British longhair

		British longhair
		Translation Francis Vandersteen
		Origin The British longhair is a breed of cat that originated in England.


This medium to large cat is the semi-long-haired variety of the British shorthair.

A brief historical overview

The British longhair is a direct descendant of the British shorthair, and their history was identical until the end of the First World War.
By the end of the 19th century, English breeders had noticed that British cats had distinctive features and selected them to be exhibited at one of the first cat shows in 1871 at London's Crystal Palace. They were given the name British shorthair to differentiate them from foreign or longhaired cats.
It was after the First World War, when British shorthair numbers were at their lowest, that the English had to introduce non-pedigreed cats to reconstitute the breed. Persians were also used. The result was the loss of the breed's physical characteristics and the introduction of the longhair gene. The English GCCF refused to register these cats and only accepted the kittens three generations after the cross with a non-breed cat or a cat of another breed had taken place.
The same scenario was repeated after the Second World War. In addition to Persian, other breeds such as Chartreux, Russian Blue and Burmese are also likely to have been used.
Semi-long-haired kittens were regularly born in British shorthair litters. Long sidelined, the breed was later developed separately. France recognized this variety in 2000 and in 2009 for the American TICA and WCF. The other main stud books do not yet recognize it.
The British longhair remains much more discreet than its shorthair counterpart. In France, it accounted for just 0.55% of all pedigree cats between 2003 and 2008. However, the number of registrations has risen sharply since 2006, from an average of 65 British longhairs per year to 142 in 2008.

Behavior / characteristics

The character of the British longhair is said to be the same as that of the shorthair, i.e. a calm cat with the legendary phlegm of its origins, and very attached to its owner. It's also said to be a very playful breed that doesn't like to be carried around. However, these traits are entirely individual and depend above all on the history of each individual.

Health

The British Longhair is one of the breeds most affected by neonatal erythrolysis. This disease occurs when the kitten has blood group A, and the father is group A but the mother is group B. The mother then transmits the disease to her kittens. The mother transmits antibodies to her kittens via her colostrum. The result is the death of the newborn kitten.
Veterinarians recommend systematic blood grouping for breeding cats of high-risk breeds such as British. In the case of kittens born to parents belonging to at-risk blood groups, there remains the possibility of separating the kitten from its mother for the first 24 to 36 hours of life, by administering a colostral substitute to the kitten or placing it with a group A9 nursing cat.

Head
Cranial region
Head		The head should have rounded contours. It is rather broad.
Skull		Well rounded skull, descending to a short nose in a hollow curve. However, the appearance of the British longhair's head must not be too close to that of the Persian or Exotic shorthair, as this is considered an eliminatory fault, as are pinched nostrils.

Facial region
Muzzle		Strong, full muzzle.
Cheeks		Full cheeks.
Eyes		Eyes should be large and round. They are set wide apart, accentuating the impression of a broad nose. Eye color should match coat color, and LOOF judges give preference to brilliant colors.
Ears		The ears are medium to small, broad at the base and set wide apart on the head. Their tips should be rounded.

Neck

The neck is muscular and stocky, but can give the impression of being non-existent because it is very short.

Body
Generality		The British Longhair has a very round body, and in general, cats should be muscular and have strong bones. Lack of muscle tone or too fine bones are penalized by elimination at a show.

Tail

The tail should be thick and measure about two-thirds of the body. It should be well furnished and variegated.

Limbs

Legs should be of medium size according to LOOF and short according to WCF. Like the rest of the body, they should be muscular and well boned.
Forequarters
Shoulders		Broad hips and shoulders.

Hindquarters

Feet

Round, firm feet.

Coat
Coat and texture		The British Longhair's coat is medium-length and silky. It should consist of a thick undercoat. Lack of density and undercoat are considered penalizing faults by the judges. The collar and breeches must be well furnished with hair. All colors are accepted.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Male height at withers: between 23 and 25 cm. Female height at withers: between 22 and 24 cm.
Weight		Average adult male weight: between 4 and 8 kg. Average adult female weight: between 4 and 8 kg.

Tolerances

Seasonal variations in coat texture are permitted.

Texture may differ slightly in cats of colors other than diluted.

Penalties

Texture too long or lying flat.

Coat lacking undercoat and general density.

Flat skull, stop too pronounced, nose too long.

Closed hocks.

Phantom tabby markings in solid-colored cats, except in the orange series.

Refusal of any title

White patches in other than particolored cats.

Appearance too close to Exotic Shorthair or Persian.

Pinched nostrils.

Delicate bones.

Lack of muscle tone.

General faults and defects eliminatory in shows.

Authorized marriages

British Shorthair x British Shorthair

British Shorthair x British Longhair

British Longhair x British Longhair

Crosses with other British longhairs and British shorthairs are permitted.
But it is also possible to cross them with Highland fold or Scottish fold.

Details: Written by: Francis Vandersteen; Also available:; Last Updated: 16 July 2024; Hits: 300

British longhair