

From there, a Scottish Fold will reach 9-13 lbs (4-6 kg) for males and 6-9 lbs (2.7-4 kg) for females.

However, some Scottish Folds can reach up to 13.2 lbs (6 kg) in body weight. However, this is mainly determined by genetics and the sex of the cat. After your kitten has hit a year, it’s considered a cat and is fully grown.

How To Determine Growth Rates

An important fact to remember is that its genetics highly determine the growth of a kitten. If you have access to the parent’s paperwork, you can use it to determine what weight your kitten should average to.

Genetics plays a 20% role in the final weight in most cases, while the other 80% is determined by diet, exercise, and health.

Scottish Fold Health

Building a healthy exercise and diet routine can help promote healthy growth while your Scottish Fold is young. Scottish Fold cats are prone to weight gain, especially if they have an unhealthy diet paired with little to no exercise, so a kitten will need daily exercise to help prevent weight gain.

Here are some other tips that can help keep your Scottish Fold kitten healthy during its first year of life:

• Scottish Folds need daily exercise to develop mentally and to stay healthy physically. If you plan to get one, make sure they have ample toys that stimulate hunting and exploration.
• The breed has dense fur and needs regular grooming and brushing. For short-haired varieties, brush once a week, and for long-haired, twice a week.
• Checking their ears weekly can help save them from a health issue. Scottish Folds’ ears are prone to infections, irritations, and mites.
• The breed also gets along well with other cats and dogs. They also do well with children who are old enough not to mishandle them.

Scottish Fold Health Conditions

The Scottish Fold is one of the breeds with some genetic health conditions that they are prone to. The conditions a Scottish Fold may struggle with are:

• Osteochondrodysplasia affects the cartilage and bone development of your cat.
• Polycystic kidney disease causes cysts to grow in and on the kidneys, which can damage kidney function.
• Cardiomyopathy is a heart disease where the heart’s muscle makes it hard to pump blood to the rest of your body.

These three health conditions need to be monitored by a specialist to help prevent symptoms from spreading.

Many of these conditions could lead to death or failure of a vital organ. Due to this, it’s essential to monitor your kittens while they are young. The sooner you get a handle on these health issues, the better your Scottish Fold will be.

History of the Scottish Fold

According to The International Cat Association, Scottish Folds were first discovered in 1961 by William Ross. The cat had a unique gene mutation where its ears were folded over.

When the cat had a litter, this unique gene mutation was passed down to its offspring.

After breeding a few generations, the Scottish Fold captured the heart of many by its owl-like appearance. As a result, the Scottish Fold was granted championship status by the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) in 1978. There are two varieties accepted by the CFA, including the short hair and long-haired variety.

Conclusion

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A Scottish Fold kitten undergoes plenty of growth in the first few months. Therefore, you can expect them to have most of their developmental changes in the first three months of life. That being said, you’ll only have a few months before your little kitten ends up fully grown physically.

If you’re a new Scottish Fold owner or plan to get one, it’s best to know how the Scottish Fold differs from similar cat breeds. Hopefully, we’ve helped you learn a bit more about Scottish Fold and its growth patterns.

If you enjoyed this article, please check out a few more:

• Why Are Scottish Fold Cats So Expensive? (And Average Cost):  Click Here.
• Do Scottish Fold Cats Shed? (Shedding and Grooming):  Click Here.
• American Shorthair vs. Scottish Fold (Best Big Comparison):  Click Here.