CAT-BREEDS
British longhair
The British longhair shares many similarities with its relative – in fact, the biggest and almost only difference is the lengt of their fur coat. The longhair has traces of Persian in its DNA as opposed to Russian blue. The fur length also calls for a different approach to grooming. Read everything here!
British longhair
Foto: Public Image stock
British Longhair
British longhair is the same as the more famous British shorthair. Except, of course, the obvious difference between their fur’s length.
It is assumed that the shorthair resulted from cross-breeding a European alley cat with a Russian Blue. And that the longhair came from cross-breeding a standard European alley cat with a Persian cat.
These cats look similar to the British ones. They commonly also have the desirable grey colour known as blue. Which is the most popular colour for the Brits.
The aesthetics
The British longhair cat has a robust and bulky body with a fluffy long-haired coat. With pointy upright ears placed far apart. It commonly has distinctive bronze-brown eyes filled with expression.
The somewhat lazy sofa-cat makes for a perfect companion in a family home.
Their fur
Most commonly associated with this breed is its bulky shape and grey colour. This particular grey is known as blue in the feline community.
It is important to understand that this colour is not the only one accepted for this breed. The blue colour is more of a preferable fashion.
In total, there are over 30 other accepted colours and patterns for the British breed. All with equally lovable personalities.
British longhair on his back looking up
Behaviour
British longhair is a calm and easy-going breed that enjoys long walks to the food bowl and snuggles on the sofa. By nature, it is not needy and will not pester its owners for attention and belly strokes.
Instead, it will do fine by itself for a long time, but will usually find snuggles to be receivable at any time of the day.
Typically, the breed enjoys sitting next to its owners, as opposed to sitting on top of them or being carried. If you were to pick up a British longhair, it would wiggle its way out of your arms in a matter of seconds. But not aggressively. Therefore, the breed is counted as one of the more ideal breeds to keep in a house alongside children and other pets.
Maintenance
The maintenance requirements are not excessive at all. The ears need some occasional inside cleaning. Teeth need occasional brushing, and the claws need occasional clipping. But all in all, the british longhair does not require much maintenance at all.
The fur does not require a lot of attention. But maybe some additional combing during seasonal changes. Brushing the otherwise lazy cat might help stimulate blood circulation.
So a couple of times a week with a soft rubber brush is recommended. This will also prevent tangles.
Health and lifespan
These two cats are the world’s third most popular domestic breed. Which makes it easy to find a breeder. They have been a popular choice since the 1870s.
For decades, serious breeders have put a lot of effort into breeding healthy cats. And with much success.
With that said, paying a little more for your British Longhair will probably be better than buying the cheapest option. Serious breeders tend to have the best intentions for the cat. A healthy Brit can live between 12 and 20 years.