British cat breed: types, description, how to care

Some popular cats, including rare varieties, are native to England. Despite the same origin, they have great differences in appearance and temperament. Moreover, some breeds are truly English, while others lived in Britain for a long time, but have ancestors from other parts of the world. Currently, English cats can be found all over the world.

Below is a list of breeds native to England.

When planning to purchase an animal of an unfamiliar breed, discuss its characteristics with a specialist. This will help you understand whether this cat is right for you or not.

Character, habits, interaction with children

Britons are gentle and friendly cats, but they are not the type that will follow their owner around like a shadow and ask to be held. These are animals that value personal space. They are not averse to receiving a portion of affection, but prefer unobtrusive communication. A purring pet would be better off sitting next to you rather than on your lap. At the same time, British Shorthairs are very attached to their owner. In his absence for a long time, they get bored, and the change of owner is quite painful.

When there is no one at home, the pet sleeps peacefully or looks out the window - this is one of the favorite activities of the British cat. It is unlikely that it would occur to her to organize a pogrom. If any small details of the interior are damaged, then believe me, this is an accident. These animals are characterized by some clumsiness; they are not always able to gracefully get around obstacles.

The breed is characterized by moderate activity. Kittens are playful and love to frolic both alone and with family members. Adult pets behave with restraint, like true Englishmen. Cats are patient with children if they do not show excessive interest in them. The Briton will not allow himself to be squeezed and will never turn into a silent plush toy with which you can do whatever you want. The pet will warn about its reluctance to remain the object of close attention by raising its paw, but at the same time it will not extend its claws or bite. The next moment the cat will retreat to a safe place.

British Shorthair cat breed

British Shorthairs are able to share territory and the owner's attention with other inhabitants of the house - dogs or cats. Although they have a well-developed hunting instinct, reviews indicate that plush pets also get along with guinea pigs, rats and large parrots. Representatives of the English breed are clean and neat. They spend a lot of time licking their coat, as if to show how valuable it is.

Scottish Straight

As you know, Scots can be either lop-eared or straight-eared. Now we will talk about the latter. Straight-eared Scottish cats are very similar to the British. However, they have two differences: firstly, they are smaller in size, and secondly, they are lighter in weight. Due to this, they are much more graceful and active. Their muzzle is round and slightly flattened.

They are also practically no different from the Scottish Fold, but the English Scottish Straight cat breed is very important. The fact is that when breeding Scottish Folds, you can’t do without it. If you bring two Scots together, their kittens may develop malformations of the skeletal system, in particular cartilage. That is why one of the parents should be a Scottish Straight to ensure a healthy life for future offspring.

Scottish fold

These cute creatures belong to the Scottish or British fold cat breed. However, breeders claim that the second name is incorrect. They are convinced that the British can only be straightforward. By the way, these cats are the most popular breed, while Scottish Folds take second place in popularity.

They owe their cute facial expression to the unusual shape of their downturned ears. Because of this feature, even in adulthood they look like little kittens. Such a touching appearance of representatives of the fold-eared English cat breed is perfectly complemented by a balanced character, devoid of even the slightest manifestation of aggression. Cats love peace, they are obedient and easy to train. They often stand on their hind legs for a long time.

The first cat with drooping ears was born in 1961 in Scotland. As it turned out, this feature was due to a gene mutation, which became a characteristic feature of the whole breed. The English cat, the photo of which is presented in this article, can have five types of color: tortoiseshell, patterned, lightened, chinchilla and solid. The most common color for Scottish Folds is blue.

No. 12. Maine Coon

Famous breed of large cats. The animals' ancestors lived in northeastern America in Maine. Thanks to their fluffy tail and striped coat color, Maine Coons look like raccoons (from the English “coon”). This is where the name came from.

The weight of adult cats reaches 15 kg. In fact, pets are similar in size to small dogs. The length of the body is on average 1 m. The appearance of the animal is specific and formidable, although in reality they are affectionate and gentle creatures. They have a calm, balanced character and are friendly towards other pets. A distinctive feature is “singing” or a kind of meowing. From the outside it seems as if Maine Coons are trying to talk.

To get a purebred kitten from a breeder, you will have to stock up on 1.5 thousand dollars.

Asian tabby

This English cat breed was bred relatively recently - in 1982. Already in the 90s, her popularity increased sharply. And this is not surprising, since the animal looks simply magnificent. The breed was developed by crossing a Persian chinchilla and a Burmese cat. The Asian tabby inherited its color from the first, and its body structure from the second.

A distinctive feature of the breed is the dark edging around the nose, eyes and mouth. There are four types of colors: merle, spotted, brindle and markel. In addition, these cats should have some kind of necklace around their neck, which consists of dark thin stripes. The animal has straight ears and clearly visible cheekbones. In the photo of the English Asian tabby cat breed, it is clearly visible that its forehead is decorated with the so-called scarab sign, which has an unusual color.

It is worth noting that these pets are very friendly, adore children and get along well with their own kind, as well as with other types of animals. This is partly due to the fact that they have truly iron patience. Taking care of tabbies is not difficult, as they are unpretentious. Representatives of this breed usually live from 15 to 20 years.

What to name a British breed cat

There are a huge number of names for a pet. Sometimes it is very difficult to choose a nickname for a kitten, so people are interested in it on the Internet. You can name a cat based on coat color, behavior, personal preferences, or suggested lists in various articles. The latter is also suggested in the following table.

Buy a British cat

Having fallen in love with charming British cats, you will definitely want to have one in your home. Together with the charming creature, the owner receives a good, loving and kind friend who will be a joy for the whole family.

People do not always take the issue of purchasing a domestic purebred cat seriously. A true purebred British kitten can only be bought in a nursery, where they are bred by professionals and guarantee the impeccability of the breed's genes. Although in nurseries the price of kittens will be higher than on Avito, in the end you will save much more nerves and money in the future.

The wonderful British baby will immediately find a place in the heart of the new owner, demonstrating all the features of the aristocratic breed.

Burmilla shorthair

Just like the previous English cat breed, it was formed by crossing a Burmese with a Persian chinchilla, however, unlike the Asian tabby, this happened by accident. The unusualness of this animal lies in the silver or golden hue of its fur. It should be preserved in any color and color. There can be a lot of the latter: chocolate, purple, cream and others. There are only four colors: brindle, smoky, solid and shaded.

The Burmilla's eye color can only be yellow or emerald. Representatives of this breed of both sexes have well-developed muscles. They are energetic and playful, but become calmer over the years. Burmillas are quite curious, so they spend most of their time looking for something interesting. They have good health, but are predisposed to polycystic kidney disease.

Cornish Rex

The breed appeared in the middle of the last century thanks to a random gene mutation. The coat of these animals is incredibly dense and thick, and also has unusual curliness. Because of this, cats need to be bathed frequently to avoid possible problems with both hair and skin. Despite their thick coat, they can freeze, so hypothermia should be avoided. For the Cornish Rex, it is necessary to organize the warmest possible corner in the house where he can warm up at any time. When it's cold outside, walking with such a cat becomes impossible.

Cornish Rex are active, energetic and love various games. They cannot stand loneliness and strive to be close to their owner all the time. Therefore, such pets are not suitable for people who value peace. This cat breed is distinguished by great intelligence and the ability to learn quickly. Due to increased activity, their body requires more energy, and therefore more food. Unlike a regular cat, their diet should be approximately doubled.

Devon Rex

The year of registration of the breed is 1960. It happened by chance, without any human intervention. Its first representative was discovered in Devonshire. A distinctive feature is huge, low-set ears. The unusual appearance of cats is reminiscent of fairy-tale elves. The Devon Rex is a short-haired English cat breed. It has a soft, curly coat that does not require special care.

Cats are very active, so most of the time they run, jump and look for something. These are not “sofa” cats who prefer a measured and calm lifestyle. Many people note that the behavior of Devon Rex is not quite cat-like, but more like a dog’s, because they also wag their tail, love to swim and accompany their owners everywhere.

Contents of the British

Fortunately, cats of the British breed are unpretentious and unpretentious, despite their aristocratic appearance. He will forgive the owner, whom he sincerely loves, for several missed hygiene procedures. The cat can handle grooming on its own, although the owner will need to brush the pet weekly. Otherwise, fur may get into the stomach and form tangles there, which the pussy itself creates in the process of licking. During shedding, the procedure with a comb is carried out more often.

To prevent the fur coat from becoming red at the tips of the pile, the British cat should not be exposed to the sun for long. And to make your cat's coat shine, you can give specialized vitamins.

Upbringing

The character of a true British girl is such that you shouldn’t even try to use force in education - interaction can be achieved faster with a positive and encouraging approach.

The act of poking your nose into a puddle will also not work, because soon a new puddle will be made, but out of fear. It is better to learn how to train a British kitten to go to the litter box and not resort to violence. If you slap an unlucky kitten with a rolled-up newspaper, you shouldn’t be surprised at the maturing cat’s reluctance to communicate with its owner.

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Cats perfectly understand an angry tone, remember the meaning of the word “no,” especially if, at the moment of dissatisfaction with the pet’s behavior, the owner hisses.

In general, a cat’s intelligence allows it to follow the rules of behavior established in the house.

Bathing

If the cat visits the street, bathe it as its fur becomes dirty; if not, then a couple of times a year is enough. The first time a cat is bathed is when she is a child.

The procedure is standard: a towel is laid on the bottom of the bathtub or basin so that the purr does not slip with its paws. The animal is treated kindly and carefully; there should be no evil tone in the voice. Rinse the washed pet out of the ladle, without using a shower head.

The clean creature is wrapped in a terry towel or dried with a hairdryer if the cat is not afraid of it.

It is important to ensure that water does not get into your eyes, nose and ears.

Feeding

The British cat's appetite is good. Owners like their unpretentiousness in food: pussies willingly eat both ready-made food and natural food. Milk is stopped when the cat reaches the age of 3 months, replacing it with fermented milk products.

What to feed a one-month-old British kitten

Do not forget to add 1-2 ml of Vaseline oil to food once a day to prevent constipation.

For feeding, a wide bowl is needed due to the rather large size of the head.

British cats, like other cats, should not be fed chicken bones due to the risk of damaging the cat’s internal organs.

Kitten care

The main task of caring for a kitten is proper nutrition with plenty of protein, calcium and vitamins. Seaweed supplements are suitable for all breed colors except blue, cream and lilac.

Grooming is taught from a very young age: the kitten needs to clean its ears, teeth and wash its eyes once a week. It is useful to develop the habit of combing.

Twice a month, the baby needs to trim his nails; before starting the procedure for the first time, learn the rules for trimming claws.

How to train a British kitten to use a scratching post

Health of the British cat breed

By nature, British cats have good health - the genetic selection of the breed has taken care of this. However, cats need timely vaccination at a veterinary clinic. You can find out from your doctor when and what first vaccinations should be given to British kittens. This way, the owners will provide protection to the pet from many serious diseases.

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If cats are provided with a balanced diet, then no health problems are expected.

Particular attention should be paid to the first pregnancy and birth of a cat. It is important to care for your pet more diligently, having previously carried out anthelmintic procedures and vaccination against diseases before mating. Pregnancy in British cats lasts generally 58-70 days, depending on the type of breed.