ANIMALS

1. Three Scottish animals

dog

wildcat

cow

The Scottish Wildcat

Large, tabby tail and hairy piercing eyes, the wild cat in Scotland is the only native cat from the forests of Britain to live in their natural environment. It is always elusive and if by chance you see one, it will be a memory to cherish wildlife throughout your life.

The identity of the cat is no doubt when you see one. Despite a strong resemblance to a large tabby cat, the wild cat has a look (and looks amazing) that will make your hair stand on end.

Breeding wild cats with domestic cats sometimes possible so that the genes of some cats living in the wild Scottish can be mixed. But there are differences in skull shape. If you really want to see one in the flesh, there will be perhaps a captive one at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie. The discretion of the beautiful feline at night is perhaps one of the reasons that made it difficult to observe. Host of forests and their edges, he lives in Europe, Asia and Africa. The domestic cat, a little smaller, descends from African populations.

The Shetland Dog

This is a dog friendly, intelligent, very attached to his master. Its temperament is "Affectionate and responsive towards the owner, reserved towards strangers, never nervous." The Shetland is indeed a small sheepdog, with the qualities of a shepherd alongside his master. This is a sweet dog, making it a good companion for children as for adults!

The Shetland Sheepdog can sometimes be stubborn, and when it has decided not to do something, it's better not to insist. This is a dog that does not support violence, even verbal. Abused, he becomes quickly depressed and unhappy. Never lay a hand on him, never shout.
This dog loves to live in contact with his teacher and nature.
As a working dog, the Shetland Sheepdog is active. However, due to its small size it will become accustomed to a small garden, enjoying walks and family outings. It is also a lovely pet inside the house: it adapts and knows how to stay calm.

The Sheltie has a keen intelligence and a great ability to learn which makes it suitable for many disciplines: Agility, Jumping, Flyball, Herd, and many other dog sports. Life expectancy is 12 to 15 years.

It's a solid and robust dog. Elegant, it does not demand despite his long hair, a lot of maintenance. A brush once a week except during moulting when his coat needs a little more attention.

The Highland Cow

Originally from the North West of Scotland these small rustic cows corresponded well to the needs of that region.
These are cows whose birthplace is in rigorous and wild areas of Scotland and therefore very resistant to harsh climates, with large temperature differences and disease.

Thanks to their double thickness of hair, they are resistant to extreme cold and snow. The bottom layer helps protect from the cold and the top layer, coated with oil slids rain on their coats. They consume less energy to live and there is no need to bring extra food. These are the breeds of cows that eat more varieties of flora.

They give birth alone and easily. Beautiful calves are already very strong and developed. The mothers defend them with a highly developed maternal instinct.

The Highland cow, whether male or female, wear beautiful pairs of horns that can be up to 1.10M scope.

Since 1987, Highland cows (Highlands of Scotland) are present on the site. They are responsible for grazing meadows. These ecological lawnmowers maintain the grass.

Grazing is very extensive, which allows you to leave in the pasture areas that will be covered and some shelters a varied fauna and flora.