About the Breed

British Shorthairs sit with dignity and intelligence. When I look at my boys and girls, I think of how royal they appear. They have wonderful manners, are never pushy, are easy going, and stable. They do very well entering a home with existing pets and also welcome new pets into their established home.  They enjoy life indoors and are pleasant companions. Our British Blues would never be so pushy as to steal food from a plate but will gladly take food that you offer them. This same behavior translates into all aspects of your relationship. They will follow you from room to room, wanting very much to be involved with your activities. They will greet you every morning and join you in the Loo, accept it 😊. They will not be the type of cat who sits on your face or walks all over your computer demanding your attention. But they will not mind at all if you to pull them into your lap and give them a good rub and scratch. Brits have the thickest coat of all cat breeds, and the coat is described as plush and dense. If they don’t spend much time in your lap, they are probably hot. This thick coat is why you will often find them resting in sinks and bathtubs to cool themselves. Allow your Brit to sit next to you and give them plenty of love. I find that our Brits are more likely to stay in our laps longer when the temperatures are cooler.  

When visitors come, your Brit will either be ready and willing to assess the situation or content with looking on from across the room. After investigation and greetings, they will go to a resting place and observe. They will never be the cat that you must shoo away constantly. Brits do not suffer from separation anxiety. When you return from a long day at work, you will find a continent cat. These cats are intelligent enough to amuse themselves. So, it will not matter if you are single or a family of 10, they will settle in just fine.

From birth, we set the stage for a very loving environment. We hold the kittens often, kiss them on the face, hold them in the air on their backs, and give them a lot of social interaction. Please continue this behavior; it’s acceptable to be pushy for their love when they politely wait for you. Never see them as distant, but respectful and waiting for your affection and love. Their reserved nature is in no way a reflection of their desire for love; they do want you to touch them. We pick all our adults up every day and do the same. All my adults allow me to cradle them, hold them, kiss them. You may hear people saying that Brits do not like to be picked up. Our Brits don’t mind at all because they have been held from a very young age and allow us to pick them up often. Genetics and environment both are contributing factors to you Brit’s behavior, so train them well. They may not want to stay cradled long, but if you have a seat and let them rest in or beside your lap, they will be fine. Training them from a young age to enjoy life in the air and on their belly will help with their tendency to want all four paws on the ground.

Our Brits love to run errands in the car if they can see where they are going; they are most often very curious, involved, and adapt well to change. They also love our dogs and kids. They seem to be more tolerant during interactions with small children that most animals would disapprove. I have found that the energy of a child can always bring them out of their lazy slumber. They are agile and with the right conditions can be active; know that their breed is not overly active and will grow calmer and calmer with age. When you think your baby is all grown up and not ready to play, you will see them run through the house at full speed; take this opportunity to pull out all the stops and watch them play as if they are a kitten again. Be careful with heights once they start to get big. It can be hard to come down from tall cabinets and trees when you are 10 to 20 pounds. Their intelligence proves evident when they learn from their interactions and remember how to perform tasks. They are not keen on closed doors; if they ever figure out how to open a door, they will never forget it. Our little Zula will softly meow at our son’s door until he answers, and she is never too shy to tell him when she is ready to leave.

Brits are not very vocal unless you have a house of breeding Queens and Kings. If you hear a lot of noise on our videos, it is guaranteed to be their mating calls. More often you will hear people asking why their Brit looks like they are meowing, but no sound is coming out. You can see videos on our Facebook page of the cats softly chattering to the birds. If we are so lucky to hear them meow at us, it is always soft and sweet.

Remember that all British kittens are more active than adult Brits. Nurture their time of development, and you will have a more stable reserved and calm adult. Expect for them to slowly move away from their kitten escapades as they reach one year of age. Adults still like some play; you will find if you initiate active behavior, they will join in. Please see our links page for normal behavior in kittens and how to help them thrive during their youth. I always recommend getting two litter mates at once. They will have an inseparable bond, and the amusement of watching them play and grow together never gets old.

British Shorthairs have a lifespan of 14 to 20 years. You will see different sources noting the age of developmental maturity ranging from 3 to 5 years. I agree that age 3 to 4 is most often full maturity. Expect your cat to change and grow until then. If you are feeding Orijen and organic meets you will not need to worry about obesity. Many veterinarians tell Brit owners that their cat needs to go on a diet. Twenty pounds is acceptable in a healthy active male who is feed a no carb, grain free diet. Please learn to enjoy their size if you are so lucky to have a big Brit. That does not mean that your Brit cannot become obese. Brits love to be lazy, and if they are fed a poor diet and have a lack of exercise, they will have more fat than desired.

British Shorthair Blues are one of the most popular cats in the world and are often number one in registered pedigree births in multiple countries. Time and time again they win the hearts of humans.