Thursday 2 June 2011

British Shorthair

Grey tabby British Shorthair show cat sleeping on grey litter at a cat show
At London cats show 2008
One of the original cat fancy cat breeds, the British Shorthair is a purebred cat of singular appearance that has been developed over one and a half centuries of selective breeding from the British moggie (random bred cat), which itself goes back to the Romans.

Although I say selectively bred it should be noted that after the second world war there was a need to cross bred with other cat breeds to keep the breed alive (why wasn't it crossbred with British street moggies?). This has taken the Brit SH away from its origins. Even earlier in the early 1900s the breed was crossed with Persians. Personally I don't find this so much "selective" breeding and reckless breeding.

Robinson's Genetics says that the breed originates in the UK in the 1870s. The first cat show was at the Crystal Palace London in 1871. I have a page on the history of the British Shorthair.

SKY - a British Shorthair Cat living with Ken and Helmi Flick
"Sky" - blue Brit SH.
By the way, "British" in this context means a cat of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales (the UK) and including: the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, and the British overseas territories. So Britain is bigger than the UK. And bearing that in mind I think it would be more accurate to say that this cat is more the English Shorthair as at the outset it would have been developed from cats in the south of England. Although as mentioned it was outcrossed. I find this bizarre. Why couldn't we just keep the original cat? Is the Brit SH actually a hybrid cat breed  - it looks like that. There appears to be nothing pure about it, sadly. Sorry if that sounds a bit tough but...

The Brit SH is a popular cat ranked 8th out of over 100 cat breeds on my long standing poll.



British Shorthair Cat Facts

A short bulleted list of facts of British Shorthair breed information:
  • Date of origin: 1870s.
  • Place of origin: Great Britain (Britain).
  • Ancestry: British moggie and then crossbred.
  • Weight: 4 - 8 kg or 9 - 18 lbs.  
  • Temperament: relaxed and gentle.
  • Cat Associations: GCCF, FiFe, CFA, TICA, AACE, ACFA, ACF, CCA (as expected completely accepted by all cat registries.
  • Colours: All colours and all divisions of the traditional category (ref: legacy of the cat - taken from breed standards.
  • Breed Standard: See CFA breed standard.

British Shorthair Temperament

Undemanding and gentle. They are famous for their silent voice. The mouth opens and nothing comes out! Or the sound is very gentle and quiet. Apparently they don't like being handled that much. They have been described as "unflappable".

British Shorthair Health

There is a health screening test for this cat breed for hip dysplasia, indicating that there is a possibility of inheriting a predisposition to this condition. This cat has a low incidence of inherited diseases on my assessment and this page mentions two. The coat is dense. It is suggested that the home should not be too warm.

British Shorthair Photos and Pics

Daisy British Shorthair cat
Classic chubby cheeky face by nick@
You can see from Helmi's wonderful photos below that this is a sturdy, semi-cobby, medium to large cat. The face has been developed to look chubby and cheeky! It is slightly flattened but far short of the excessively bred flat faced Persian.

This cat is strong, muscular and heavy. The most outstanding feature is probably the coat  - dense and springy, it is a pleasure to put your fingers through it.

British Shorthair catAll the photos and text on this page are protected by copyright © except where indicated. Violations of copyright are reported to Google.com (DMCA).

British Shorthair cat
"Nox" lives with the Flicks. Photo: copyright Helmi Flick
British Shorthair cat
Blue and fawn (?) coloured British Shorthair cats
Photo: copyright Helmi Flick

Nox (above) is all black. He has the most gorgeously dense and even coat. It is a pleasure to stroke. He is a nice balanced and pleasant cat. What more do you require in a domestic cat?

The British Blue is the original show cat colour. The two cats/kittens below on the outside are British Blues as is the cat on the left in the photo above.

This page has a bit about the genetics behind the coat colours. And this page discusses the differences between the Brit, American and European SHs.

British Shorthair Bicolor

British Shorthair cat
The 2 in the middle are solid blue and white bicolor Britis Shorthairs
Photo copyright Helmi Flick

British Shorthair Kittens For Sale

Always visit the breeder. You can check out facilities and ask direct face to face questions. Watch out for overbreeding. My sister bought two British Shorthairs. She eventually gave them back to the breeder (or someone else) as they were stupid - yes, inbred to the point where the cat was affected mentally. I have seen before in Burmese. Not sure how prevalent it is but in any case you want the cat to choose you and you can only do that in the presence of the cat before purchase. Helmi Flick highly recommends visiting the breeder.

The cat clubs, Yahoo Groups and major cat associations are good sources of cat breeder listings. A Google search will list the best established cat breeder high up in the search results.

In the USA, TICA list seven breeders, all in the USA except for one Canadian. The CFA list twelve. They are all in the USA as the CFA is a US cat association. You can do your own breeder search on their website by going to this page.

In the UK the British Shorthair Cat Club has a very long list of breeders. You won't need to look any further.

This page: Yahoo Groups for British Shorthair has quite a nice list of groups. I recommend these groups as it is a good networking resource for info about a cat breed and they are easy to join and get started.

British Shorthair Rescue

Rescue is best of course but purebred cats don't usually need rescuing. Nico needed rescuing though.

The UK club for this cat breed have a rescue section. There is a page on PoC about purebred cat rescue too. And there is a website dedicated to purebred cat rescue. Finally Yahoo groups are a good source for cats that need a home. I would therefore refer you to the link above.

British Shorthair Link Exchange

If you would like to exchange links with me please leave a comment. You can get my code from this page.

British Shorthair Gifts

Amzon.com do a lot of gifts based on this breed. Here is a selection:





Allevatori British Shorthair

The word "allevatori" is Italian for farmers according to Google translation. In this instance I am guessing that it means breeders. Italians are also fond of this cat breed.

Le British Shorthair & Chats British Shorthair

This heading is a reference to the search phrases people make. In this case it must be French people who are demonstrating an interest in this long established cat breed.  I hope this page helps.  The all French Chartreux is similar to the British SH blue with a similarly long history. French people wanting to buy a Bristish Shorthair are probably better off jumping on the Eurostar (train direct from France to England) to visit English cat breeders (see links above).

Michael Avatar

Wednesday 1 June 2011

Pet Supplies Plus Coupons

Pet supplies plus coupons are best found by going to the Pet Supplies "Plus" Monthly Flyer page of their website. You just enter your ZIP code or state and the website brings up a store by store flyer in which you can find discounted and sale items.

Click on the following link to to go to the store flyer page: Pet Supplies "Plus" Monthly Flyer page.

I have not seen actual coupons yet! Those ever elusive coupons. Maybe they don't exist? Uhmm..on this page of the Great Deals Savings Magazine there are two coupons! They expire on 20th June 2011. I haven't the faintest idea if they are genuine. They are printable.

Another way to save is through their $20.00 PSP gift card. You can win this by submitting a story about your pet. The story gets published on their site so you get a double benefit. Not bad.

Michael Avatar

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Tuesday 31 May 2011

Cat Body Type Genetic Mutations

People search for "cat body type genetic mutations". So I feel that I should provide a response to what is an enquiry by internet surfers.

The thing is though, that there are no genetic mutations in the cat world, wild or domestic or in between (feral) which cause a change in the body type of the cat. By body type I am referring to the cat fancy's idea of what body type means - for example, cobby or foreign etc. See this page: Cat Body Types for a full description.

Sure, genetic mutations alter aspects of the cats body on very rare occasions (one in a million perhaps) but not the entire body type. By this I mean the overall shape and size of the cat's body.

Examples of where a genetic mutation has changed an element of the cat's body are:
As you can see the overall body type is not affected.

These genetic mutations have resulted in the creation of new breeds of cat. Variations in cat body type originate in natural evolution, individual cat differences, the sex of the cat and importantly selective breeding by cat breeders.

A classic case of selective breeding that controls cat body type is the teacup cats. These are very small. Breeders breed small cat to small cat and create smaller and smaller cats and fix that trait.

Michael Avatar

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Monday 30 May 2011

Bad Cat Behavior

There is far too much written on the Internet about bad cat behavior. For me nearly all of it is wrong. If we really think about it, almost all domestic cat behavior that impinges on our lifestyle is due to us. So if a cat behaves badly in our eyes, it is either a misconception by us or an improper expectation or bad breeding (lack of socialisation) etc. I could go on. Often so called bad cat behaviour is simply behavior that we don't like or which does not meet our expectations even if our expectations are misplaced.

The focus of bad cat behavior should be directed towards us. What are we doing that might create this behavior in our cat?

We should be able to trace it back to us one way or another. Even things such as a cat spraying as a territorial marker can be traced to us.

If a cat is spraying it is probably not neutered. That is our fault. Secondly if a cat is neutered or spayed and still spraying urine as a marker then something in his or her environment is causing this cat to be stressed. And we create the environment.

If there is no cause for stress and the cat is neutered then it is natural behavior for that cat under those conditions (created by us). If we can't accept that we can't accept natural behavior in that cat. That is our problem. Natural cat behavior is not bad cat behavior. It can't be can it?

I summarize these thoughts in this sort Flickr video:



A lot of people won't agree or won't understand what I am trying to say. That is fine. I am just making my point. I feel strongly that we as people need to behave more responsibly towards our domestic cats and that includes me. We tend to do what we are allowed to do and as cats don't have a say in the matter we can do as we please in relation to our cat.

Millions of people act responsibly towards their cat but too many don't. That is why millions of cats are killed each year and why we have places such a shelters, where incidentally most cats are not sheltered but killed - not euthanized. Sorry but we have to face reality if we are to fix the problems - human behavior problems not cat behavior problems.


Please also see this page on the same subject.


Michael Avatar

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Sunday 29 May 2011

Cat Inappropriate Elimination - Whose Problem?

We cause cat inappropriate elimination. Therefore, it is our problem. It is not a "cat behavior problem" but a human-to-cat relationship problem. In the wild,  the small wildcat will defecate and urinate in certain areas on the ground, on the earth. Sometimes these areas are used as markers to tell other cats of their presence - the feces remain uncovered. Cat spraying is not inappropriate elimination as the purpose of cat spraying is to give signals to other animals of the presence of the cat. The purpose is not to eliminate the urine.

The domestic cat is required by us to defecate and urinate on cat litter in a tray inside a house or some other human structure. From the cat's perspective the litter will usually be a nice place to go to the toilet because litter replicates earth. In the old days, before litter was invented, sand was used. This is why cats don't usually need training to use cat litter.

However, from the cat's perspective litter might not be a nice place to go to the toilet. The cat might prefer somewhere else. If the cat is a full-time indoor cat the only other place is somewhere that is inappropriate for us not the cat. We have the problem. From our perspective this is our problem. From the cat's perspective this is not a problem except that he or she can't find a decent alternative to litter inside a house.

If the cat is an indoor/outdoor cat he or she would almost certainly go outside and use the earth outside as an alternative to cat litter. Earth is actually better than litter as it is softer and exactly the kind of substance a cat would use in the wild.

So when a cat does not wish to use the litter box the problem is ours as we created it in the first place. The cat is simply acting naturally and reacting to the circumstances that exist before him or her.

This argument applies even if the cat is not using the litter due to anxiety, for example. The reason is unimportant. One well known reason for a cat's avoidance of litter is because it is uncomfortable to a declawed cat. This is a double human problem, one compounding the other.

The reason why I am writing this is because I sense that throughout all the many thousands of articles on inappropriate elimination on the internet and in books, the problem is perceived as belonging with the cat. The cat is seen to be at fault. He or she needs to be punished etc. for this "bad behavior".

Wrong, obviously.  Sometimes, there is a terribly arrogant approach to cat caretaking and so called "experts" are often the most guilty. The cat behaviorists - a trendy new occupation - are in fact "human behaviorists" as all their work concerns changing the behavior and habits of people!

Think on...

Related articles:

Avoiding cat behavior problems

Stopping inappropriate elimination

Michael Avatar

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Saturday 28 May 2011

Pixie-Bob

pye
Photo by WindRanch (Flickr)
How do you spell Pixie-bob? You know, we just don't know for sure. The best source must be the "OFFICIAL PIXIEBOB WEBSITE". That is how they spell it: all joined up so it would be Pixiebob in lower case. But the heading banner to the same website uses the spelling: PIXIE-BOB with a hyphen.

Then if we check the books on cat breeds - a good idea I think to get out of the incestuous and copycat nature of the internet - we can't find any reference to the Pixie-bob....correction, Legacy of the Cat (a fine book by the way) spells it "Pixiebob". That clashes with Wikipedia...

The almighty Wikipedia spell it as I have in the title to this article. That is why I spelled it that way. But why the hyphen? The British Shorthair cat is not spelled British Short-hair is it?

And then do we use lower case after the hyphen: Pixie-bob or upper case: Pixie-Bob? God knows. No I guess he doesn't.

Now I have that little dilemma out of the way temporarily I'll discuss the origins of this interesting cat breed that did not, is appears, progress as far as it might. I feel that it is decidedly on the fringes, which is supported by the fact that it is not listed some mainstream books on cat breeds such as the Encyclopedia Of The Cat. Another cat with a wild appearance that failed to progress is the California Spangled. There was a rush of wildcat looking cats at one time. That has faded and legislation at state level in the USA is further limiting progress it would appear.

Which leads me nicely to the next interesting topic - the "wildcat connection" as I shall call it. Is this cat a wildcat hybrid, a cross between a bobcat and domestic cat? No is the answer based on DNA testing - pretty conclusive I would have thought. However this cat breed was founded by Carol Ann Brewer at a time in the American cat fancy (mid 1980s) when wildcat hybrids where all the rage. They were the cat to found, develop and get accepted (by TICA as the CFA don't recognise wildcat hybrids). For example the Bengal cat was founded in the mid 1970s and the Savannah cat in 1986. The all domestic, but wild cat looking, California Spangled was launched in 1986 by Paul Cassey.

There is no doubt in my mind that the idea was to create a wildcat hybrid type cat that would be desirable. Apparently Carol Ann Brewer claimed that the foundation cat was a wildcat hybrid.

This cat does have the appearance of a wildcat hybrid - obviously the objective of the breeding programme. The bobbed tail (short tail) was an added point of interest to match the American Bobcat's short tail. This was apparently introduced by cross breeding with a Manx, the famously tailless cat.

Here are some pictures....

Pixie bob pictures

Pixie-bob cat
Pixie-bob "Assam" Photo copyright Helmi Flick

Pixie-bob cat
Pixie-bob cat Photo copyright Helmi Flick

The cat immediately above looks like he is polydactyl. Look at his huge paws (and fantastic face - what an expression!).

All the photos and text on this page are protected by copyright © except where indicated. Violations of copyright are reported to Google.com (DMCA).

Pixie-bob kittens

Pixie-bob cat
Pixie-bob kittens - Photo copyright Helmi Flick

I expect that you are looking for breeders if you are searching for Pixie-bob kittens. Please read the sections below. Apparently some breeders show pictures of bobcats in cages to give the impression that this cat is a hybrid. Beware, Carol Ann Brewer, says.

Pixie-bob rescue

This is a purebred cat and quite a rare cat, so you'll need to go to specialist rescue groups/organizations to find a rescue cat. Well, that is my opinion. Wrong? Please leave a comment. I have a page on purebred cat rescue.

I like the Yahoo Groups as a resource where people who want to learn and adopt can network with other like minded people including breeders and Pixie-bob keepers. Fortunately there are a few nice Yahoo Groups concerned with this cat breed:

The first group was active in the early 2000s but less so now. Is this indicative of a lessening of interest in this cat? Click on the following link to read and join: PIXIE-BOB 

The next is all about rescue cats. Click Pixiebob_Rescue. See a list of Yahoo groups associated with this cat.

Pixie-bob kittens for sale

This section is about breeders. A simple Google search will suffice. Pick the long established breeders and it is highly recommended that you visit the breeder. Location is therefore important.

The major cat associations help in a breeder search as do the cat clubs. These don't always show up in a search.

TICA list six breeders, four in the USA and one in Norway. This must be a good starting point.

This page lists four breeders in the USA. (Note: links to third parties sometimes break because the page has disappeared).

If you want to know what a Pixie-bob is meant to look like as a winning show cat,  TICA's breed standard will tell you.

Michael Avatar

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Friday 27 May 2011

A tip about making a cat eat

Sometimes for whatever reason your cat won't eat. Or her appetite is poor. A poor sense of smell in an old and senile cat can lead to what looks like a poor appetite. A cat will gauge how appetizing the food is through its smell.

That is why heating it up a bit can get the low appetite cat to eat it. I sometimes microwave cat food that has been left for a few seconds just to give it a bit more odor.

However that is not the tip! This is: I have always found that if I present my cat to the food and then stroke her before and during eating it encourages eating.

I am not sure how this works. I think it is a feeling of reassurance that it gives the cat. It might mimic what happens to a new born kitten when nursing.

Stroking is a human version of a cat's lick after all. Give it a try and report back if you have time.

Michael Avatar

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