British Longhair

TICA traces British cats back to those that came to Britain with the Romans ^[1]. The longhair gene arrived when breeders crossed British cats with Persians between 1914 and 1918. Short-coated kittens stayed in British programmes, and long-coated ones went to Persian breeders ^[1]. Longhaired kittens kept turning up in British litters, but they languished in obscurity for decades. The British Longhair finally reached championship status in TICA in May 2009 ^[1].

• Body: medium to large and cobby, with a broad chest, short strong legs and a short, thick tail ^[1].
• Head: round, with a short nose, chubby cheeks and prominent whisker pads that give a "smiling" look ^[1].
• Coat: medium-long and dense, standing away from the body and emphasising its imposing lines ^[1].
• Eyes: mostly deep gold to copper. Pointed cats have blue eyes and silvers have green ^[1].
• Size: TICA gives about 8–11 lb for females and 10–16 lb for males ^[1].

British Longhairs are affectionate in an undemanding way. TICA describes the males as happy-go-lucky with everyone, and the females as more serious and selective about whose attention they accept ^[1]. They're not lap cats, but they want to be where you are, usually right next to you on the sofa ^[1]. They're fairly inactive, with the odd mad kitten moment, and don't go in for high-flying acrobatics ^[1]. They tolerate children and dogs, don't like being carried around, and are happy to amuse themselves while you're out ^[1].

• Comb daily to prevent tangles. Regular baths keep the coat in top shape, so start the routine in kittenhood ^[1].
• Trim nails about every two weeks, clean ears, and brush teeth with a pet toothpaste ^[1].
• Watch portions and encourage play with teaser toys or fetch to burn calories ^[1].
• Keep your cat at a healthy weight. Across all cats, a non-ideal weight is linked to shorter lives ^[5].

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM): TICA urges breeders to screen by echocardiogram with a veterinary cardiologist. Owners should screen too, because HCM may not appear in the first years of life ^[1].
• Dental health: schedule yearly vet checks, since untreated dental disease can lead to other problems ^[1].
• Obesity: a food-loving, sedentary breed that gains weight easily ^[1].
• Lifespan: TICA estimates 12–20 years depending on background and circumstances ^[1]. We found no breed-specific longevity study.

Ask breeders for the parents' heart-screening results, and talk to your vet about any specific concern.

Don't confuse with…

• Persian: a much shorter, snub nose and a longer coat ^[4]. The British Longhair has a short nose but not a flat face ^[1].
• British Shorthair: the same body standard with a short coat ^[1].
• Selkirk Rex (longhair): also sturdy and round-faced, but curly-coated ^[6].

• In 2011 a British Longhair named Smokey set the Guinness record for the loudest purr (67.7 dB) and held it for four years ^[1].
• The longhair gene came from Persian crosses made between 1914 and 1918 ^[1].