Cat Breeds Around The world- Great Britain
Origins and description of different cat breeds
A short description of some of the beautiful and varied cat breeds from Great Britain.
Cat Breeds – United Kingdom
British Shorthair
The British shorthair was refined into a breed in the 19th century, it is the pedigreed version of the traditional British cat. This breed has short, dense fur and is well-built and strong. They have an appealing round face with little bear-like features and a stocky body.
The British Shorthair is a smart and affectionate cat and good with children – a very popular breed. This cat is a medium to a large cat (10-20 pounds, with males being the largest and females being the lightest). A healthy and easy to care for cat which can live up to around 17 years of age.
The cream British Shorthair is very rare.
British spotted Shorthair
Sometimes called ’Spotties’ they have the pattern of a mackerel Tabby British Shorthair but with the stripes broken up into spots.
British bi-colour Shorthair
Short, dense fur, stocky, muscular cat with round paws. There are four colours British cream and white, British orange and white, British black and white and the British blue and white; all the cats have copper or orange eyes with no green rims.
Manx cat
A distinctive cat with no or a very short tail. The Manx cat originates from the Isle of Man (a small island off the English coastline and found in the North sea). The image of Manx cats can be found on some of their coins, being famous and loved on this small island. The lack of tail or small, stubby tail is due to a genetic mutation.
This cat is known for its longevity, it is friendly and intelligent but not having a particularly loud vocal voice, a sort of ‘trill’ rather than a’ meow’. The Manx cat has a rounded head and longer back legs, although the overall body is sturdy. The Manx cat takes longer than average to mature and may not be fully mature until he or she is five years old. A fully mature Manx cat will weigh between 8-13 pounds on average. A lovely round face, muscular body and a cat who enjoys the company of people.
This tailless cat comes in many colour combinations including tabbies, solids and calicos, although all-white cats are less common.
The Manx cat is easy to care for, having a short coat a weekly brush will suffice. Keep the ears clean and check around the anal area (to see if this is nice and clean) as anything stuck to the ‘bum’ will transfer to your carpet or chairs (no tail to cover this area). Cats are generally very good at keeping themselves super spotless so don’t be too worried about this.
Types of Manx cat
Rumpies – no tail.
Risers – seen with a little rise at the end of the spine.
Stumpies – have as the name suggests very short stumpy tails.
Longies – a longer, more usual length tail.
Would you like to know more about the Manx cat?
Manx cats – a breed with no tail
Havana cats
A man-made breed from selective breeding of Siamese cats without the point pattern.
A smart and loving cat. This cat has a fabulously smooth and glossy coat which is a rich chestnut brown colour. The Havana has mesmerising green eyes and its whiskers are the same colour as the fur – a truly beautiful breed. The cat has a long, lithe body with long, thin legs with small delicate egg-shaped paws. The head is wedge-shaped or triangular, the eyes are almond-shaped and wide-set on the face. The ears have a rounded tip and are pink inside.
Like the Siamese cat, the Havana demands a lot of attention. It is not a breed that likes to be left alone for long periods of time. Intelligent and playful the cats love games and need space to explore. The Havana is known for its loyalty and will often form a strong bond with one person. They are healthy cats and do not need any special care.
Havana cats get on well with other cats, dogs and children.
A relatively rare breed, elegant and aristocratic and also expensive!
Rex
There are two breeds of this curly-coated cat, the Devon Rex and the Cornish Rex.
Devon Rex
A hypoallergenic breed of cat with a fine curly coat. The Devon Rex is super friendly and a great cat for families with children. Not shedding much, and being playful and affectionate this cat is curious and will make a loyal, loving and mischevious companion. They enjoy company and will follow you around, Devon Rex cats are quite intelligent and will play games and learn simple tricks. Being intelligent they benefit from interactive toys to stimulate their brains and prevent boredom. A small agile and light cat they can jump well and enjoy perches and watching from heights. A cat which likes to be part of all family life. Devon Rex is generally a healthy breed, although they can suffer from hereditary baldness (due to having less hair than other cat breeds) and spasticity (myopathy) which is an inherited condition resulting in muscle weakness. A Devon Rex with this condition will tire easily and need more rest; there is no actual treatment required.
The Devon Rex has a unique short wedge-shaped head, with large ears, beautiful oval eyes and prominent whisker pads. The whiskers are crinkled and more sparse than in other breeds. The cat has an elf-like or pixie appearance.
The hind legs are longer than the forelegs, which can give the cat the appearance of being bowlegged.
The Devon Rex has beautiful swirling curls and there are many varieties of colour and pattern.
Cornish Rex
These cats are descendants of farm cats. The Cornish Rex has a very curly short coat with a plush and rippled appearance. They date from the 1950’s in Cornwall, England. This cat also has a wedge-shaped head but has a ‘Roman nose’ giving it a different appearance to the Devon rex.
The British bred Cornish Rex is more robust than the American version. The British bred cats have an oriental type body and they are muscular, lithe and great jumpers.
Like all Rex cats, the Cornish Rex is sensitive to temperature changes and so they like to be kept warm, cosy and comfortable.
Scottish Fold
In Scotland, 1961 a cat with folded ears was born on a farm, this is considered the beginning of today’s Scottish fold cat. There are some stories about links with a Chinese non-erect eared cat but there is no clear evidence to back this up.
The Scottish cat has folded ears which can sometimes cause hearing problems.
Probably due to the farm ancestry, this cat is an excellent mouser. The Scottish Fold is an affectionate cat which may be close to one member of the family in particular. They are happy in human company and enjoy life as part of a family.
Appearance
The body is short and rounded with a large round head giving a very appealing appearance. The cat has muscular legs, a short but thick tail and of course small folded ears.
Health problems in the Scottish Fold breed
A very robust cat and problems with hearing is the most common problem.
Breeding issues
Sometimes kittens are born with non-folded ears – but this is not evident until the kittens are older than a month old. Cats can be born with kinked tails or sometimes with very small heads.
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Smoke Longhair
From the cross-breeding of Black, blue and Chinchilla Persians, this cat includes three varieties: Black Smoke, Blue Smoke and Smoke Tortoiseshell.
They have a silvery ruff around the neck and are quite distinctive cats in appearance.
Chinchilla Longhair
A soft, pure white coat with a darker underside causing a rippling effect. It is crossbred from Persian cats.
Somali Longhair
A very intelligent cat bred form Abyssinian cats. This cat can learn tricks, but gets bored quickly and needs a lot of attention.
The fur is medium-long, shaggy and the cat has a nice slender body.
Shorthair Somali
With a handsome, muscular body this cat is very active and has an average life span of fifteen years.
They need company and require a lot of stimulation for their active brains.
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Charlie says “I hope you enjoy reading about all the wonderful cat breeds”.
