How to Understand the British Shorthair

When you first see the British shorthair, you may confuse him with a large variety of different breeds as he has characteristics and colors that might be confusing. He is a stout looking fellow that is very popular in Britain, but is a rare breed in the United States.

The origin of the British Shorthair is of course Britain; however, it was the Romans that began the breed. The wild native cats were bred with Persian cats to help create a thick coat that is one of the prides of the British Shorthair.

Height and weight

This breed of cat is medium built and of average height.

Colors and coat

The British Shorthair coat is short and comes in a variety of solid colors including white, black, chocolate, lilac, and red. White coats will have deep sapphire blue or deep gold, orange or copper eyes. All other coat colors will have deep gold, orange or copper eye colors. There is also a Tabby British Shorthair with a tabby trademark of the M on their forehead.

Temperament and living environment

The British Shorthair is a very loving breed that is great with children and other animals. They can lie alone and sleep the day away or get in the middle of the action. They are not very curious and are not prone to wandering away. They are very content to be indoor cats and be a part of the family.

Grooming

They do not have any grooming needs, besides watching their ears to ensure they are clean.

Diet and care

You will need to feed your cat a well balanced diet, but watch this breed, as they do tend to overeat and become obese. Fixed British Shorthairs tend to put on more weight. Remember, they look hefty so you can go on the way they look; you will need to keep an eye on their actual weight.

Health issues and life expectancy

The British Shorthair is a healthy breed with no none health problems. Their life expectancy is at least 15 years.