The British Shorthair cat

The cat British Shorthair It is an incredible breed of felines: very affectionate, playful, intelligent, which also enjoys excellent health. The look he has is impressive, and it is that he has big eyes capable of softening your heart just by looking at them.

If you are looking for a domestic cat to spend many and very pleasant moments with, the British Shorthair may be the companion you are looking for.

Origin and history of the British Shorthair cat

Our protagonist is originally from the United Kingdom, as his name indicates; However, the domestic cats of Rome are their ancestors. It is the oldest known English breed, and one of those that arouses the most respect and admiration among those of us who like cats. In the past it was used to control the rodent population, but it soon gained the trust of humans, as it turned out to be very loyal to them.

Still, it was not until the XNUMXth century that selective breeding began. In 1871, the British Harrison Weir, made a study about the breed based on the cats that were exhibited for the first time at The Crystal Palace in London. An exhibition in which he gained numerous admirers. It was there that it was renamed British Shorthair so as not to confuse them with the oriental cat or the Angora.

During the two world wars, the breed was on the verge of extinction, so that to save it they had to resort to others, such as the Persian cat., to try to get it back. These crosses resulted in a cat with a more rounded head, sturdier legs and a more intense eye color, in addition to the long hair of the Persian. It took many more years of selective breeding to eliminate this last feature, separating British shorthaired cats from longhaired ones.

Physical characteristics

This furry four-legged dog, weighing 6 to 8 kg, is an animal characterized by having a large head and rounded ears. The latter are widely separated, and are triangular in shape. The eyes are large, of an intense color.

His body is strong and robust, protected with a short, dense and soft coat that can be of any color (white, black, blue, red, tricolor, chocolate, silver, golden, lilac, cinnamon, fawn, bicolor). Although all the varieties are beautiful, the British Shorthair blue and the British Shorthair white are two of the most popular. And it is not for less: his look, already enigmatic, is amazing. If you don't believe me, let's get to know them a little more:

British Shorthair Blue

The British shorthair blue cat has the peculiarity that it has eyes of a beautiful, very intense orange color, which gives it a very sweet and tender appearance.

British Shorthair White

The British shorthair white cat is even more amazing if possible, since it can have orange or blue eyes, or one of each color, and having white hair, its look attracts a lot of attention.

How is your character?

The character of this precious cat is wonderful. He is affectionate, playful, cheerful. He loves being with the family, regardless of the age of its members, and tends to get along very well with other animals (cats and dogs) as well.

The only "negative" thing we could say is that is more dependent than other cats. He does not like spending time alone, and in fact, it is likely that he will end up following us throughout the house and that he does not want to be separated from us for a moment. Otherwise, it is an ideal cat to have in a flat or a house, since it adapts well as long as time is dedicated to it.

British Shorthair care

The British shorthair cat, like all cats, needs fresh and clean water, a quality diet (without cereals or by-products), and a daily brushing to avoid the formation of the dreaded hair balls. But not only that, but from time to time we will have to take him to the vet, either to put the necessary vaccinations and also to castrate / spay and every time we suspect that he is ill.

Although this is not enough. As we mentioned before, it is very important to spend time, play with him, watch television with him, etc. He is very active and needs to move, exercise. For this reason, to be happy and fit, you should dedicate three or four short sessions a day, lasting about 5 minutes each. In pet stores we will find countless cat toys with which we will have a great time.

Health

Although it is a generally very healthy breed, it can have these diseases:

  • Feline coronavirus: It is transmitted by a corona virus that attacks mainly the cells of the cat's intestine, causing mild or chronic gastroenteritis.
  • Feline panleucopeina: it is a highly contagious viral disease caused by a parvovirus that mainly attacks young cats that have not been vaccinated, causing symptoms such as vomiting and bloody diarrhea, loss of appetite and fever.
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: it is a genetic disease. It causes a thickening of the myocardial mass of the left ventricle, causing deficiencies in the circulatory system.
  • Polycystic kidney disease: it is characterized by the presence of cysts in the kidneys that compress the tissue and prevent the kidney from working properly. If the cat has this disease, it will have symptoms such as loss of appetite and weight, vomiting, listlessness, and increased water consumption (which will make it urinate more).

How much does a British Shorthair cost?

If you are determined to get a puppy of this magnificent breed, you have to bear in mind that the price is about 500 Euros.

Can British Shorthair cats be found for adoption?

It's hard. Being a pure breed, and also so adorable, it is normal that there is no adoption. But that does not mean that they cannot be found. In fact, if you really want to live with a cat of this breed, we recommend visiting or contacting associations and animal shelters, as well as the kennels in your area.

British Shorthair cat photos

Here we attach some:


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      Lucia said

    The price in a serious kennel is higher than € 500, but the quality has nothing to do with what is bought for that price or lower. They scammed me and sold a cat for € 450, in the end it was not a British (it was a gray cat), it was sick, without a pedigree ... it had to be hospitalized and finally it died, we had a very bad time. Finally we turned to an ASFE cattery and everything was great, a beautiful and healthy cat.

      Jose Antonio Campos Gonzalez said

    Where can I get a blue british kitten please thank you

         Monica sanchez said

      Hello José Antonio.

      We recommend you ask at a veterinary clinic. Maybe they can help you.

      Greetings.