Click Below to Skip Ahead
A mix of two popular cat breeds, the Scottish Fold and Russian Blue mix can vary quite a bit depending on its parents. In general, they’re more reserved, curious kitties with a sweet nature and, sadly, a susceptibility to medical issues. Let’s learn some more about this gorgeous cat mixed breed down below, starting with a brief look at their common characteristics.
Breed Overview
Height:
8–10 inches
Weight:
6–13 pounds
Lifespan:
11–20 years
Colors:
White, black, blue, red, cream
Suitable for:
Virtually any family, apartment dwellers
Temperament:
Shy, loving, curious, loyal, amicable
The Russian Blue is an independent, loving breed marked by their deep blue coat and piercing green eyes, while the Russian Fold is more of a sweet lap cat with folded ears and is prone to a painful genetic condition. Together, they produce the Scottish Fold Russian Blue mix, which can exhibit physical and behavioral characteristics of either or both cat breeds.
That’s what makes them so unique. They might look like an even mix of both breeds, or they might heavily favor one while having their own unique personality.
Scottish Fold Russian Blue Mix Characteristics
Scottish Fold Russian Blue Mix Breed Kittens
As a crossbreed, Scottish Fold Russian Blue mix kittens aren’t easy to find because breeders usually exclusively sell purebred pets. Your best options are to find one through an animal rescue organization or find a litter for adoption because even breeders may find breeding Scottish Folds an unethical practice. We’ll talk about that more later.
Temperament & Intelligence of the Scottish Fold Russian Blue Mix
Russian Blues and Scottish Folds have very different personalities, so it is impossible to predict what mix of them you’ll get in their offspring. One kitten from a litter may be more outgoing like the Scottish Fold, while another might be more independent like the Russian Blue. Or you could even get a more moderate mix of the two. That’s part of the reason that crossbreeds have no breed standards—you never know what you get.
The good news is that both breeds are affectionate with their family and like to spend time cuddling or playing. That means Scottish Fold Russian Blue mixes are pretty amicable by default but aloof with strangers. With careful socialization, you can encourage them to stay more friendly since unsocialized cats can be very anxious or aloof creatures.
Are These Cats Good for Families?👪
Absolutely. Scottish Fold Russian Blue Mixes are very friendly for the whole family, with an easy charm that helps them get along with kids. They love to explore and play with intriguing objects around the house, and cat toys are always a favorite. If they get overwhelmed, they might go hang out by themselves for a little while.
Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets?
Sometimes, but it depends on early socialization. Like many breeds, the Scottish Fold Russian Blue mix is ambivalent toward other animals by default. Exposing them to other pets and people while they’re young will help reduce anxiety and make them more friendly. Poor socialization early in the cat’s life can make them more fearful or even hostile toward dogs, so always keep their personality and experiences in mind.
Things to Know When Owning a Scottish Fold Russian Blue Mix
As always, do your research before bringing any type of pet home. Here is what you need to look out for with this breed specifically:
Food & Diet Requirements
The Scottish Fold Russian Blue mix doesn’t require a special cat diet. The most important thing to consider is the quality of your cat food because cats need meat to survive. Taurine, in particular, is important because cats can only get it from a meat-based diet. That means high-quality dry food and the occasional wet food should do the trick.
Exercise🐈
Scottish Fold Russian Blue mixes aren’t feline athletes, but they still require a moderate amount of exercise to stay in shape and satisfy their innate need to explore. A cat tower or other structure for climbing is a must-have, or else they’ll carve out their own turf on the furniture! Be ready for a lot of playtime with this crossbreed kitty.
Training🧶
Cats aren’t really trainable in the sense that dogs are, so don’t be disappointed if your cat isn’t obeying sit commands a few months in. Cats have short attention spans and can’t focus on command training for long, and honestly, they do what they want most of the time. Some cats are more trainable than others across all breeds, and the same goes for the Scottish Fold Russian Blue mix.
If you want to try and train your cat, use their favorite treats or foods as a reward and only use very short training sessions. It could take weeks to months of regular training to get a cat to obey simple commands, but every cat has a different, unique capacity and inclination toward learning commands.
Grooming✂️
Scottish Fold Russian Blue mixes take care of the bulk of their own grooming, like any feline. Their coats aren’t especially long, so tangles and mats will be very rare. At most, you may need to go over the kitty’s coat with a de-shedding comb to remove any loose fur tufts.
If the cat takes after the Scottish Folds, their coat might shed a bit more and require more regular de-shedding sessions. Still, grooming cats is way easier than grooming many dog breeds out there. Both parents of this mixed breed have dense, plush coats that they’re pretty good at caring for.
Health and Conditions🏥
Sadly, the Scottish Fold Russian Blue Mix is prone to osteochondrodysplasia, which is caused by the same mutation that gives the Scottish Fold its folded ears. First observed in Scottish cats on farms in the 1800s, this genetic mutation affects the cartilage in the joints. That causes painful arthritis-like symptoms which significantly affect quality of life, especially later in life.
The good news is that not all Scottish Fold Russian Blue Mixes inherit the folded ears and won’t develop that painful joint condition. However, cats that do get the folded ears are at risk and should visit a trusted vet regularly.
Like breeding other pets with painful genetic conditions, some organizations and people believe breeding Scottish Folds is unethical. However, mixing them with the Russian Blue may actually help. By diluting the recessive folded ear gene, kittens are less likely to suffer later in life.
In addition to osteochondrodysplasia, Scottish Fold Russian Blue Mixes with folded ears are at risk of minor ear infections. They develop earwax buildup faster than other breeds, meaning their ears can become a haven for bacteria and infection.
Male vs Female
There are no breed standards for the Scottish Fold Russian Blue Mix because they’re a crossbreed. Male cats tend to be bigger than females and may have a more outgoing personality, but it also depends heavily on the parents’ temperaments.
3 Little-Known Facts About the Scottish Fold Russian Blue Mix
1. Not All Cats Inherit Folded Ears
Much of the appeal of this breed is that they can have the appearance of the Russian Blue with the Scottish Fold’s folded ears. Sadly, you can’t guarantee that. Every mixed breed cat has the potential for nearly any combination of their parents’ traits, and it is even possible no kittens in a mixed litter will get folded ears.
2. Blue Coloring Is Very Rare
The blue coloring in cats is really a diluted black, and the gene producing it is recessive. So, if the Scottish Fold parent doesn’t have the blue gene somewhere in its DNA, breeding with a Russian Blue is very unlikely to produce any kittens with blue coloring.
3. They’re Likely to Have a Long Life
Scottish Folds tend to live shorter lives compared to Russian Blues, but their kittens can have long lifespans of up to 20 years. It all depends on what genes they inherit from their parents. Little Scottish Fold lookalikes may be facing a shorter life, but there’s no way to tell for sure.
Final Thoughts
The Scottish Fold Russian Blue mix is a cross between two popular cat breeds, meaning the kittens can get any mix of characteristics of either. You also have to keep the parents in mind because their traits influence the kittens more than the breeds do.
Another consideration is the Scottish Fold’s predisposition toward a painful joint condition. If you’re thinking about adopting a mix, we’d suggest a kitty without folded ears.
Featured Image Credit: Left – hannadarzy, Shutterstock | Right – Demian Tejeda-Benitez, Pexels
