British cat is intelligent, has a characteristic fur (e.g. bluish in color) and a slightly muscular body, but still physically fit. British cats often suffer from narrowing of the tear ducts, which causes excessive tearing, but they are not difficult to breed, and their fur does not require special care. British cats are one of the oldest breeds of cats, which almost became extinct and only for several decades has been reborn thanks to specialized breeding.

British catscame to the Islands from ancient Egypt via the Roman Empire. There they settled down and began to function as a new breed of short-haired cats, fulfilling their original role - rodent hunters threatening the crops hidden in granaries. It was like that until the modern times, and even almost ours: cats that were unable to cross the European mainland did not interbreed with others, maintaining the purity of their breed.

Due to the climate, however, they created an undercoat that they did not need in their native Egypt and Rome, i.e. a waterproof and protecting against cold short hair under the outer cover hair (which in turn was slightly elongated as a result of this evolution). Thanks to these changes, the fur of the British has become soft and plush to the touch. They were appreciated at numerous exhibitions organized in the 19th century by English admirers of these animals.

The bad period for cats came in the 20th century: they were almost extinct during both wars. After 1945, the breed was recreated, but due to the lack of an appropriate number of representatives capable of reproducing, it began to be crossed with other breeds, which changed the British appearance a bit. Currently, it has a larger head, a shorter nose, wider cheeks, a stockier body and, above all, a different color scheme. As a separate breed, he was registered by FIFe in category III.

British cat - appearance, weight

The British cat breed is classified as medium or large (the largest of the shorthair breeds), weighing from 3.5 to 8 kg, with the females being usually lighter.

British cats are muscular and squat, they have a large, broad head, with a clearly defined forehead covered with stiff hair giving extra bulge.

British cat has been living since 15up to 20 years

Medium-sized ears with rounded tips, short and wide noses.

The eyes of the British are large and round, set wide apart. Their color depends on the color of the hair: in the white variety - they are usually orange, blue or multicolored; in chinchilla and shaded - emerald or blue-green; in colorpoint - blue.

The neck of British cats is short and strong, the body - muscular and stocky, with short, strong limbs.

Cat fur is short, very dense and slightly protruding from the body. It can have as many as 150 color varieties: single-color (blue, black, red, white, chocolate, lilac, cream), two-color, brindle, tortoiseshell, chinchilla, silver shaded or brindle, smoky and colorpoint.

British cat - grooming

Due to their relatively short hair, British cats do not require any special care. Removing dead hair by brushing it once a week is a sufficient procedure to reduce the amount of hair swallowed by your cat. This should be especially remembered during the moulting period.

The Brit does not need to be bathed, it is also not necessary to clean his ears or eyes. The only time the eyes require care is if a pet has a tendency to clog their tear ducts. Then it is worth drying them from time to time with cosmetic pads. If an infection develops into the eye - pus or swelling of the conjunctiva appears, an appointment with the vet is necessary.

British cat - nutrition

Brits are quite he althy and strong due to the relative purity of the breed. However, they tend to gain weight due to their love of food, so you need to take care not to overfeed them. This applies especially to individuals after castration, in which body weight should be particularly controlled, so as not to lead to obesity.

Like all cats, this British one is also a carnivore and needs a high-protein, but balanced and varied diet. You can give him raw beef and veal as well as poultry, fish (cooked) and offal - once in a while.

Egg yolk, cooked protein and dairy products are other products that should be served to your cat at least 1-2 times a week.

Instead of home-cooked food, you can buy food, preferably wet, but remember to choose good quality ones, with a high content of meat and the content of vitamins, minerals and amino acids that your cat needs, which the body cannot on its own to produce e.g. taurine, lysine, tryptophan etc.

According to an expertdr inż. Jacek Wilczak, expert onnutrition in the Noteć Valley, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences

In the nutrition of adult cats, mainly for diet-prophylactic purposes, it is not recommended to use snacks and other food products that carry both energy value (carbohydrates, fats) and increase the amount of nutrients (vitamins, minerals).

The use of snacks can be practiced, but their nutritional value should be taken into account in the daily requirement of the cat. Even the seemingly harmless "stimulants" used during cat activation are a source of large amounts of energy and nutrients. For example, one sausage is about 100 kcal - in the case of a cat weighing 5 kg, it is over 25% of his daily energy requirement.

Important

It is a good idea to give your cat dry food to increase the abrasion of tartar. If we decide to feed our cat only with dry food, we must remember that then its water requirements increase. We should provide him with constant access to water or make it more attractive for him.

Cats don't always like stagnant water, so turning on the tap, special drinking fountains or changing the water in the bowl frequently should encourage your cat to consume it.

British cat - character

Animals of this breed are not great pets, but if they feel like cuddling and stroking, they will let the owner know about it themselves. British cats like people and quickly become attached to them. They have a strong character, but are well-balanced and very intelligent at the same time.

Young British girls like to play and play, with time the love of mischief fades away, but even an adult cat is very fit, full of energy and active.

These cats tolerate other animals without any problems, they can live in both large and small areas.

British cat - the reproductive cycle

British dogs reach sexual maturity quite late for cats - around 12 months of age, although it depends on the season - estrus occurs from February to September.

At home, a kitten is ready for motherhood regardless of the season of the year - sometimes she has the so-called permanent heat, which means that one is followed immediately by another.

The features of estrus are the animal rolling on the ground, its body taut and calling. If a female cat has not been fertilized, estrus calms down, but may reappear after 8-10 days. Oestrus causes a strong weakening of the female reproductive system, so breeding British females should be castrated, which is he althier than calming oestrus using hormones.

According to an expertEwa Korycka-Grzegorczyk, a veterinarian

British cats are predisposed to the following diseases:

  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(HCM-hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). It is a genetic heart disease, the mechanism of which is pathological hypertrophy of the left ventricle wall, and sometimes of the interventricular septum. Thickening of the walls of the heart weakens their elasticity. As a result, the left ventricular's ability to relax and increase its inflation pressure.

This leads to the enlargement of the left atrium and stagnation in the pulmonary circulation. Pulmonary edema may occur as a result of the above disorders.

Symptoms that may suggest a heart problem include: shortness of breath, rapid breathing, bruising of the mucous membranes, exercise intolerance.

Circulatory and respiratory failure can lead to cardiac collapse or even sudden death.

Symptoms most often appear between the ages of 1-5 years, but the disease is also reported in older animals. Genetic tests are now available to determine if a cat has the gene responsible for HCM.

  • Less common in British people is a predisposition to congenitalhydrocephalus, polycystic kidney disease and hemophilia .
  • Due to the fact that British cats are brachycephalic cats (with shortened bones of the jaw and jaw), it causes he alth problems. Shortening of the facial skeleton predisposes toobstruction of the tear ducts , which results in excessive tearing and conjunctivitis. As a result of such a structure of the mouth, the narrowing of the nostrils is also a common disorder. In the case of infection, it is difficult to cleanse the nasal cavity from the remaining secretion.

Breathing alone in a clinically he althy cat of this breed may be more difficult, making these cats more likely to breathe their mouths. This dries out the oral mucosa, leading to more frequent inflammations.

We also often seemalocclusionandsupernumerary teeth , which favor the development of periodontal diseases.

  • When discussing the predilections for diseases, it is also worth mentioning the blood groups, the knowledge of which in a British cat may be important. In cats, there are 3 blood groups: A (the most common), B and AB. Most breeds of cats have blood type A. British cats have the highest percentage of group B among all breeds. It is estimated that as many as 40% of cats of this breed have blood group B.

Knowing your blood type is important when you need a blood transfusion, as transfusing blood from group A to a cat with group B may lead to a severe haemolytic reaction. Also in the case ofplanning a pregnancy in a British female cat, it is worth knowing the blood type of the future mother and father in order to avoid a serological conflict.

About the authorMałgorzata Wójcik The editor in charge of the website. Journalist with 25 years of experience. From the beginning, she was associated with the subject of children and he alth - she worked, among others. in the magazine "M jak mama". At mjakmama.pl, she specializes in pregnancy and childbirth. Privately - mother of three adolescent children. He is eager to read and walks in the woods with his dog.

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