If you own a british shorthair cat, you should read this article

 british shorthair

british shorthair cat

The "British" are recognizable by their large stocky build and soft plush fur. They grow up to four years and reach a weight of ≈6 ± 2 kilograms (although outwardly they look much more massive and heavier)

This breed is not distinguished by grace and practically does not know how to climb trees, but it has a sensitive ear and amazing abilities in catching mice and even rats

The average life of British shorthair cats is (12-15)years (but among them, more often than among cats reaching the age of 20 years)

The physique

 the "British" is muscular, its back is wide, the torso is strong. If you look at the cat from above, it may seem that he has no neck at all, and the torso, together with the head, forms a wide rectangle

In general, with respect to domestic cats, these are medium-sized animals (the height at the withers of an adult pet reaches 28-33 cm, the weight of a healthy cat ranges from (6-9 kg) and cats 4-6kg

The head

 is large, round, with large cheeks, because of which British cats are called the only smiling breed of cats. A characteristic feature of the British is a thick fold around the head, reminiscent of a manor's collar and giving the animals a special imposingness. Its nose  is wide, straight and too short. The ears are very small, The eyes, like the ears, are set wide apart, necessarily round and very large, from yellow to deep orange, although there are other color options

british shorthair cat

The tail of British cats

 is not long, of medium thickness, with a round end

"The paws of the "British

 are short, massive, strong, slightly rounded. The phalanges are dense and knocked down, the pads are neatly outlined in the regular shape of black or pink, the claws are strongly curved and sharp

The coat

 

of British Shorthair cats, although short, is very fluffy and thick, which is why they look so much like plush toys. And this is the most important distinguishing feature of the breed

british shorthair

Colors

The color of this type of cat does not reflect specific criteria,The most common are blue (gray) and silver tabby, but there are more than sixty possible color options for this breed (and this is an absolute record among cat breeds). In many ways, such an abundance of colors is due to the active crossing of the "British" with other breeds in the 60s of the twentieth century (in particular, with the "Persians" and the very similar French Chartreuse breed).

These cats have multiple colors

Solid 

or monophonic (solid). With this coloring, the coat is evenly colored in one shade, without transitions and gradients, spots or marks. The color of the undercoat is identical to the main shade of the outer coat. For the “British”, a gray-blue color is more common, but there are also: white, black, chocolate, cream and red cats ... A unique shade of the British cat breed that you will not see in any other breed is lilac (it is a gray color with pinkish sheen). In total, according to the standard, British Shorthair cats have 7 “solid colors”.

Turtle 

This is the name of the colors in which there is a uniform chaotic mixture of two shades: black with red, gray with cream, chocolate with cream, etc. Spots and gradients are allowed in any combination, since man has not yet succeeded in influencing their location by crossing selected pairs.

Smoky

 Animals with this color have a dark outer coat and a light undercoat, which becomes noticeable when the cat begins to move.

Silvery 

(they are also called "chinchilla" or "camio"). Such colors suggest dark ends (less than ⅙ of the entire length of the hair) of light wool in combination with a snow-white undercoat. Until recently, the chinchilla color was found only among long-haired cats, and today it is one of the most popular colors for short-haired "British".

Unlike tortoiseshell and (especially) solid British cats, according to the standard: the eyes of the "chinchilla British" must be green, and the nose and paw pads are exclusively black.

Tabby 

cats with markings: spots, stripes (mackerel) or marble pattern. Their variations are incredible!

By the way, it is the British Shorthair tabby cat that is the “face” of the recognizable Whiskas food.

Bicolor 

The name of this color seems obvious (two colors), but in the case of the "British" a combination of white (from ½ to ⅔ of the entire coat) with any other type of color (including smoky or tortoiseshell) is assumed. That is why even white cats with black and red markings are called bicolors, the coat of which is in fact dyed in three colors, not two.

Depending on the number of markings of the main color, the coloring can be called: "van" (the minimum number of spots), "harlequin" (spots resemble a mask) or simply "bicolor" (when up to 50% of the wool is dyed in other shades).

Color point 

("Siamese"). British Shorthair cats of this color are very reminiscent of Siamese: a light body is combined with darker ears, muzzle, paws and tail (like Siamese cats).

british shorthair

How to care British Shorthair cats

British Shorthair cats have excellent health and extremely strong immunity - thanks to this, they are unpretentious in care.

The only exception is wool. In British breed cats, it is very thick and requires regular combing: once a week during the normal season and up to several times during the molting season (autumn and spring). Combs with frequent teeth and special rubber brushes are well suited for this (it is recommended to moisten them slightly with warm water before use).

The Briton definitely needs a place for solitude, where he could rest calmly in solitude and silence. He also needs toys to hone his mouse skills and keep himself in good shape. For claws you will need a scratching post.

Throughout life, the character of British Shorthair cats changes little. In addition to what is inherent in all - age-related activity: British kittens are cheerful and curious, but with age they turn into imposing and tactful handsome men.

british shorthair cat care

British food

For British Shorthair cats, a balanced, proper diet is extremely important. Super-premium foods have entire lines of foods designed specifically for the needs of this breed. They can be alternated with natural foods.

For ready-made feeds, there are always detailed instructions that clearly describe the portion sizes and frequency of feeding, depending on the age of the cat / cat.

The daily norm of natural food is calculated by the formula: 200-250 g per kilogram of weight, of which meat or fish should be 60-120 g (30-50%), cereals 10-20 g (5-10%), vegetables 20-50 g (10-20%) and fermented milk products 20-60 g (10-25%). As the cat grows older, the norm per kilogram of weight decreases, as the period of active growth stops and the animal needs less energy.

In the 1st month, kittens can be fed with grated boiled meat (beef), low-fat cottage cheese, kefir or sour cream. The daily portion should be divided into 6 meals.

At 1½ months, a small amount of cereals (preferably rice), mashed egg yolk, as well as boiled vegetables and fruits are added to the kitten's diet.Receptions reduced to 5

At 3 months, the kitten begins to be transferred to dry food (if planned) and fed 4 times a day.

From about 6 months
a fluffy pet can be fed with all foods (including fish, ideally sea) 3 times a day.

After 10 months, it is enough for a British cat to eat 2 times a day.

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