cat breeds > british shorthair

British Shorthair cats are an old fashioned breed. Shorthaired cats have been known in Britain for generations, it is thought from the time of the Romans: and for centuries they have been companions of humans.

Shorthairs were probably originally kept for their ability to catch mice and for the fact that, unlike the Persians and Angoras also seen at this time, they did not require any additional help with their grooming.

The British Shorthair will quite happily live indoors, a much safer environment for it, but where there is no human company during the day, due to owners working etc., then it is kinder if possible to have two cats for company for each other.

British Shorthairs should be large, strong, sturdy and muscular. The male is larger than the female, more obviously so than in most other breeds. Typically the chest should be deep and broad with short, strong legs and neat, rounded paws. The head should be wide and rounded and the adult males should show definite "jowls" with maturity. The ears should be small and set wide apart. In all colours the coat should be short, crisp and thick, a better description would be a dense coat.

This breed's coat is ideally adapted for the British climate, short, very dense and bouncy, it is protected by guard hairs which give it a distinctive crisp feel and protect the soft, warm under fur from the weather. It usually grows at it's thickest in time for winter.

Care...

Given normal care, they are healthy and exceptionally easy to care for as they are a hardy and long lived breed who needs very little grooming. A quick once a week brush or grooming with damp hands to remove dead fur is all that is required. The well groomed cat is less likely to fur ball, that is the mass of hair, which accumulates in the stomach with continual washing, and grooming of itself. It is as just easy to spoil the coat through over grooming as it is with neglect.

British Shorthairs should be large, strong, sturdy and muscular. The male is larger than the female, more obviously so than in most other breeds. Typically the chest should be deep and broad with short, strong legs and neat, rounded paws. The head should be wide and rounded and the adult males should show definite "jowls" with maturity. The ears should be small and set wide apart. In all colours the coat should be short, crisp and thick, a better description would be a dense coat.

This breed's coat is ideally adapted for the British climate, short, very dense and bouncy, it is protected by guard hairs which give it a distinctive crisp feel and protect the soft, warm under fur from the weather. It usually grows at it's thickest in time for winter. Given normal care, they are healthy and exceptionally easy to care for as they are a hardy and long lived breed who needs very little grooming. A quick once a week brush or grooming with damp hands to remove dead fur is all that is required. The well groomed cat is less likely to fur ball, that is the mass of hair, which accumulates in the stomach with continual washing, and grooming of itself. It is as just easy to spoil the coat through over grooming as it is with neglect.

Personality ...

British Shorthairs make excellent pets, but like most things in life you only get out what you put in. Lots of love and attention will be repaid one-hundred fold from these lovely cats.

The rainbow of colours and patterns of the breed are most impressive, ranging From: Blue, Black, Red, Cream, Lilac, Tortie, and on to the silver series, the tipped and the new colours of fawn and cinnamon. Eye colour varies from gold or copper in the self colours, green and hazel of the silver series and of course the stunning blue of the colour-points.

Katakoustiks specialise in breeding British Shorthairs. They rear quality Home Bred kittens in the following colours, Blue, Cream, Lilac, and the lovely Blue-Cream.