Interesting information

Portraits of popular breeds both at home and in the world: British Shorthair cat

The British Shorthair cat is without a doubt the most popular cat breed not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the rest of Europe. This is caused not only by its appearance of a small Teddy bear, but also a mild, trouble-free nature.

The British Shorthair cat adapts very well, and therefore it will be content in almost any environment, from the countryside to a small attic apartment. This is also one of the reasons why this breed is so popular. Even beginners with no experience will manage to care for it. It has a balanced and peaceful nature, and therefore, it is the ideal companion for most people.

Many breeders, who choose this breed, will be captivated by the strikingly round head with large, expressive eyes. Its appearance of a small teddy bear is further completed by its stocky physique and a very soft and supple hair. All this really attracts the human to pick up the cat and give it a proper cuddle. British Shorthair cats are bred in a wide variety of fur colours and types, from which anyone will surely be able to choose (a total of 229 colour varieties are recognised by FIFe!). However, the most popular has already since the beginning been the blue one.

The origin of the breed is in the UK around the year 1900, when the English aristocracy started to breed it. The aim was to achieve the body of powerfully built Angora cat, the forerunner of the Persian Longhair cat, but with short hair. Therefore, they selected their domestic cats with compact and stocky built and interbred them with Persian cats.

Initially, the British Shorthairs were bred primarily in blue colour. Other colours originated gradually thanks to the additional breeding of Persian cats, which is performed to this day, in order for the British cat not to lose with its type. Thanks to these Persian relatives, it may happen that sometimes longhaired kittens are born to two British Shorthair cats.

The nature of the British aristocrats changes and develops with age. As kittens, they are just as playful as other breeds. After one or two years, however, most of them become less active and they grow more independent. They can entertain themselves on their own and they can easily handle even a weekend by themselves. They do not need a cat partner to be content, as it usually is with many other breeds. Thanks to their balanced and pleasant nature, however, they fit well into the company of other cats, dogs or a small child. This is one of the reasons why they are so widely kept.

Even the care for them isn’t demanding in any way. Their thick coat doesn’t require any complex or frequent maintenance. They’ll be happy for cuddles and attention, but only in a reasonable amount and they won’t particularly clamour for it.

As you can see, the British Shorthairs are attractive with their appearance, truly anyone can choose from the wide range of colours, and thanks to their nature and adaptability, they fit into any environment and type of family. British Shorthair cats thus can be the right companion literally almost for anyone. However, good socialisation at an early age is essential, after all, as in any other cat.

Do you have experience with British Shorthair cats? Have these little bears enchanted you? I personally rather prefer more lively cats, but I understand why it’s the British Shorthairs who have won the heart of so many owners.

 

Related articles

Care and raising

First heat

If you’ve got a little female puppy at home, first heat might catch you off guard, so it’s not a bad idea to make some preparations ahead.

Interesting information

Dogs at work

Domestic dog is the oldest domesticated animal and it has provided accompaniment to humans for 14 thousand years at the minimum. During this time, it underwent numerous changes and a long development. All the dog breeds of today are a result of human...

Interesting information

Dogs and horses

I am not much of a horse person, but from time to time, I like to go horse riding. Usually, I leave my fuzzy friends at home. The presence of horses upsets them. When I was getting my dog fellows, I didn’t think about the fact that not all the breeds...

Interesting information

Why do dogs dig?

If you take pride in your nicely groomed garden and your dog belongs to the category of the so-called diggers, it probably doesn’t make you very happy. However, frantic digging in earth doesn’t please not even us, who wink at a few holes in the grass....

Care and raising

How to train calling with a whistle?

Calling a dog is without any doubt one of the most important commands that the dog should reliably master at any situation. Most often, we call the dog using the command “come”, but we can also emphasise it with a whistle. It pays off mainly in...

Interesting information

Five myths about dogs

I have always thought, that I know my four-legged fellows to their last hair, but there’s always something that manages to surprise me and there’s always a lot to learn from them. Some of the myths are so deep-rooted, that one doesn’t even fall upon...

Výchova a péče

How do the dogs and cats hear?

Simply put: much better, than us, humans. And cats even hear much better than dogs. But from experience, I can say, that it also depends on what and whom they want to listen to. How is it with dogs?

Care and raising

How to unteach your dog to beg?

Does your dog beg for food at the table? Do they beg even from strangers when you’re at a restaurant? Then you should know, that you are one-hundredth percent guilty of this yourself. If a dog learns to beg for human food, it is an educational mistake....

Care and raising

Dog Puzzles

When the weather is lovely rather for ducks than dogs for a longer period of time and long walks don’t come into question, my fluffy friends are getting get bored at home and start with their shenanigans. I always try to think of a home activity to...