Colors of British cats and male cats: photos and descriptions of the varieties of British cats with names

The color of a purebred British cat determines its belonging to a particular breed and is an important breed characteristic. Coloring | Coat coloring is always genetically linked to the pigmentation of the paw pads and nose, as well as to the pattern on the coat. Thus, a blue cat should have fully pigmented paw pads. If at least one pink spot is found on them, according to the rules of felinology, which approves breed standards, it will be considered not blue, but blue-cream.

Color is an important breed characteristic, along with the size and shape of the body, the location of the ears and eyes on the head, and the shape of the tail. There are breeds in which color is not one of the breed characteristics. These include sphinxes, devoid of hair as such. In other representatives of the domestic cat, color accounts for over 30% of the breed standard. These rules apply when evaluating the following breeds:

Abyssinian;
Bengali;
Korats and a number of other purebred cats.

The British have a large number of colors recognized as the breed standard. The classic color is the monochromatic blue, which appeared with the breed. From her came other, including rare types of colors of the British breed.

Today, over 200 colors of British cats have been registered in felinology, which have their own coding and are necessarily indicated in the pedigree.

Varieties of colors of British cats

The parameters of one or another color of the British include not only the color of the coat. The tone of the undercoat, the pattern on the coat, the color of the nose and paw pads, and even the color of the eyes are important. Only British kittens that strictly meet the color standards should receive pedigrees. But in practice, sometimes these rules are not observed so strictly, so when purchasing, you should only contact trusted nurseries.

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British cats have only two colors: black and red. The remaining colors are only derivatives of the main ones, as breeders say, by diluting (colored) and suppressing (white) the color.

In order for an animal to meet the breed standard, it is necessary that it be evenly colored, every hair from tip to root must be dyed, there should be no white hairs (excluding, of course, white color), heels and noses must be even in color, without spots, residual Tabby spots should not be visible. Eyes - orange, dark golden, copper (exceptions are allowed in white and color-point animals).

British color codes

To indicate the color of a pedigree domestic cat, a special coding is used, consisting of numbers and letters. The same color in different cat breeds will always be indicated by the same code. Each character in the color code carries important information. When filling out a document confirming that a cat belongs to a particular breed, numbers may sometimes be missing, but the letters are always indicated without fail.

The color code is deciphered using special breed tables. The first digit always indicates the attribute. The second sign indicates its variety. Each sign has its own digital designation. Thus, the presence of white in the color is indicated by the number “0”. The color of only the tip of the hairs (tipping) is indicated by the unit “1”. The presence of tabby color is coded with a two “2”, a three “3” indicates the presence of a point and indicates the length of the tail. Six “6” indicates the color of the eyes of a thoroughbred animal.

Mandatory characteristics of a cat's color are:

description of the color of the fur, which can be plain, patterned, tortoiseshell;
presence and percentage ratio to other white edema;
presence of a tabby pattern;
presence of point color;
the presence of tipping (coloring the hair in two shades at once);
tail length encoding;
presence or absence of eye color coding.

The color coding of cats encodes the characteristics of the color of the coat with letters. The presence of one letter indicates that the animal’s coat is monochromatic. The presence of two letters in the code is a designation of individuals whose coat combines 2 or 3 colors. This is how the following cat colors are usually designated:

golden;
two-color hairs (tipped);
tabby;
silver;
mixed.

Numbers may not always be in a coded description of a cat’s appearance, and letters must be indicated when compiling specific breed characteristics.

With a monochromatic color, there should be no other shades on the animal’s fur and skin, even in small quantities. The same pigment must be present on the guard hair, undercoat, if any, and on the skin.

The presence of stripes, spots or other marks on the fur requires the use of a different code classifying the animal as a different variety of the British cat breed.

The breed standard allows for the presence of small dark spots of a different shade on uniform kittens, which are called residual patterns. They usually disappear in the first year of a cat's life. Kittens are also born without a residual pattern - ticked.

Coat color code with names

To encode the colors of all cat breeds, including British ones, letter coding is used, indicating the coat colors recognized by the breed. The letters of the Latin alphabet are used as symbols:

a ‒ blue;
b - chocolate, brown, chestnut;
c - lilac, lavender, platinum (lilac, lavender);
d - red (red, flame);
e - cream;
f ‒ tortoiseshell, black and red (tortoiseshell, patch);
g - blue-cream, blue-tortie (blue-cream, blue-tortie);
h - chocolate tortoise (chocolate-tortie);
j - lilac tortoiseshell (lilac-tortie);
n - black, seal, sable, wild (black, ebony, seal, sable, ruddy);
o - cinnamon, sorrel, red-brown, brown, honey (sorrel, cinnamon, honey);
p ‒ fawn, yellow-brown “beige fawn” (beige, fawn);
q ‒ tortoiseshell cinnamon, red-brown tortoiseshell (sorreltortie);
r - yellow-brown, tortoiseshell (beigefawntortie);
s ‒ silver, smoky (silver, smoke);
w - white;
u – bronze (bronze);
y – golden;
z - golden tortoiseshell (marble);
x – color not included in the breed standards (unregistered).

White encoding

If there are white shades in the color, it is always described using a zero. Further there may be other numbers indicating the percentage of this color in the color of the animal. The absence of “0” in the code means that there are no white marks on the animal’s fur at all.

Tipping encoding

Tipping is the name for uneven coloring of hairs, in which the pigment most strongly colors the ends of the hairs. The encoding of this color is indicated by the number “1”. The following numbers encode the intensity of pigmentation. There are two tipping options for the British breed:

11 – when ¼ of the upper part of the hair is covered with pigment. This is shaded tipping | shaded;
12 – when 1/8 of the top of the hair is dyed – veiled | shell, tipped.

When the color code does not have a 1 at the beginning of the combination, this means there is no tipping.

Tabby pattern encoding

This is the name given to the pattern on animal fur. The British recognize several variants of it. In the code, such a sign is denoted by a two. The number following it indicates the type of pattern. The British recognize several tabby colors:

21 - striped, or agouti;
22 - marble;
23 – brindle;
24 - spotted.

In the case where there is no two in the encrypted description, it means that there is simply no tabby pattern on the fur of a cat of this breed.

Point color encoding

This is the name of a homogeneous pigment mask on the face, tail and paws, which is recognized today as a breed characteristic of a British cat.

In felinology, this color is called point color; in the color code it is marked with the triple “3”. The sign following it means its variety. There are three recognized types of this color:

31 – Burmese;
32 - Tonkinese;
33 - Himalayan, or Siamese.

When a cat does not have this coloring, the three is simply not indicated in the code.

Tail length coding

The signs describing a given breed characteristic of an animal always begin with a five. The number following it describes its features. In the breed classification of cat breeds, the following standards for tails are adopted:

51 – complete absence of a tail, which is very rare;
52 – caudal remnant measuring one or two vertebrae;
53 - a ponytail 7 - 13 cm long, which is also called a bob;
54 is a normal tail, which is fixed in short-tailed cat breeds - Manx.

When there is no number 5 in the code, it means the breed has a normal tail, as provided for in breed standards.

Eye color coding

All kittens have blue eyes at birth. Then, after one and a half to two months, they acquire a color corresponding to the color of the animal’s fur. Read more about how and when eye color changes here.

In the breed coding, the eyes are designated by the number “6”. The number following it indicates their color. In felinology, a purebred animal’s eyes can have different shades, which are assigned a special digital designation: the following variants of this breed characteristic are accepted:

61 ‒ blue | blue;
62 ‒ golden, yellow, copper, orange | gold, yellow;
63 ‒ individuals with multi-colored eyes | oddeyed;
64 ‒ green | green;
65 – Burmese, characteristic only of cats of this breed | burmese;
66 ‒ Tonkinese | tonkinese;
67 ‒ Himalayan or Siamese | himalayan or siam.

Photo - Eye color in British cats
In a number of breeds, when describing breed characteristics with a combination of numbers and letters, eye color may not be indicated, since the standards provide for only one option for their coloring. When several color variations are recognized in a breed, the code uses a six followed by a number indicating the color of the eyes.

Thus, a British cat with a black and silver merle color BRI ns 22 can have eyes of the following shades:

green;
copper

They will be designated as 62 or 64 in the color coding.

Coding of ear placement on a cat's head

This sign is indicated by the number “7”, which when deciphered means ears as such. The number following it indicates the type of placement of the ears on the cat’s head. This code is used only in pedigrees of those breeds in which the breed standard provides for several options for ear placement. For example, Scottish Fold cats can have fold-eared (Scottishfold) and straight-eared (Scottishstraight) kittens in the same litter.

In general, felinology provides the following standards for placing the ears on the head:

71 ‒ straight | straight or straight ears;
72 ‒ curl | curled or ears curled back;
72 ‒ fold | folded or hanging forward ears.

If a breed recognizes only one type of ear supply, the number 7 in the pedigree coding for breed characteristics is missing.

Designation of capital letters in the code.

The color code also includes two or three capital Latin letters, which indicate the length of the pile characteristic of the breed. The standard provides four options for cat breeds according to the length of the pile, which are designated by the following set of capital Latin letters:

LH - long-haired;
SLH - semi-longhair;
SH - shorthair;
SOKH - Siamese-oriental.

Solid colors of the British

Some of the solid (with an emphasis on the "o"), or solid colors - such as blue - are the ancestors of the British colors, and some - new colors - were obtained through the labor-intensive work of breeders. The rarest solid colors are cinnamon and fawn.

White

Snow-white without yellowness. Kittens may have black or gray spots on their heads from birth, which disappear with age. The eyes can be blue, and heterochromia (difference of eyes) also occurs. Breeding experiments with this color have ended because too many kittens are being born with health problems. For example, deafness in white cats with blue eyes is common.

Black

The coal-black, raven-wing colors of British cats give the animal a witchy, magical appearance. But, unfortunately, it is difficult to guess that a black kitten will become a blue-black cat. Very often, kittens change color around six months, changing the color of their fur to chocolate.

Chocolate

The richer and darker the better. Kittens that have faded from black are usually not the most successful (brown) color. Noble dark chocolate is desirable.

Blue

It can be a little lighter and a little darker. The bluer the shade, the more valuable it is. The undercoat is sometimes lighter than the main hairs, but the difference should be minimal.

Lilac

A complex color that is a cross between blue and pink. The result of selection work. Kittens are born dull pink; With age, the animal acquires a light coffee-with-milk shade, with a pinkish tint.

Cream

Beige or peach shades. Kittens can be born with a variegated coat, but then the variegation goes away.

Faun

"Deer" color, even lighter than cinnamon cinnamon. In infancy, such a kitten can be confused with a cream kitten, but the older the pet, the more clearly the gray tone appears (in cream cats, red predominates).

Cinnamon (cinnamon)

A rare color, cinnamon color, similar to light chocolate with the addition of an orange tint.

Features of breeding fold cats

If you want to try your hand at breeding purebred cats, then it’s better to start by studying in felinological courses, which teach the basics of genetics, veterinary medicine, and tell you about the rules for holding exhibitions and about international felinological organizations. Before organizing the mating of your pet, it is necessary that he take part in the exhibition. Even if the cat did not take a prize, it received a rating for its class, this could be:

Pet class is an animal with a slight defect that cannot be used in breeding work.
Breed class - full compliance with the breed standard and in good health for procreation.
Show-class - not only compliance with the standard, but also a bright appearance, which allows you to receive prizes at exhibitions.

Only after receiving the class can your pet officially take part in the breeding work of the felinological club.

The difficulty in breeding fold cats lies in the correct selection of partners. Under no circumstances should fold-eared cats be mated with fold-eared cats. In such a mating, all offspring will have genetic diseases. In addition, the color of the animals is taken into account to obtain the best result.

It is advisable to breed young animals with more experienced partners at the age of about one and a half years (a cat during the third heat). To find a suitable partner, a felinological club is used and the act of mating is documented so that the kittens born have a correctly issued passport.

Color point colors

Color introduced into the breed by breeders. Sometimes it is also called “Siamese” or “Himalayan”. It has a rich palette of shades. According to the standard, a light body without spots and darkened legs, head, and tail. Wool with white undercoat. The eyes are blue, from watery-transparent to sapphire, bright blue, which is especially appreciated.

British pointing kittens are born almost white, with dark fur growing into adolescence, or even later. Over the years, both light and darker coats darken.

Black point (classic, seal point)

The most common color. On the body, the fur coat can range from white to almost chocolate color; the point markings are dark brown, turning into black. The nose and paw pads are black or black-brown.

Chocolate point

Rare beautiful color, one of the brightest. The cat's body is creamy in color, and the point markings are a rich chocolate color, which should be even and bright. The nose and paw pads are brown, maybe with a pinkish tint.

Blue point

Delicate, soft color. Cold tone. Gray-blue body and blue point markings. Looks very harmonious with ice blue eyes. The nose and paw pads are gray.

Lilac point

In this color there should be no sharp boundaries between the main color (white or almost white with a pinkish tint) and the gray-pink point markings. However, the difference in tones should be clearly visible. The nose and paw pads are gray-pink.

Red point

Quite a rare color. White or with a reddish tint coat, bright red point spots. The brighter the red, the better. Ideally, brick red color. The nose and paw pads are red to coral.

Cream point

Delicate creamy body color and smooth, easy transition to creamy point markings. The brightest spots are pink or coral nose and paw pads, as well as blue eyes.

Color point tortoises

A combination of two colors: color point and tortoiseshell. Delicate interesting color. Light body and spotted, mosaic markings. Point marks may contain a combination of any colors from the palette; soft, pastel colors are valued. The nose and paw pads match the base color.

Smoky color point

An interesting miracle of nature, or rather, the result of the work of breeders. Cats are carriers of two colors. The body can be any of the "smoke" colors: black smoke, blue smoke, lilac smoke, chocolate smoke, red smoke, cinnamon and fawn. Point markings are the same color, but darker. The undercoat is white, the nose and paw pads match the color.

Veiled color point

There are two types: on silver and on gold. On a silver-white or peach undercoat. Tipping on the back colors 1/8 of the hair in the tone of one color or another, point spots of the same color: black, blue, lilac, chocolate, red, cream, cinnamon and fawn. The nose and paw pads match the color.

Shaded color point

There are two types: on silver and on gold. On a silver-white or peach undercoat. Tipping on the back colors 1/3 of the hair to match the color of a particular color; point marks without sharp boundaries can be small. Black, blue, lilac, chocolate, red, cream, cinnamon and fawn. The nose and paw pads match the color.

Color point bicolor

Consists of two colors: white and any of the palette with point marks. As a rule, the chest, part of the body, the front legs are white, and there are also white spots on the cheeks. The symmetry of white spots and their harmonious arrangement are appreciated. Markings include black, blue, lilac, chocolate, red, cream, cinnamon and fawn. The nose and paw pads match the base color.

Fawn point

Light sandy body and light brown and beige markings. Exactly the deer shade, without the redness. Beige nose, beige paw pads.

Cinnamon Point

A very rare color, a breeders dream. Ivory coat and red-brown pointing markings. Red and pink-brown nose and paw pads.

Appearance

A strong, large, powerful British cat is difficult to recognize. The characteristic appearance sets this breed apart from other cats.

The British Shorthair and Longhair breeds have a strong, broad-boned, muscular, compact, well-balanced, stocky, medium to large sized body. The weight of adult cats is 4-6 kg, males - 5-8 kg. The formation of the backbone and growth of the British is long, formed by 2-3 years. The chest is wide. The back is straight and short. The shoulders are broad and massive, as are the hips. The limbs are short and strong with rounded paws. The tail is straight, short, thick at the base and rounded at the tip. In general, the impression of everything is large, compact and round.

The British breed's head attracts attention, distinguishing it from other breeds. Round, large with a wide skull . The ears are small, set wide and low, rounded at the tips, well furred on the outside. In profile, the rounded forehead “cup” turns into a straight, short, wide nose with a noticeable transition. The muzzle is round with full cheeks. Cheekiness is a distinctive feature of the British breed. Looking at the animal, one gets the impression of a smile. The cheeks are more developed in cats; cats have a less pronounced “girlish oval”. The chin is strong, smooth, and the nose forms a vertical line. The eyes are set wide, large, round, wide open. Eye color varies from honey, orange, yellow to blue and green depending on the color. The cheekbones are wide. The neck is short, thick, powerful.

The British Shorthair breed has a short, dense (thick) coat that does not lie close to the body, is not too soft, and is of equal length throughout the entire body (average length is 2.4 mm), with a well-developed undercoat and a fine texture that creates a feeling of “plushness .

Representatives of the long-haired variety have medium-length, straight hair with good undercoat and dry guard hair. The collar and panties are developed, the tail pubescence is long and luxurious. White and color point colors are not recognized in the British Longhair breed .

Tortoiseshell colors

The amazing thing about calico cats is that each one is unique. There are no identically colored turtles. Color types: finely spotted or patchwork, calico (spots on white). A very interesting joke of nature: only cats are tortoiseshells. Well, practically. Calico cats are much more rare than white crows. Cats can have such colors only due to a genetic error with chromosomes. Most breeders and felinologists, having worked with animals all their lives, have never encountered tricolor cats. But yes, one day such a kitten may be born. Unfortunately, there will be no offspring from him, although history knows exceptions. Turtles also include chimera cats, which amaze everyone with their appearance, whose faces are neatly painted in different colors. Chimerism is also a genetic anomaly.

There are six main subgroups of this color: classic tortoises, smoky tortoises, torbie (tortoiseshell tabby), tortie (tortoiseshell point), calico (patchwork tortoise) and mixed color (tortoiseshell tabby and white).

Bicolor tortoiseshell

This color is also called calico, or patchwork tortoiseshell. The brightest, most elegant color. On a white background there are colored spots, the boundaries of which are not blurred or mixed. The spots can be any color from the palette. Pigmented spots should cover more than a third of the body surface. If there are few colored spots on a white background, such animals are called harlequin or van.

Black and red tortoiseshell

Ideally, a cat should have approximately 50% red and 50% black spots. The brighter the spots, the better. Brownish and beige spots are the same red color, only lightened. According to the standard, a red spot on the forehead is very desirable.

Chocolate red tortoiseshell

Interesting, rarely seen color. Ideally, a cat should have approximately 50% red and 50% black spots. The brighter the spots, the better. There should be a light spot on the forehead.

Blue-cream tortoiseshell

Soft, delicate, very noble color. Pastel colors (blue and cream) blend smoothly into each other. White spots and even hairs are not allowed.

Lilac-cream tortoiseshell

Purple and cream spots are neatly distributed throughout the animal's body. White inclusions are not allowed. There should be a cream spot on the cat's face.

Cinnamon-red tortoiseshell

Rare tortoiseshell color variant. The color of the fur coat is warm and rich. The spots are evenly distributed; there should be a red spot on the animal's face.

Fawn-cream tortoiseshell

This color is rare. The spots are not bright, but nevertheless they should have a different color. White wool and residual tabby color are not allowed. But there should be a cream mark on the forehead.

Content Features

Despite their natural health, Britons require proper care.

To extend your cat's life, choose the right food. Ideally, you should visit a veterinarian who will create a healthy diet. Take your pet to the veterinarian regularly: the cat will not complain if it gets sick.

Below are the best foods for British Shorthair cats:

Wet food for cats from 12 months View product

Dry food for cats from 12 months View product

Dry food for kittens from 4 to 12 months View product

It's easy to care for the cat's fur - buy a massage slicker brush and brush your cat 2 times a week. The Briton needs to be washed a couple of times a year or as needed.

Pay attention to the animal's eyes - they are looked after every day. A cotton pad is used to remove natural discharge from the eyes, and the cotton wool is led from the outer corner to the nose. The ears are examined a couple of times a month and cleaned with cotton wool treated with a hygienic solution.

You need to examine your pet's teeth every day to prevent tartar from developing. Breeders recommend teaching your British cat to brush his teeth from an early age.

Such pets are sensitive to drafts and catch colds easily: protect your cat from drafts.

Tabby colors

The main signs of a tabby (or wild color) are the letter M located on the animal’s forehead (according to legend, this is the sign of a scarab), dark stripes near the eyes and on the cheeks, as well as rings (necklace) on the neck and chest.

Marbled Tabby

Dark circles, swirls and patterns on a light background. The pattern should be clear, not tangled or intersecting.

Spotted Tabby

Stripes on the cheeks, a dotted stripe along the ridge, and spots on the sides, preferably clearly defined and bright, are required. The cat is a micro-leopard.

Striped tabby

Brindle (sprat, mackerel, striped) is the most common tabby color. Mackerel (mackerel) fish, as well as sprat fish, have tiger stripes on their scales, just like cats have on their fur, hence the name.

Distinctive features are a dark stripe along the ridge, extending onto the tail, and striped sides. It is important that the stripes are not interrupted and do not turn into spots. The cat is a micro-tiger.

Patterned with white (torbico)

Quite a rare color, consists of three: tabby, tortoiseshell, white. On a white background there are colored spots with one of the tabby patterns.

Pictured tortoiseshell (torby)

The animal has a tabby pattern under any of the coat colors (black-red, chocolate-red, blue-cream, lilac-cream, as well as cinnamon-red and fawn-cream).

Silver tabbies

The cat's fur has a black pattern (stripes, spots, marble), and a white and silver undercoat.

Golden tabbies

The cat's fur has a red pattern (stripes, spots, marble), and an apricot undercoat.

Other peach-colored breeds

At first glance, it may seem that the colors of cats are evenly distributed across groups and are not subject to any regulation. In practice, everything looks completely different. Each population has “signature” colors that are familiar to a given breed.

For the British it will be gray-blue, for Angoras it will be traditional white, Persians are almost always red, and Turkish Vans generally became the founders of a unique combination of white and red shades.

Peach wool did not become a distinctive feature of any of the breeds, although as a derivative of the red color it spread very widely.

Cats of the following breeds can have peach color in various shades:

Anatolian and Brazilian cats;
German rex and giant aphrodite;
Karelian and Kurilian bobtails;
large Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest cats;
Laperms, Lamkins, Mandalays and Munchkins;
Siberian, Persian and Turkish Angoras.

In total, about fifty breeds, besides the British, can wear a wonderful peach coat, and the list only increases from year to year.

This is interesting! Even hairless cats (Canadian and Don Sphynxes) can be peach-colored.

Silver chinchilla

It is still a rare, difficult to breed, but very beautiful, “royal” variety of the British cat. The color is so named because of its resemblance to the fur of real chinchillas.

The beauty is the owner of a snow-white fur coat with a “spraying” of the main color tone, black or blue. No yellow shades of wool are allowed. The nose and paw pads should match the base color. The eyes are necessarily green, except for the pointed subspecies. The colors differ in the degree of coloring of the hairs.

Silver shaded

Shaded is when only the upper third of the hairs are colored in the main color. In all other respects, the animal looks like it has a solid color, only slightly “dusted.” This effect is achieved due to the fact that each hair has a colored tip. The undercoat is white.

Silver veiled

Veiling is when the top 1/8 of the hairs are colored. In all other respects, the animal looks the same as with a solid color, only in a barely visible transparent “veil”. This effect is achieved due to the fact that each hair has a colored tip. The undercoat is white.

Health and illness

British cats are considered strong and healthy pets compared to other breeds. If you provide them with proper care, the pupil can live up to 20 years, and still be active and cheerful.

The fact is that almost all artificially bred breeds undergo many changes in the body. This cannot be said about the British, because this breed practically does not change during crossing.

What you should pay attention to:

Since the breed is prone to obesity, avoid overeating. This can have a bad effect on your pet’s digestion, as well as its cardiovascular system.
You should not feed your animal exclusively hard and dry food, otherwise constipation may occur.
It is important to regularly examine your pet's mouth to rule out dental problems.
It is known that the entire cat family loves to lick itself, eating its own fur. Lumps may cause stomach upset. To avoid such a nuisance, special pastes are purchased that remove hair. They have a pleasant taste and cats eat them with pleasure.
A real problem for the British is a fungal disease that appears on the claws. Therefore, you need to systematically examine their paws.

Vaccinations

Preventive vaccinations need to be done annually, but only if the cat is absolutely healthy. Timely vaccination will help protect your pet from many infectious diseases, for example:

calcivirosis – damage to the respiratory tract and oral cavity;
rhinotracheitis is a disease that affects the respiratory system and eyes;
rabies.

You also need to get rid of worms every 3 months. This procedure is carried out 10 days before vaccination.

Golden chinchilla

An even rarer, difficult to breed, but very beautiful, “sunny” variety of the British cat. Its color is so named because of its similarity to the fur of real chinchillas.

This cat wears a bright apricot-colored coat with black or blue “spraying.” The brighter the gold, the more valuable it is. Gray shades are not allowed. The nose and paw pads should match the base color. The eyes are necessarily green, except for the pointed subspecies. The colors differ in the degree of coloring of the hairs.

Golden shaded

Golden veiled

Origin story

Tracing the ancestors of British cats is difficult. One can only assume that they were brought to the British Isles by the Roman conquerors. And they were different in appearance: they were more graceful and long-legged, without the charming plumpness of their cheeks.

Having multiplied, the cats began to get closer and closer to human habitation and gradually became tamed. For a long time they were treated with disdain, but in the 19th century everything changed. It has become prestigious to keep British cats as pets in homes. This is what many aristocrats of the Victorian era did.

In 1871, the first exhibition took place in London, the first standard, competition regulations and scoring system were developed. And all this is thanks to enthusiasts Crystal Palace and Harrison Ware.

At the end of the 19th century, British cats were pushed out of the top popularity by Persian cats, and later the Second World War broke out. To save the breed, the British were actively bred with Persians, Chartreuses, and Russian Blues. It was because of this forced random crossing that the breed was long refused to be recognized by both world and regional felinological organizations.

It wasn't until 1980 that the Briton cat breed was recognized by The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA).

For a long time, long-haired kittens were discarded: only British shorthairs were popular. But since 2001, the breed was recognized as experimental, its own standard was developed for them, and owners were allowed to participate in exhibitions and receive titles and awards.

The cost of an individual consists of several factors: compliance with generally accepted breed standards, title status of the parents, popularity of the nursery, and the amount spent on grooming. Classic cats - cats with blue fur and copper-yellow eyes - are somewhat cheaper than those with bright green eyes and golden chinchilla color. You can buy a kitten from a private breeder for 5-10 thousand rubles, but these are pet class kittens. Babies for exhibitions and competitions (show class) cost much more: 30-5 thousand rubles.

Smoky colors

“Smoky” can be any of the colors, the main thing is that the undercoat should be lighter than the main color, preferably white. This is one of the varieties of hair color distribution. About half of the hair is colored, and closer to the root half is white. There are also “cameo” colors, in which the color of the undercoat almost merges with the color of the main hairs.

Classic smoky

“Smoke” is superimposed on the same solid coat colors: black-red, chocolate-red, blue-cream, lilac-cream, as well as cinnamon-red and fawn-cream. The undercoat is silvery-white.

Smoky bicolor

The cat has a symmetrically and harmoniously distributed white color and “smoky” spots of any color. The undercoat is white, the nose and paw pads match the base color.

Character of the British breed

Despite his important and serious appearance, the British kitten has been responsive to affection and attention from its owner since childhood. The cat's intelligence shines in its eyes, which can be easily confirmed by successful training.

An adult cat will not appreciate it if it is perceived as a plush toy and is constantly squeezed. The British cat is by no means the kind of pet that will be carried around in your arms - it simply will not allow this. Most likely, the cat himself will make it clear that he is ready to give you the opportunity to pet him.

You don’t have to worry about displaying aggression; British women are more likely to leave touchingly and hide.

Both the long-haired breed and the short-haired variety get along well with other pets in the house. The pussy will not mind making friends with any cat breed.

The cat will like an owner who does not constantly require her attention and is busy with his own affairs.

Upbringing, which began when the imposing cat was still a small kitten of the British breed, plays a big role in character.

Colors with white

A cat can have any of the following colors: black, blue, lilac, chocolate, red, cream, cinnamon and fawn, as well as a combination of these plus white spots. One fourth (no less!) part of the body should be white - this is the chest, front legs, cheeks, and belly. The nose and paw pads should match the base color.

Classic color with white

Strictly speaking, this is a two-colored cat. Elegant white spots (yellowishness is not allowed) and a fur coat of any of the classic colors. The nose and paw pads match the base color.

Smoky color with white

The cat has a symmetrically and harmoniously distributed white color (chest, paws, cheeks) and “smoky” spots of any color.

Color point with white

The elegant coat of such a cat is painted in two colors: white and any of the palettes with point marks. The chest and front legs are white, and there are also white spots on the cheeks. The symmetry of white spots and their harmonious arrangement are appreciated. Markings of black, blue, lilac, chocolate, red, cream, cinnamon and fawn. The nose and paw pads match the base color.

Colors with white tabby

The same patchwork turtles, only some spots may have a tabby pattern. Rarely seen, it is considered a combination of three colors. There may also be spots of the same (any) color, on which a tabby pattern appears (stripes, spots, marble).

How to determine the color of a British cat?

If you really need a kitten of a certain color, you should contact a cattery with a good reputation. It’s not a fact that you will immediately find what you want, especially if the color is rare. Ask for photos, videos; Perhaps they will show you the baby on Skype. Then it’s time to go and choose.

To begin with, visually, but the kitten must already be mature (3-4 months). In babies, the color may change color.

Look at the kitten's parents, talk with the owners, study the breed codes and the summary color table. The exact details of cat fathers and mothers must be indicated in their documents. Using the table, you can determine which kittens a given pair of producers may have.

Well, or you can contact a specialist, an expert felinologist. In the case of rare and complex colors, it is better not to take risks. Interestingly, all cats are initially wild-colored (tabby). That is, spotted. But due to a combination of genes, this color is hidden. Nature's jokes can be observed in small kittens, which, being born with spotted fur, change to one color within a couple of months.

Personality of peach cats

If in the genetics of color one can rely on the research of scientists, then all information about the disposition of animals is based solely on practical observations. British Shorthairs belong to a group of cats with very complex character traits. They even periodically appear on lists of aggressive breeds, which, of course, is not entirely true, but gives a general idea of the habits of this cat. In this case, peach color is no exception.

English Aborigines are very capricious, withdrawn, selfish, prefer solitude and are not very loyal to other pets. In childhood, kittens of any color are ready to play a lot, but as they grow older, active mobility fades into the background. In the absence of early socialization, British adults may express dissatisfaction for a long time due to the arrival of a new person in the family.

At exhibitions, these rare animals are never left without attention. Owners of peach cats say that during such events their pets are transformed. They do not hide, they calmly tolerate jokes and crowds of people, and also pose without problems in front of photo lenses. It is obvious that the animals are well aware of where they are, so they behave accordingly. And at home, everything returns to normal, cats again retire and jealously guard the boundaries of their personal space.