Everything You Need To Know About Mau & Mooncake

As you can probably imagine, a lot of the questions I get asked are actually about my Scottish Fold babies (and the real MVPs of my Instagram feed), Mau & Mooncake. So in the interest of efficiency, I thought I’d put together a list of FAQs for your reference. 👋

Where did you get them from?

We got them both from a breeder called Keith Marsom in Kaukapakapa, Auckland. He doesn’t have many litters a year, so it can be tricky to get to the front of the line, but he’s always really lovely to deal with. As far as I know, he’s only breeding British Short Hairs at the moment (not Scottish Folds), but you can find it contact details over on the NZCF website if you want to get in touch.

Are they indoor-only cats?

Yes! The breeder encouraged us to keep them both inside, as Scottish Folds have quite a bad reputation for being killed (and sometimes stolen). Scottish Folds tend to be on the relaxed side, which is lovely, but means they’re nowhere near as cautious as they probably should be: there have been an unfortunate number of Scottish Folds killed by garage doors closing on them, and similarly avoidable accidents. Mau & Mooncake both love to go outside though (grass is their no. 1 passion), but we always supervise them.

Are they both affectionate?

Yes! Scottish Folds aren’t usually considered “lap cats” (look at me with all my cat lingo), but Mau & Mooncake are both soooooo affectionate. To be honest, I can’t really imagine needier kitties – they like to be with us constantly! 😅 They often greet us at the door when we get home, follow us from room to room, sleep with us all night, and are pretty smoochy during the day. The only downside is that I really hate leaving them!

How do they cope with kids and/or other animals?

I don’t think Mooncake has actually met any kids yet, but Mau is lovely with them! She’s really tolerant, and is super gentle – I don’t think she’s ever scratched or bitten anyone ever. She’s nowhere near as scared of kids as she probably should be! Neither of them have come into contact with other animals yet, but Scottish Folds supposedly adjust really well to other cats (and dogs), which is good news for us, as we’re planning on adding a dog into the mix eventually.

How much did they cost?

Mau was just under $1000, which included all her vaccinations, neutering, and micro-chipping, and Mooncake was slightly more (as it was a few years later).

How do you stop them from scratching your furniture?

I think we’ve been pretty lucky, because this really hasn’t been a big problem for us. Mooncake has never really been interested in scratching our furniture (although he’s still a carpet scratcher, unfortunately). When Mau was a kitten, we would spray her with a water bottle when she scratched the couch buuuuuuut I think she grew to quite like it. 🙈 She only really scratches furniture if she’s playing these days (e.g., to pull herself around upside down or something) or if she doesn’t have access to a scratching pole.

How do you handle having a litter box in the house?

The litter box was one of my main concerns before we first got Mau. I used to insist that Mau would be an outdoor cat, solely because I didn’t think I could handle having a litter box in the house for the rest of my life. But it’s actually no drama! We use crystal litter, which deals with the odour really well – we honestly don’t smell anything ever, and we haven’t had any major accidents.

Do they mind being in the car?

They definitely don’t enjoy being in the car (much to my disappointment), but I think they cope with it pretty well considering. We’ve taken Mau on a couple of 5 hour trips (relocating from Auckland to New Plymouth and then back again), and she doesn’t meow or pee or anything like that. She seems to find it more stressful if we put her in a box, so I drive, and Carl has her on his lap the whole time.

Do they have health problems?

Nope! There are a couple of health risks specific to Scottish Folds, so we have pet insurance just in case, but they haven’t had any problems yet. As far as I know, most Scottish Folds live perfectly healthy lives.

How old were they when you got them?

They were both 3 months old! We didn’t have the option of bringing them home any earlier, as you have to be a registered breeder in order to adopt an unneutered Scottish Fold in New Zealand, and they can’t really be neutered before the 3 month mark. If you’re interested in how we went from a one cat household to a two cat household, click here.

Do they shed?

Yes! Wearing dark colours just hasn’t been the same since we got Mau (RIP navy), but it’s not usually more of a problem than that. They definitely shed more leading into summer (and their spots have a decent fur coat year round), but most of the time it’s super manageable.

What colour are they?

Their coat is technically called “silver shaded”, which is mainly white (as you have likely noticed) with a little silvery grey thrown in. Mau has a bit more silver than Mooncake, so he often looks a bit more on the white side.