The Vet's Guide to British Shorthair Cats: Facts, Care and Training Tips

One of the most popular cat breeds, British Shorthairs are known for their kind and loving nature. This breed has a rich history dating back to ancient Rome, where they were first bred to be working cats to catch mice around the home. Nowadays, British Shorthairs are affectionate cats that are great for individuals and families who are looking for a loyal companion. Here’s what you need to know about British Shorthairs:

• British Shorthairs are quite intelligent, so be sure to start training them in basic commands from an early age to benefit from their whits! This is also a great bonding experience for you and your cat.

• This breed is more vulnerable to becoming obese, as they love their food and are a naturally larger breed. Be sure to feed them a balanced diet in appropriate portions to ensure that they remain happy and healthy.

• As a double-coated cat breed, be sure to brush your British Shorthair regularly to keep on top of shedding and matting. By brushing them at least once a week, you can minimise the amount of cat fur you see around your home.

Appearance: Despite being best known for their iconic blue-grey coat, British Shorthairs can actually have many different coat colours and patterns. What discerns this breed from other cats is their rounded heads, chubby cheeks, thick legs and broad chests.

Temperament: British Shorthairs are known for their calm temperament and loving nature. Whilst they love to be active and play with others, they’re more than happy to curl up for a cosy night in. This makes British Shorthair cats a great fit for many families.

Activity Level: This breed is not overly playful or energetic, but they still enjoy playtime with you throughout the day. Be sure to take time out of your schedule each day to play with your British Shorthair to not only bond with them, but to also keep them healthy.

Health: British Shorthairs are more susceptible to hereditary diseases such as Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) than most cats, but this can be identified with genetic testing and screenings. We recommend screening your British Shorthair as soon as possible to identify these diseases, and then manage symptoms with medication.

As a larger breed, British Shorthairs are also more predisposed to becoming obese, which can lead to further health issues such as diabetes and heart disease. We recommend feeding them a healthy diet and keeping them active.

Lifespan: The average lifespan of a British Shorthair cat ranges from 15 to 20 years. By maintaining positive health practices and giving your furry friend lots of love, you can enjoy many years with your British Shorthair!

Whilst the coat of British Shorthair cats is shorter than some more high maintenance breeds, they do require regular brushing and grooming to keep their skin and fur healthy. As their coats are so dense and lush, they require regular brushing to ensure that it is kept in top condition, and reduce the amount of shedding you notice around the home.

However, compared to other more high-maintenance breeds such as Persian and Ragdoll cats, British Shorthairs are very simple to manage in terms of their grooming. This breed requires grooming at least once a week to ensure their coat stays healthy.

Shedding patterns: Regular shedding is to be expected with this breed, as their double coat means they have both an undercoat and topcoat of fur. This double layer of fur means they will regularly shed their undercoat throughout the year. You can expect them to shed most prevalently during autumn and spring as they adjust their fur in response to the changing seasons.

To keep on top of their shedding, especially during peak shedding season, we recommend brushing your British Shorthair at least once a week. By using a cat comb or cat slicker brush, you will be able to keep your British Shorthair’s coat looking healthy and keeping shedding at bay.

Grooming: Keeping your British Shorthair’s fur looking fresh, we recommend brushing them regularly with either a tooth comb or a rubber brush once a week. This will help remove their loose hair, and keep their shedding at bay. 

To make sure that your cat is comfortable during the grooming process, be sure to brush your British Shorthair’s coat in the direction of hair growth. This will make your grooming experience with your cat a lot more enjoyable for the both of you.

Nail Trimming: Trimming your cat's claws can be a stressful experience for everyone involved if you don’t introduce this practice early on in your cat’s life. We recommend getting your British Shorthair familiar with nail trimmers by leaving them in familiar places, along with familiarising them with the noise of the clippers. If your British Shorthair is uncomfortable with any of these things, be sure not to begin trimming their nails as it may lead to an accident.

For British Shorthairs, try to keep nail trimming sessions short, as they are not a breed that generally enjoys extended lap-time. Stay aware of your cat’s body language throughout this process, and let them have breaks when they are becoming restless.

Dental Hygiene: Like most cats, British Shorthairs can be susceptible to gum and dental disease if their teeth are not well maintained. You can promote good dental hygiene for your cat by brushing their teeth at least once a week.

We recommend looking at flavoured cat toothpaste to entice your British Shorthair when it comes to brushing their teeth. Through using a pet toothbrush or finger brush, gently brush your cat's teeth, and give them breaks when they become restless. Getting them acquainted with having their mouth touched from an early age will also help make this process a breeze. 

An always enjoyable way to ensure your cat’s teeth remain healthy and plaque-free is through cat dental biscuits. Yummy treats like these will be loved by your British Shorthair and will keep their teeth squeaky clean.

As with many cat breeds, British Shorthairs are susceptible to a range of health concerns and conditions that any owner should be aware of. Whilst some of these conditions are hereditary and can be diagnosed through genetic screenings, some health issues may arise later in life, so it’s worth seeking professional veterinary advice.

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD): An inherited disease, PKD is a disease that negatively impacts your British Shorthair’s kidneys. This disease consists of cysts forming in the cat's stomach, and filling with fluid. This starts on a smaller scale and grows over time as they age - making kidney function more strained.

As this is a slow forming disease, it doesn’t often produce symptoms in cats until they are around seven years old. If you notice symptoms such as vomiting, increased urination, lethargy or loss of appetite, be sure to take your cat to a trusted veterinarian to test for PKD.

Heart Disease: British Shorthairs are also susceptible to heart disease, such as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). If you suspect that your cat has HCM, we recommend taking them to a veterinarian as soon as possible. As this disease may not present physically though symptoms in all cats, it is important for you to be aware of the risks.

Symptoms of HCM in British Shorthairs include lethargy, breathing difficulties, elevated heart rate, sudden hind leg paralysis and any major change observed in regular behaviours. To help relieve these risks, your veterinarian can prescribe medication to prevent blood clot formation and control heart rate.

Obesity: As a larger cat breed, British Shorthairs are susceptible to obesity; this is especially true for older cats and male cats. If your furry friend is consuming an unbalanced or poor diet, along with not receiving the recommended amount of physical exercise, they will be at a much higher risk of obesity. Obese cats face a higher risk of other health concerns such as heart disease.

You can identify obesity in your British Shorthair if they are developing notable excessive weight gain, are lethargic, or you can’t feel their ribs and spine with your palms. To help your cat out of obesity, we recommend reassessing their diet and portion control. Through switching to a weight control cat food and providing them with cat toys to promote exercise, your British Shorthair is sure to lose a few pounds.

If you’re looking to train your cat in basic commands and tricks, you have picked the right breed. As they are intelligent and affectionate, British Shorthairs take very well to learning commands. Along with this, training your British Shorthair can be an enjoyable bonding experience for both your and your cat.

Starting early: Although British Shorthairs are known for their willingness to learn, we recommend starting training at an early age to have the most success in obedience. By starting training practices early on in their kittenhood, your cat will be familiarised with basic commands before they reach adulthood, making it easier for them to learn more complex commands in the future.

Effective training tips: Each British Shorthair is going to be different, and you should be sure to find the best training style that is effective for their personality and training preference:

• Positive reinforcement: When training your cat, we always recommend using the positive reinforcement training method. This is not only the most effective way to train your British Shorthair, but is also the kindest. When your cat successfully completes a command, give them a treat or affection (something of high value to them). Be sure to ignore unwanted behaviours, and redirect them to the wanted behaviour.

• Clicker training: This training method is another form of positive reinforcement training. This involves using a clicker sound when your cat displays a positive behaviour, followed by a reward (such as a training treat). Once your cat understands the clicker, they will then associate the positive behaviour with the sound and reward.

• Keep sessions short: Training can become exhausting for both you and your cat, so be sure to keep training sessions short and sweet. By keeping sessions with your British Shorthair positive and brief, they will be more receptive to learning commands and succeeding in obedience.

• Use their toys: If you have an especially playful British Shorthair cat, we recommend spending some of their playtime to train them. Use their toys to incentivise positive behaviours, and be sure to remain positive throughout your training time.

Even though they aren’t an overly excitable and energetic breed, British Shorthairs are still playful and friendly. We suggest encouraging playtime throughout the day with engaging toys and games to keep them fit and healthy.

Frequent play sessions: A great way to not only ensure your British Shorthair gets their daily exercise, but also to develop a strong bond with your cat is through playing. Engaging with your cat with some of their favourite interactive toys can encourage your British Shorthair to be more active.

Food-based toys: This breed is known to be a bit lazy, so giving them an incentive to play with toys is a great way to get their daily exercise in. You can give your British Shorthair treat based toys or treat dispensers to keep them active, or you can simply hide treats around their space for them to find and ‘hunt’.

With their calm nature, it is uncommon for British Shorthair owners to experience excessive behavioural issues. However, each cat comes with their own unique personality. Therefore, some British Shorthairs will misbehave more than others. Here are some common behavioural issues:

Begging for food: Your British Shorthair may try to convince you to share your meal with them, but you must resist the urge! Table scraps and overfeeding your cat is never recommended, as it can lead to obesity and further health problems.

To help manage your British Shorthair from begging for your food, we suggest maintaining a regular feeding schedule, and giving your cat meals throughout the day to keep them occupied.

Destructive scratching: You may experience unwanted and destructive scratching by your British Shorthair on their bed or your furniture. This can be a result of marking their territory, but is likely due to boredom or the absence of a scratcher.

To help prevent destructive scratching in your home, we recommend purchasing a scratching post or scratching board that will keep your cat’s claws at bay. By redirecting their scratching, you can save your furniture from destruction.

Aggression: With your British Shorthair, you may experience bouts of aggression towards other animals or people. This could stem from a territorial place, or fear, and should be addressed immediately before it progresses. Whilst these behaviours may arise due to a lack of affection and playtime leading to boredom and aggression, we recommend consulting a trusted veterinarian to determine the root of the problem.

To help avoid aggression in your British Shorthair, we suggest early socialisation with other cats, people and animals. This will aid them in familiarising themselves with other people close to them, and will likely make them less territorial.

Hiding tendencies: As with many cats, and humans, British Shorthairs need their alone time. However, if your cat has no safe place to go to when they require solitude, they may end up hiding in hard-to-find places. It is important to remain patient with them, and provide them with a safe space that’s just for them.

We recommend looking into a secure cat tree or a cat cave for them to snuggle into when they are needing time alone.

Being a larger cat breed, ensuring that your British Shorthair is eating a well-balanced diet is essential. This includes nutritious food, along with managing the portions you are giving them. 

Carnivorous diet: As carnivores, the best type of food to give your British Shorthair is meat. Having a meat-centred diet closely resembles what they would eat if they were in the wild. Therefore, to keep them healthy and support their diet, we recommend cat food that includes tuna, chicken or other meats.

You can also find British Shorthair cat food that caters to the specific needs of this breed, ensuring they reach their nutritional needs.  

Monitor their weight: As previously emphasised, British Shorthairs are highly susceptible to obesity and associated health conditions. Therefore, we suggest monitoring their weight, particularly as they grow older. This will help guide your portion control, as it may change throughout their life, as their activity fluctuates.

Portion control: Properly portioning out your cat's food into meals throughout the day is very important for not only weight management but also keeping them occupied throughout the day. Be sure to follow the package directions on either your wet or dry cat food to ensure that your British Shorthair is getting the right amount of nutrients, whilst also sustaining a reasonable weight.

Whether you own a British Shorthair or are considering adding one to your family, we trust that our guide has provided you with valuable insights. Whilst this guide is great start to learning about British Shorthair ownership, never stop seeking out new information from reputable sources. Engage with other British Shorthair owners, share your experiences and continue learning about your cat's breed characteristics, temperament, and the best ways to care for and cherish them.

This article was written by Dr. Jack Ayerbe