The history of the breed, the standard of appearance of the Brazilian shorthair cat, temperament, care at home, buying a kitten. Brazilian shorthair cat - about this representative of the feline world, we can quite safely say that this is a cat walking by itself. Bringing such a pet into the house, you should not worry that you do not know how to properly care for such a highly pedigree animal. These creatures know how to be so independent and independent that it will pleasantly surprise you. Cats of this breed are not at all annoying, they will not demand attention for themselves when you are busy with something and, which is very important, these pussies are very smart.
Keeping such a pet is not only not troublesome, but very pleasant, since these living beings from the first days of your living together settle down not only in your house, but also in your family and in your heart.
The history of the origin of the breed of Brazilian Shorthair cats
If we talk about how this breed of cats appeared in our world, then we can say without remorse that this is only Mother Nature's business, a person has practically nothing to do with Brazilian shorthair cats. But "practically" doesn't mean "nothing at all."
The thing is that the indigenous people of hot Brazil loved and respected their yard cats very much, because they were simply extremely smart and beautiful, they could not be found in any corner of the planet with fire in the daytime, at least it seemed to people so. At that time, the Brazilians did not have the slightest idea of how to make sure that their aboriginal cats were talked about all over the world, they did not so much want fame and money as they wanted to give the inhabitants of other countries and continents a piece of this living fluffy beauty. But the decision came by itself.
Around 1985, a program was launched to transform the most ordinary street cats into pedigree cats, this project was led by the famous figure in the field of felinology, Paulo Racci. This science is a part of zoology, which studies the physiology and anatomy of domestic cats, their varieties, breeding, reproduction and care rules. His team included many professional cat breeders from the United States and Great Britain. Thus, after a few years, the world recognized such breeds as the American and British shorthair cat.
As soon as the work of Paulo Racci won out, Brazilian breeders and fanciers began to intensively examine all the local cats. From the entire feline population of Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre and Ciare, 40 individuals were selected, they were considered the best of the best and became the very basis from which the Brazilian Shorthair cat originates, as an elite breed.
Brazilian scientists experimented in every possible way with mating, and when in 1994 they had a sufficient number of kittens of the standard they needed, they still dared to send a request not just anywhere, but to the World Cat Federation (WCF). The answer was very welcome and not so desirable. After lengthy negotiations and discussions, the WCF members announced their decision. It consisted in the fact that the Brazilian aboriginal cat was added to the breed of the European Shorthair cat. Although it is believed that European cats are the progenitors of this fluffy "Brazilian", local breeders were not satisfied with this decision. And they began to send their appeal to FIFE (International Federation of Cats). But from this prestigious organization, the Brazilians wanted to get advice on what exactly their representatives of the breed lack in order to be a separate species. What was the response of this organization is not known. But the fact remains that the Brazilian Shorthair cat is recognized by all felinological organizations in Brazil. The World Cat Federation has classified them as experimental breeds, the development of which they follow in every possible way.
Description of the appearance of cats of the Brazilian Shorthair breed
At first glance, the Brazilian shorthair cat does not have any special external uniqueness, but they have some features that no cat has. They conquer with their gaze, so deep and piercing that even from the eyes of such a representative of the feline world, conclusions can be drawn about his character and intelligence, and as practice shows, the eyes of these cats rarely lie.
The Brazilian Shorthair is a medium-sized animal with a rather strong stocky body, slender legs and beautiful eyes. No matter how ordinary and ordinary these cats may seem, they have an accepted breed standard.
- Head. Usually this part of the Brazilian shorthair cat has a wedge-shaped shape without sharp lines and transitions. In relation to the body, she is small, with a cute face.
- Eyes There are different configurations, most often they resemble a circle or oval, less often individuals with almond-shaped eyes are found. The eye section is always slightly slanting, wide open. A distinctive feature of such cats is their look - truly some kind of special, penetrating, intelligent, it seems that they always see something that causes them both delight and bewilderment. The color of the iris is always in harmony with the basic tone of the color of the coat. Only in cats, whose "fur coat" is painted in silvery shades, the color of the eyes can be either yellow or greenish.
- Auricles in cats from Brazil, they are small, usually of regular triangular shape, with a slight roundness at the end. The tip of the ear is also often decorated with a small tassel.
- Limbs proportional to the size of the body. Each of them ends with a rounded brush. The feet are strong and stable.
- Frame strong but not very large, the average body weight of the Brazilian Shorthair cat ranges from 4 to 6 kg. These cats are slender and graceful, but by no means skinny. Their chest is rather wide, the neck is of medium length, strong. The muscle tissue on the cat's body is more than well developed.
- Tail long, much wider at the base than the tip, well pubescent. The length of the hair on the tail corresponds to the entire coat.
- Wool Brazilian cats are usually short, but very thick. It is tough in texture, but very delicate and soft to the touch. "Fur coat" Brazilian shorthair cat can be painted in a wide variety of colors, there are no rules or restrictions.
The temperament of the Brazilian Shorthair cat
“We are responsible for those whom we have tamed” - this is said a lot about her. By their nature, representatives of the Brazilian Shorthair breed are very loyal, loyal, calm and friendly pets, but their character largely depends on the owner and his attitude towards the cat. All the positive traits of a fluffy Brazilian must be developed gradually.
At first, in a new place, a pet can be withdrawn and shy, this is how these cats react to new environments and strangers, but once they get used to them, they transform before our eyes. The Brazilian Shorthair cat needs a lot of attention, all sorts of different things. You need to play with it, you need to talk, walk, you can even take it with you on trips. Cats of this breed are independent and independent, but these qualities should not be abused, loneliness and indifference on the part of the owners can give free rein to not the best character traits of the cat. From a cute purr, he can very quickly turn into an aggressive individual.
Brazilian shorthair cat are very smart, they are able to quickly remember their name and basic commands and instructions, as well as the intonation of your speech, so you do not need to talk to your pet in a raised voice. A cat may not only be offended, but even very frightened, which soon affects its psychological health.
With small children, these cats are very restrained and courteous, they know how to play accurately, but it should be clearly explained to children that an animal is not a toy. If a child hurts the cat, then there is a high probability that your pet will resort to protective measures with claws.
Caring for Brazilian shorthair cat at home
Since these representatives of the feline world were born naturally, without the help of breeders, they are able to lead an independent lifestyle. With such a "neighbor" there are rarely any problems, they are not annoying, not picky about food, clean and smart - what is not an ideal pet.
- Room preparation for a new resident. It may seem strange, but before you bring a kitten into the house, and also such an inquisitive and agile one as the Brazilian Shorthair (in some respects, it is not much different from a child), so it is best to hide all small objects away, otherwise the cat through negligence or hunger can swallow them. It is better to reliably cover the wires of electrical appliances, since Brazilian shorthair cat, playing with them, can get entangled in them, or worse, gnaw at you and you lose, and it is not known how such games can end for your pet. If it is not possible to hide all the wires, you can gently sprinkle them with lemon juice, the citrus aroma will instantly discourage your cat from even approaching these interesting objects. You also need to treat indoor plants with all responsibility, some of their species are poisonous to cats, in particular, these are oleander, azalea, chrysanthemum, ivy, wisteria. If you have any in your house, it is better to remove them in a place where the animal will not have access. The poison of these plants is fraught with serious diseases in cats, but the substances contained in the leaves of hydrangea for felines are deadly.
- Hair care. Usually, in order for the hair of the Brazilian Shorthair cat to look beautiful and well-groomed, it is enough to comb it once a week, for such a coat the best solution would be a brush of medium hardness. But during the shedding period, these procedures should be more frequent, comb the cat at least once a day, or several times, so you will prevent the appearance of hair in every corner of your house. And so it will be, since the hairs of Brazilian cats, although short, are very thick and they shed very abundantly. At normal times, you can lay the animal's fur with a damp palm, this will also have a good effect on its appearance.
- Bathing. Brazilian shorthair cat water procedures are not very good, so it is advisable to teach your pet to bathing from early childhood. While the kitten is small, it is allowed to wash it even every week, thus, at least a little, but it will overcome its fear of water. And you need to bathe them, since their fur tends to be greasy. You decide the regularity of the bath procedures individually. If your pet lives in an apartment, then you can bathe once a month. In the event that you live in a private house, and your cat has the opportunity to walk on his own, then bathing is better done more often and with the help of a special shampoo against external parasites. While bathing, make sure that neither water nor detergent gets into the eyes and ears of the cat. At the end of washing, the pet must be thoroughly dried with a towel and make sure that it does not get into drafts or cold.
- Eye care. Rinse the eyes from dust and secretions as needed. These cats themselves are usually thoroughly washed, but still it does not hurt at all to wipe the eyes of the Brazilian Shorthair cat with a cotton swab dipped in a solution of furacilin or chamomile once every two weeks. If you start this procedure and notice that the cat's eye is a little watery, in no case wipe it with a dry swab, this can cause inflammation of the mucous membrane.
- Hygiene of the ears. Try to check your pet's ears for earwax at least once every 3-4 days. If it is there, it must be removed. To do this, you will need the most ordinary cotton swabs and the same chamomile decoction, carefully clean the cat's ear from excess secretions, so you will protect it from otitis media and hearing loss at a more mature age. It is strictly forbidden to use alcohol-containing products for cleaning the ears, since the inner shell of the auricle is very delicate and alcohol, even in a low concentration, can provoke a burn.
- Claws. The question often arises: "Do cats need to cut their claws?" There is no unequivocal answer to it, it's all depending on the circumstances. The claws of Brazilian seals are quite strong and need to be grinded. At an early age, try to accustom the cat to a scratching post, if this was not possible, then you need to pick up a manicure set in order to preserve the wallpaper and upholstery of the sofa. Cats need to cut their claws carefully, only the transparent edge is cut off and not a millimeter more, so a lot of nerve endings pass through the claws of these animals, and an incorrect cut can lead your pet to a painful shock.
- Toilet. Tray training for the Brazilian Shorthair is usually straightforward. But there are exceptions to all the rules, especially if you brought not a kitten into the house, but an adult. When your pet has relieved himself somewhere in the apartment and all subsequent urges lead him to that very first place, then the same citrus juice will come in handy. While your cat is at a loss where to go, show him the tray, preferably sprinkled with liquid for training cats to the toilet.
- Nutrition. Correctly selected Brazilian shorthair cat diet is a guarantee of its health and longevity. The first thing to remember is that it is necessary to accustom cats to a certain menu from early childhood, since it will be difficult to retrain it later, and the second, no less important rule says that food from the master's table cannot be food for a cat. He can eat everything, and sausage, and cheese with mold and spices, and much more, but whether it will benefit him or, moreover, whether he will not have problems is a separate question. Spices that people are used to eating can provoke a huge number of diseases in cats from the digestive tract and urinary system. You can feed your Brazilian Shorthair kitten with ready-made food of high quality, usually the amount of all substances, vitamins and minerals is correctly selected in their composition. It is allowed to treat cats with both dry food and canned food, or combine them, but you cannot abruptly switch from one to another.
If you decide to independently compose a diet for your purr from homemade food, then you should take into account that the cat menu should contain such foods as lean, boiled meat, it can be chicken, beef, turkey or rabbit, sea fish, dairy products, vegetables, both raw and heat-treated.
We must not forget additional fertilizing with vitamin and mineral complexes. Calcium and phosphorus are very important for the good development of the cat, because its lack is fraught with problems with the cat's skeleton. Cats also need vitamin H, which is responsible for immunity (found in chicken yolks, liver, kidneys).
Buying a Brazilian Shorthair kitten
When buying a cat of this breed, you need to be careful, on the territory of our country there are no catteries with these kittens, so you run the risk of getting an ordinary kitten from the yard for a lot of money. In Brazil, the price for an aboriginal osos is $ 400-500.
More on the Brazilian Shorthair in the following video:
