British Shorthair Cat

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British Shorthair Cat
British Shorthair Cat

Video: British Shorthair Cat

Video: British Shorthair Cat
Video: British Shorthair Cat Review after 5 years: The worlds best cat? (OFFICIAL VIDEO) 2024, March
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The British shorthair cat is one of the oldest cat breeds. They are strong and robust medium to large sized cats. With a balanced, gentle and calm character, the British are loved by many. They are unpretentious in care and maintenance. Although the British Shorthair is the oldest British breed, it was not until 1979 that it gained recognition in the United States. A feature of the breed is its self-sufficiency. She communicates with the owner only when she herself considers it necessary, does not require much attention. During the day, when everyone is at work, cats usually sleep, and in the morning and evening they actively participate in the life of the family. There are 62 variants of colors in the breed. There is plenty to choose from even the most picky buyer.

Weight: females - 3-4 kg, males - 5-8 kg.

Cost (price) of a kitten: depends on the origin and class - from 1,000 rubles and above (private hands, without pedigree), pet class - 3,000 - 10,000 rubles, breed class - 15,000 - 25,000 rubles, show class - 25,000 - 45,000 rubles. For kittens from the world champion they ask for up to 70,000 rubles.

Life expectancy: up to 14-20 years (average 9-15).

Breed diseases: hemophilia, gum disease, liver and kidney disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hip dysplasia, cystitis, obesity, arthritis, etc.

Country of origin: Great Britain.

The breed is recognized by felinological organizations: FIFe, CFA, TICA, AACE, ACFA / CAA, ACF, CCA.

British shorthair cat, photo photography
British shorthair cat, photo photography

British shorthair cat: buying a kitten

Care (grooming) of the coat, ears, eyes, teeth and claws of a British cat

Why a British cat? (what to do if the cat has …)

Feeding British cats (kittens and adults) The

health of the British shorthair cat

British shorthair cat: tips on the content

Nicknames for British cats

Adaptation of British cats and kittens in the new home (memo to the owner)

British Shorthair colors

British Shorthair cat: breed standards (CFA, WCF, TICA, GCCF)

British chinchillas

Development and progress of the breed British shorthair

History of the breed

For hundreds of years, cats that have lived in the cities and farms of the British Isles have been distinguished by their strong constitution, round eyes and muzzles, short, water-repellent coat of various colors. But only at the end of the 19th century, targeted attempts were made to breed these cats by type and color. These cats were highly regarded for their physical strength and excellent hunting skills.

By the early 20th century, British Shorthair cats were on the show in large numbers. At that time, standards for many colors were already written. The type of cats in general was the same as today - round compact cats with large rounded heads and eyes, the coat was described as short, with a fine texture and dense undercoat. The size of the animals was smaller than today - males weighed 4-5.4 kg, females - 2.7-4 kg.

British Shorthairs were very successful at early cat shows, receiving many medals and awards. The success of these cats has caused quite a stir in feline circles. Many of them were exported to the United States, where their descendants were registered as “domestic shorthair cats” until 1950. In fact, the first shorthaired cat registered in the Americas in 1901 was the Belle of Bradford, imported by Jane Cathcart, and was a tabby British Shorthair cat.

British shorthair cat, photo photography
British shorthair cat, photo photography

The First World War negatively affected the British cat population. When the war ended and interest in the breed increased again, it was difficult for breeders to find worthy producers for breeding work. The remaining livestock (by no means of the best quality) had to be bred with outbred domestic short-haired cats. To the disappointment of many, the resulting offspring were not of the pre-war type. In search of the shortest way to recover the desired type, some breeders began to breed British Shorthairs with Persians, which further reduced interest in this breed.

The restoration of the breed's popularity was again prevented by the war, this time, the Second World War. By the end of the war, there were even fewer purebred British Shorthair cats left, and they were too inbred to each other to be used in breeding work. Therefore, new blood had to be injected into the breed again. For this purpose mongrel and purebred shorthaired cats (Russian blue, Burmese and chartreuse) were used. This ensured the health of the cats, but as a result, the British look lost its "roundness".

To restore the original (pre-war) type, breeders again turned their attention to Persian cats, which were included in the breeding program. However, the British inherited the long-haired gene from the Persians, which they then had to get rid of for decades. But, despite the fact that more than 70 years have passed, kittens with long hair are still found in the breed. Currently, long-haired cats have been singled out as a separate breed - Highlander, or British Long-haired cat.

Breeders worked to restore the true British type until 1979, when the British cat, as a separate breed, was finally recognized by TICA and LOOF, and in 1980 by the CFA.

British shorthair cat, photo photography
British shorthair cat, photo photography

Appearance

The British Shorthair cat has a powerful, muscular, well-balanced body. The head is rounded with a broad forehead and a rounded muzzle. Strong, straight, well developed chin. The nose is short, straight, wide, the nostrils are well open. The bottom point of the chin and the tip of the nose should form a vertical line. Males have strongly developed cheeks. The ears are small, rounded, set wide apart. The outer surface of the ears is evenly covered with fur, the inner pubescence is moderate. The eyes are large enough, brightly colored, expressive, round, set wide apart. Their color should correspond to the color of the body of the animal (point animals have blue eyes, “chinchillas” - from blue, lavender, to emerald green).

The British shorthair cat's neck is short and thick. The chest is voluminous, developed. The hips and shoulders are massive. The back is straight, horizontal. Legs are short, powerful, straight. Feet are large, round, strong and at the same time look graceful. The tail is not long (equal to 2/3 of the body length), thick at the base, gradually tapering towards the end, the tip of the tail itself is rounded.

The coat is very fluffy and soft, silky, albeit rather short, of fine texture, with a thick undercoat. A coat that is too soft or too long or tight is a fault. Variations in hair texture are allowed in blue, lilac and cream cats. The breed is characterized by many different colors, the most popular are solid (gray-blue, blue, black, purple, chocolate), tabby and silver tabby and their varieties (spot, stripe and marble).

The nature and temperament of the British Shorthair

British Shorthairs are calm, peaceful, quiet companion cats that do not require constant attention. A sort of "teddy" bears. They easily adapt to life, both in a small apartment and in a country house. They are not attached to a specific person, but to all family members. They get along well not only with dogs and cats, but also with such pets as rabbits, ferrets and birds. British cats are "quiet" breeds, they rarely meow.

British shorthair cat, photo photography
British shorthair cat, photo photography

British Shorthairs get along well with children of any age. When dealing with them, they show great patience and rarely "release" their claws. Ideal for families with children, singles and seniors, and those who work hard.

Not every Briton will sit on their knees, but will prefer to sit next to you. These cats have an independent and proud character. They will follow you around your apartment or house, watch over you and control every aspect of your life. They just don't like being "controlled". The initiative must come from them, not the other way around. They also do not like it when they are too often picked up.

Kittens are quite active and playful, by the year the activity decreases slightly, and by the age of 4-6 the cats become calmer and, one might say, lazy. It is at this age that it is necessary to monitor the weight of the cat, since the breed is prone to obesity with all the ensuing health problems. From games, the British prefer balls, fishing rods, hauling abandoned objects, hunting for a laser pointer and moving (interactive) toys.

The British enjoy spending time lying on the windowsill and watching life outside the window, or just basking in the sun.

20 nicknames for British shorthair cats

For male kittens: Bret, Gord (en), Dudley, Clarence, Coventry, Linton, Noble, Aldin, Paisley, Pound (hic).

For female kittens: Brit (a) nor, Guinea, Lacey, Penny, Agatha, Gwen (dalina), Deneza, Germaine, Morana, Renea.

See the full list of nicknames …

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