in

British Shorthair – Easygoing Beauty From the Island

Very British! The noble pedigree cat with the characteristic plush fur suits you if you want a balanced house cat with composure. How unique the interplay of a calm character and their beautiful appearance is can also be seen from the fact that BKHs have been eye-catchers in TV commercials or advertisements for years.

Whether in silver tabby, in white or blue, like kittens or adult cats – as advertising models, the beautiful Brits have helped to enchant cat lovers so much for decades that they are always among the top ranks of the most popular pedigree cats. The breed was severely endangered a few decades ago.

British Shorthair: Character

Connoisseurs ascribe different characters to the colors of the British Shorthair: Cream-colored cats are cuddly, bicolor British Shorthairs are spirited, blue cats are aloof and red cats are affectionate. In general, the character of the British Shorthair is characterized by coziness.

British Shorthair: Attitude

She is very adaptable and just as happy as an indoor cat as she is outdoors. British Shorthairs like the company of other cats. At first, however, they tend to be aloof towards strangers of the same species or unknown people. In the spirit of “My home is my castle”, they eye visitors from a distance. The BKH does not tend towards cat-typical pranks and proves to be a very uncomplicated roommate. However, she expects the attention it deserves from her owner: if she wants to cuddle, then immediately – she consistently demands being stroked. Since the British Shorthair tends to be lazy, you should keep her on her toes and encourage her to play. Otherwise, the relaxed house cat turns into a chubby couch potato too easily. In general, the British Shorthair is very patient with children and other pets once they have been properly socialized.

British Shorthair: Colors

Since the 1970s, the British Shorthair has once again become a separate breed with over 50 recognized solid and multicolored variants. Typical British Shorthair colors are solid colors such as black, white, blue, cream, red, chocolate, fawn, lilac, and cinnamon. There are also patterns such as point, two-tone, and variants of the so-called tabby markings: classic spotted and mackerel. A common feature of British Shorthairs is the so-called “odd eyes” – eyes of different colors. Orange, copper, blue, and green are typical eye colors.

Care of the British Shorthair

The British Shorthair is easy to care for – with one exception: Because of its particularly fine fur, the cat tends to “shed”. You should therefore regularly reach for a brush – and a vacuum cleaner – especially during the change of fur.

History of the British Shorthair

The development of the British Shorthair started with the Romans. They brought cats with them to Britain, where the animals developed over time into a successful cat type of their own due to the isolated island location and the climate. Initiated by the cat lover Harrison Weir, a breed with tradition came into being: as early as 1871, British Shorthair cats enthralled the public at the first cat exhibition in London’s Crystal Palace. By crossing with Persian cats, the appearance of the British Shorthair became even more compact and the fur thicker. After the war, however, the breeding stocks on the island had declined so much that Persians and Carthusians, among others, were crossed again to save the British Shorthair – with the result that Carthusian and blue British Shorthair had to be temporarily combined.

Peculiarities of the British Shorthair

Another extraordinary property that distinguishes the BKH: They are usually not afraid of water. Nevertheless, they should only be bathed in exceptional cases.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *