The history of the Highlander cat breed, the standard of Highland Lynx cats, the character and health of the pet, advice on care, the price of a kitten. The Highlander cat, or as it is often called the Highland Lynx, is essentially a British cat with long hair. This animal is a full-fledged variation of the British Shorthair cat. Such pets very much resemble a wild red lynx, although they do not have common genes, therefore, if you want to have an unusual exotic with a bright appearance and affectionate character, you can turn your attention to this particular breed. But among connoisseurs of the world of cats, this species also bears the abbreviation BDSH (British Longhair), Britannica or Lovelander (Lowlender).
The history of the emergence of highland cats
Cats of this variety remain quite rare today, and basically there is an opportunity to meet them in the USA or on the Australian continent. These animals are rather large and are preferred by lovers of exotics with large parameters. The translation of the name itself sounds like "highlander" or "mountain lynx", Highland lynx (Highland Lynx), indicating that its outlines the pet resembles a wild feline. The last representatives were bred back in 1993 in the Timberline cat cattery under the patronage of the breeder Joe Childress. This nursery is located on the east coast of the United States of America. A feature of the Highland Lynx individuals was that they were strikingly similar in appearance to the red wild lynx, but there were no common genes.
It is curious that the Highlanders have nothing in common with their wild counterpart, since the lynx genes were not used in breeding work. The breeders set the task to bring out such a domestic cat, which had an affectionate character, but its appearance was not inferior to a powerful wild lynx.
The origin of this breed was laid quite recently - in 2001. And at many exhibitions these exotics began to be shown only from the beginning of the 20th century, but they were often used to breed other new types of cats. During this period, other breeders had certain problems related to the maintenance and restoration of such a breed as the British Shorthair. Then it was decided to preserve the breed line to carry out interbreed mating, attracting other varieties to this. One of them was the breed of Persian cats and Chartreuse, which led in the final result that the British shorthair cats in their genome began to possess the longhair gene, which was in a recessive state, that is, did not appear.
After selection, the kittens that appeared, which had a short coat, were used to breed the British Shorthair breed, but the rest, long-haired babies (so, apparently, the existing genes responsible for long hair in both parents coincided) were used for breeding Persians, Highland Folds or Longhaired Scottish Folds.
Only at the end of 2001 this new breed of cats was given an official name - Highlander, in order to emphasize the difference of the species from the mountain lynx. At the same time, she was registered with TICA (International Felinological Organization) and WCF (World Cat Federation). The year 2004 was marked by the final approval of the standard for the appearance of Highland Lynx cats.
But due to the fact that the name of the breed of British cats "Highlander" is somewhat similar to the Scottish "Highland", confusion often arises. But the distinction is fairly straightforward. The British short-haired varieties such as the Scottish Fold and Scottish Straight are closest relatives and developed around the same time period. Two breeds with a long-haired coat originate from them. Namely, the British long-haired, called the Highlander, came from the British, and the Scottish variety became the ancestor of the Highland Fold (long-haired cats with hanging ears) and Highland Straights (cats with long hair, but erect ears). By the way, it is worth noting that British long-haired fold-eared cats do not occur in nature, only representatives of Scottish breeds have hanging ears: short-haired (Scottish Fold) and long-haired (Highland Fold).
However, many breeders note that there is an unprecedented demand for highlander cats. Lovers of long-haired cats buy more readily if such kittens appear in the litter. However, the breed still remains quite rare, since almost all breeders are located in the United States.
Description of the official highland cat breed standard
All representatives of this variety are medium or large in size, while their weight can vary from 4 to 9 kg.
- Body Highland Link cats are strong and muscular, resembling the outline of a wild lynx. Differs in light squat.
- Head is large in size, with a well-developed rounded muzzle, the silhouette of which is plump or almost square. The whisker pads on the muzzle are quite prominent.
- Ears medium, at the tips they are rounded and twisted, widened at the base, the distance between the ears is wide, the auricles are directed straight. Kittens are born with straight ears, but after a couple of weeks, the tips begin to curl up.
- Neck moderately short.
- Eyes have slanting outlines, they are placed widely on the muzzle. Their size is large, their look is expressive. The color of the iris can vary from golden, copper or greenish to blue if the pet is characterized by a white coat.
- Limbs in highlander cats, they differ in that the hind ones are longer than the front ones, and often the toes are strongly pubescent. Feet are strong and rounded, there are extra toes.
- Tail in such cats it can go down to the middle of the hind legs, but it happens that the animal is completely deprived of it, which resembles a manx, or there is a variant with an intermediate length. Its length can be 5-15 cm.
- Wool. There are individuals with long and short coats.
- Coat color allows the following options: brown or silver black, beige brown, completely black or resinous, chocolate or red color. Based on the TICA breed standard, the decisive factor that determines the color of the entire coat of a Highlander cat is the color of its undercoat. For example, the general color would be considered brown, even though the fur is bronze or silvery black if the undercoat is also brown.
The following fur patterns are acceptable:
- mackerel tabby, when there are dark stripes on the sides of the body;
- spotted tabby, the presence of spotting of various shapes and sizes, but placed in random order, while a pattern like a leopard is not allowed;
- classic marble tabby;
- color with a stripe along the back, running along the entire length of the body to the very tip of the tail, but this stripe (ideally) should be formed by separate longitudinally extending spots.
The pattern covering the muzzle and forehead is typical tabby. The lower part of the cat's body is decorated with well-visible spots. The striped pattern is present on the forelegs and hindquarters as well as the tail.
Character of highlander cats
Despite the fact that Highland Lynx cats are called a hybrid of hybrids, their character is very affectionate and pleasant. The animal gets along well in the same house with any other pets, be it a dog or a cat, or a ferret or a bird. These cats simply adore children, especially if they constantly invite her to play.
At the same time, many owners of highlander cats note the similarity of their pets to dogs and their remarkable intelligence. Pets quickly learn to respond when they are called, they easily get used to walking on a leash. But even such activity does not dispose to the fact that the animal will begin to climb the curtains, like other representatives of the feline world. By the age of two or three years, the activity decreases slightly and the Highlander becomes very calm and balanced.
Highland cat health features
In general, if we talk about hereditary predispositions to diseases, then the British Longhair cat is a hardy and fairly healthy breed, but there are still some deviations. By inheritance, a kitten can acquire hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This disease is mainly diagnosed after an ultrasound scan of the heart.
Since the animal has a short muzzle, there is a tendency to the formation of stones on the teeth, so the owner is advised to conduct regular examinations of his pet's oral cavity and brush his teeth. To do this, you can use toothpaste or gel, and special toothbrushes. It is also necessary to give her vitamins regularly - Beaphar Kitty’s Mix, FeliDerm (AniVital) or Polidex Immunity up to maintain the beauty of the hair of a Heilander cat.
It is also worth noting the tendency of British cats to obesity, so do not offer too much food at a time, but strictly follow the instructions on the package. An allergic reaction to food or other drugs can also be a problem.
It is important to remember about routine vaccinations and deworming procedures. In the latter case, you can use effective drugs such as Drontal or Cestal. If the animal is provided with competent care, then it will delight the owner with its love from 10 to 15 years.
Highlander cat grooming tips
Wool
Since the hair of Lovlender cats is long, it is necessary to care for it more thoroughly than for their short-haired counterparts. Bathing is carried out as it gets dirty, or every month, if the pet lives in an apartment, with frequent walks on the street, it is recommended to clean the coat three times a month. It is necessary to pick up special shampoos, of which a large number are presented in pet stores today. These products are available in both liquid and dry form. But in the first case, the pet will need to be thoroughly dried after washing, and in the second, some of these preparations from cat hair will have to be combed out. One of the best is considered to be the Perfect Coat Shed Control & Hairball liquid shampoo from "8 in 1", but you can take PET'S LAB as dry shampoo. The latter is simply applied to the coat and then combed out thoroughly. But since highlander cats love to swim, you shouldn't deprive them of this pleasure.
The next factor is brushing the coat of the Highland Lynx cat. To do this, you need to purchase a comb with soft bristles in a specialized store. The procedure is performed 2-3 times a week, and when the pet begins to molt (in spring or autumn), you will have to comb it daily. This will ensure that the cat's hair does not cover all objects in the room and the cat, licking itself, does not swallow hairs.
It is the daily combing that guarantees that the wool does not begin to stray into tangles, which will not be possible to separate and will have to be cut off. The pet is seated on the prepared surface and combed out from head to tip of tail. It is recommended not to use slickers, as they can pull out a large number of still living hairs. If from the very beginning, as soon as the kitten is brought into the house, it is taught to such procedures, then by the age of six months the pet will calmly tolerate them and even get pleasure in the process.
Teeth
Due to problems with the formation of tartar, the owner needs to brush his pet's teeth once a week. To do this, it is recommended to use products made by Hartz and toothbrushes, better than the same manufacturer. When brushing your teeth, it is important not to overdo it, so that the cat does not cause inconvenience, otherwise the animal will no longer be allowed to carry out this necessary operation. It is usually recommended to take no more than half a minute to brush your cat's teeth.
Ears and eyes
Ears and eyes are also cleaned weekly with special products. For the ears, you can use cotton swabs with restraints, the tip of which is moistened in lotion like Cliny, and each eye is wiped with a cotton pad dipped in a special preparation (for example, Cliny C or AVZ Bars) or herbal decoction or tea tea leaves.
Claws
The claws of highlander cats grow at a high rate and can break off, so the owner is advised to check their condition and carry out a timely haircut as they grow back. The best prevention is such a device as a scratching post, and claws are trimmed with special claws. It is only important to remember that only a couple of millimeters of the tip of the claw are cut off, otherwise you can damage the blood vessel and cause pain to your pet. If it is difficult to cope on your own, it is better to go to the vet.
Nutrition
When keeping highlander cats, you can use both natural food and ready-made specialized premium or super premium food. The diet is recommended to be selected depending on the physiological state of the pet and its age. It is important to consider whether there is a tendency to allergic reactions or obesity. It should be noted that in quality feed, usually all components are balanced and all the necessary vitamin supplements are present. Using natural food, the owner will have to take care of the vitamins on his own. There are remedies that are offered to the Highland Lynx cat both regularly and seasonally (in autumn or spring) when immunity decreases. Such drugs can be complexes from manufacturers Nutri Vet, Beaphar, as well as Canina, Gimpet and the like.
When compiling a diet from natural products, it is recommended to give the animal meat (boneless chicken, beef and offal), sea fish, lactic acid products (cottage cheese or yogurt), eggs (if there is no allergy), rice or buckwheat and vegetables.
Special Tips
These cats simply adore water and, if possible, provide an opportunity for your pet to splash in the bathroom, fountain or just in a basin of water. They are not averse to getting into the shower or bathroom to the owner when he washes or simply can sit for a long time, watching the flowing stream of water.
Since British cats have long hair, in order to avoid stomach problems, it is recommended that the animal periodically be given special products that help to remove wool accumulations. For example, you can use a paste made in Germany - "Malt Soft", which will not only relieve the pet of swallowed hairballs, but will also facilitate the digestion of food debris.
The tray is picked up with high sides, as this is a large animal.
Highlander links cat price
The cost of kittens of this breed will directly depend on the pedigree, color of the individual and the status of the cattery. Cats are usually valued more than cats. The range of prices for a kitten will vary from 2,000 to 20,000 rubles. When buying online, it is recommended to see the litter and at least one of the parents.
Highland cat video:
