The standard for the appearance and color of the British Shorthair cat, character and health, advice on care, features of selection. Price when buying a kitten. The British shorthair cat is known to everyone. It is she who is the old pride of the British and the most important favorite of all housewives in Old England. And how can you not love this beauty with affectionate plush hair, unusually intelligent eyes and the famous "smile of the Cheshire cat." After all, it was this British cat breed that served as the prototype for the image of a cunning fairy cat in the philosophical tale "Alice in Wonderland" by the writer Lewis Carroll.
The origin of the British shorthair cat breed
The breed of plush British is one of the oldest breeds specially bred by man and managed to fit so well into the life of conservative Britain, forever conquering the hearts of its female half. The history of the world famous representatives of the species began a long time ago, more than 100 years ago.
The first mentions of the ancestors of these wonderful cats date back to the times of the domination of the British Isles of Ancient Rome. But this species received its real development only in the XIX century, when at the exhibition in 1889 it was for the first time named the main purebred British cat breed with clearly defined standards of compliance.
A further surge in breed selection occurred already in the 30s of the XX century. It was then that a serious selection of the best representatives with heavy bones, dense build and the most rounded shapes for further breeding began. But the Second World War made its own adjustments, not allowing to truly develop the population of these extraordinary animals. Many cats and cats in Great Britain died during the war.
The next stage in the development of the breed was the post-war years. Due to the small number of purebred cats that survived, the best British cats were mated with cats of the Persian and Blue Cartesian breeds, which created several separate directions in the selection of the British cat, partly improved the breed and significantly added coat color options.
Breeding British plush wool continues to this day. So, it is too early to put an end to the final version of the appearance of this wonderful aristocrat - the British cat.
External Standard for British Shorthair Breed
The modern British shorthaired cat is stocky, strong and muscular, but at the same time quite compact (although sometimes quite large), round and very reminiscent of a teddy bear from childhood. But the weight of this "bear cub" is quite big and reaches 7 kg for cats and 5 kg for cats.
- The head of British cats is rather massive and round, with pronounced round cheeks and a strong chin. The nose is straight, short and wide. The muzzle is rounded, flatish. The forehead is collected in a kind of wrinkles, which is why cats have a slightly frowned appearance. The neck is short, muscular, strong. The ears are alert, wide at the base, not too large, set far apart. The tips of the ears are rounded.
- The eyes are large, round, set at a sufficient distance. Eye color depends on the color of the fur. The most common eye color is bright yellow in the transition to bright orange. Color-point cats have bright blue eyes, the chinchilla variant is lavender, emerald green.
- The physique of the British Shorthair cat is dense, well-knit, with a strong, broad-boned skeleton, and muscular. The animal gives the impression of a kind of robust man with a wide chest and powerful back. The back line is straight. The legs are short, muscular with rounded, very neat paws. The tail is of medium length, thickish, with a rounded tip.
- The coat of British cats is very short, but with undercoat and not close to the body. The quality of the wool visually and to the touch resembles a plush fabric. A coat that is too long or close-fitting is a serious fault.
British Shorthair cat color standards
Breeding work carried out over the past decades by enthusiasts for the development of the breed has made it possible to create individuals with the most extraordinary colors. Currently, the color standards are as follows:
- White - classic white coat color. Any color of eyes and even eyes of different colors are allowed.
- Smooth (Solid) - even coat color according to colors: black (Black), blue (Blue), chocolate (Chocolate), lilac (Lilac), red (Red), cream (Cream).
- Tortie - this color is almost always only in cats. In cats, tortoiseshell color is very rare. Possible options: black tortie, chocolate cream tortie, blue cream tortie, lilac cream tortie.
- Smoky or smoky (smoke) - each strand of fur is dyed by 1/3 in the main color scheme. There are a great variety of options: black-smoky, blue smoky, chocolate smoky, purple smoky, red smoky, cream smoky, black tortoiseshell smoky, blue-cream smoky, chocolate-cream smoky, lilac-cream smoky.
- Silver shaded / shell - the color is light, looks almost white with a dusting of a different color on 1/6 of the hair.
- Golden shaded / shell - an analogue of the previous color with a golden tint.
- Patterned (tabby) - the standard establishes three types of pattern: mackerel or striped, marbled and spotted.
- Silver tabby - the drawing is made on a silver basic fur color.
- Golden tabby - drawing on a golden coat.
- Van, harlequin, bicolor (van / harlequin / bicolor) - white main color in combination with some other color (lilac, red, blue, chocolate, cream, black or tortoiseshell) in the form of large spots. Van color - only one or two spots. The harlequin has more of them. The bicolor has even more and a completely white "collar" is required.
- Color-point - actually a Siamese color of a cat with the following options for the main coat color: black (Black), blue (Blue), chocolate (Chocolate), lilac (Lilac), red (Red), cream (Cream).
- Color-point with a pattern (tabby color-point) - a combination of all possible shades of the main color with the presence of any of the three types of patterns.
The newest colors that have appeared only recently: cinnamon and fawn (obtained by breeders as a result of crossing British cats with cats of the oriental breed and the Somali breed) are very popular and in demand, but have not yet been adopted by the standards of felinological associations.
- Cinnamon color, which in English means "cinnamon", is a light shade of reddish-brown, copper-bronze or warm chocolate base color, combined with an even lighter undercoat.
- Fawn in color it is close to light sand or light beige. Sometimes experts call such a shade the color of the skin of a young deer (hence the name - "fawn", from English - "yellow-brown" or "fawn").
Shorthair British cat personality traits
The plush-wonderful British cat is a wonderful, affectionate and friendly creature with a docile-independent character and moderately mobile behavior.
It is a very sociable and tame animal with the calm-tempered character of a true British. He gets along well with absolutely all family members, calmly and without any jealousy refers to the presence of other pets in the house. In general, he is distinguished by a very balanced and somehow thoughtful cat-like behavior, without unnecessary running and fuss.
The plush Briton is very patient and modest, he never imposes on anyone and does not try to attract undue attention to himself. At one time, it was this not felinely stylish, calm intelligence that won the sympathy of the entire aristocratic society of Great Britain. It is she who attracts lovers of the cat world today. Almost "Cheshire cat" and now arouses trust and respect around the world, having a calming effect on others.
However, British Shorthair cats do not tolerate excessive familiarity and tactless treatment of themselves. And if they do not want to do something, then it is not possible to force them. They are strong enough to fight back. Therefore, it is possible to influence this creature only with affection and care.
Britons are quite mobile and playful, energetic, but not intrusive. That is why English housewives love them so much. There are simply no problems with such a cat. But he also catches mice (if necessary, of course). And he is also called "a cat for a businessman", for his stylish and respectable appearance, as well as his behavior full of dignity.
This animal is a wonderful tactful companion cat, very capable, intelligent and well-mannered. Well, just a real find for an intelligent person with a calm character.
British cats health
This breed is mainly created by nature, which made it possible, in the course of natural selection, to acquire good health and a strong immune system. But these animals also have their own specific "preferences" in terms of diseases.
There is a problem with the incompatibility of the blood groups of the mother and offspring, which is expressed in the war of antibodies of two incompatible groups. True, they have already learned to cope with this problem in part with the help of timely DNA testing and artificial feeding of kittens in the first week of existence (so that killer antibodies do not enter their body with mother's milk).
Also, some adult cats of the British Shorthair breed suffer from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (a disease of the heart muscle, leading to heart failure). Many leading veterinary minds around the world are now working on this problem.
Another existing problem is an increased sensitivity of the stomach to certain food components, leading to diarrhea. However, with a properly organized diet and a correctly selected diet, this is not even a problem at all. It all depends on the care of the owner.
Otherwise, British cats do an excellent job themselves with most infections and standard feline ailments due to a strong immune system (and, of course, timely vaccination).
The maximum age to which these pets can live with good nutrition and careful care is 20 years.
British grooming tips
The famous plush coat of cats of this breed consists of a dense undercoat and a guard hair that is not adjacent to the body. Therefore, this fur does not require complex care, and therefore does not take much time from the owner of the animal. Moreover, these plush "cats and bears" do not mind being brushed from time to time, even if sometimes this combing will be against the grain. British cats are very patient and quickly get used to such procedures.
Brushing British Shorthair cats should be done with a rubber-toothed brush; a regular or metal-toothed brush will not work here (they will be of little use). Rubber is a double benefit. Simultaneously combing and massage. When combing, it is advisable to use an antistatic spray, but if it is not at hand, then it's okay, you can do without it, just moisten the fur a little.
Also, it is sometimes necessary to bathe a shampoo pet or, at least once every 2-3 weeks, wipe it with dry shampoo for animals, applying it with your hands to the coat, and then by all means combing it out in the usual way using the same rubber brush.
It is necessary to regularly independently examine the ears, mouth, gums and teeth of your British pet cat, trim its nails in a timely manner, carry out the necessary preventive examinations at the veterinarian and routine vaccinations.
It is also necessary to pay attention to any changes in the behavior of the cat (representatives of the British cat breed are well known for their patience with pain and are great masters in hiding sluggish diseases) and consult a veterinarian in a timely manner if any symptoms that you do not understand appear. Thus, your pet will always be well-groomed, clean, cheerful, playful and healthy.
The diet of British shorthaired cats is, in principle, no different from the standard diet of medium breed shorthaired cats. The only thing to consider when choosing a menu for your pet is that the British are strong and weighty cats, which means that their diet should be rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and useful trace elements.
In this sense, the most optimal solution (and very convenient for the owner of the animal) is the selection of deluxe and premium industrial grade feed (from a manufacturer with a high reputation). Such feeds are very diverse in composition and are well balanced in useful elements, which will eliminate digestive problems for your pet.
British kittens
British cats become capable of mating already at the age of 2 years. They tolerate pregnancy well and give birth quite easily from 3 to 6 kittens per litter (however, there are cases when British cats gave birth to 10–12 kittens each).
Newborn shaved kittens do not require any special care other than normal kitten care. And with all these matters, the mother cat, as a rule, does an excellent job herself.
The eyes of newborn "teddy bears", which can water too much up to the age of one year, require the only human attention. This problem can be easily solved with a clean cloth dipped in boiled water. The main thing is not to forget, to do it regularly.
Price when buying a kitten of the British Shorthair breed
The breed of British cats has long been no shortage in the animal market, and with the current approach to breeding, these interesting animals are able to satisfy the taste of the most biased buyer, amazed by the richness of fur colors, the originality of its shades and patterns.
Despite this, the average prices for purebred British kittens are in the range of $ 300 to $ 500. And for individual representatives with a special status and pedigree or a rare color, it is much more expensive (from $ 750). For example, pedigree kittens with a rare golden coat color and a high-quality pattern (or without it) cost from $ 2,000. So, there are enough options, and in any case, you will find that only pet cat intended only for you.
Description of the breed of British Shorthair cat in this video:
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