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2023 Author: Alex Livingston | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39
The British Shorthair and the British Longhair they are both beautiful animals, especially for those who have never had a cat with them: in addition to being robust felines with little tendency to develop congenital disorders, these cats are gifted with some of the most interesting traits in the feline world. But what are theirs differences? Let's find out here.

British Shorthair
The British Shorthair is the most widespread of the British domestic cats: its ancestors are the European wild cats that inhabited ancient Britain and the Egyptian domestic cats imported by the Romans when they invaded the British Isles. The fruit of this cross was a breed of robust cats a short hair, friendly to humans but … bitter enemies of mice! In the 19th century, a variant of this breed was created by combining it with examples of Russian Blue: the result is the British Shorthair, a muscular cat with a somewhat stocky build and a plump and very expressive muzzle.

The classic specimens have a round head with a modest degree of brachycephaly (not enough to compromise their health), large and fairly distant eyes. Their personality is loyal and affectionate, even if they have a particular way of showing it: they generally don't like being stroked or cuddled for long. They are a very intelligent breed but not so smart as to get them into trouble; they are easily trainable and love to play.

British Longhair
The British Longhair is a sort of "cousin" of the Shorthair: it is the result of a cross between the latter and a variety of long-haired cats. In the first half of the twentieth century there was a widespread tendency to import long-haired cats and cross them with British Shorthairs to produce specimens of this breed. They therefore inherited nature affectionate but independent of the Shorthair and the gorgeous long and soft coat of Persian or Angora cats.
To be precise, it is a breed with medium-long hair with a dense and soft coat and a rather compact build. The longer fur will obviously require more attention from you (a brush every week will suffice), and the possible lineage from the Persian cat unfortunately makes it susceptible to its own health problems.

The British Longhair is also a friendly animal, but just like its "cousins" it prefers to stay at a distance: it will probably follow you around the house, learn about your habits and wait for you to return home; it is difficult for him to be picked up and even cuddles and caresses will be very limited, but in return you will receive anyway affection and attention.
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