British Longhair facts for kids

Quick facts for kids British Longhair
Origin	United Kingdom
Breed standards
TICA	standard
FFE	standard
Domestic cat (Felis catus)

The British Longhair is a beautiful cat breed from Great Britain. It is a medium-sized cat with semi-long fur. This cat is a type of domestic cat, meaning it lives with people.

How the British Longhair Began

The British Longhair cat developed from the British Shorthair breed. In the middle of the 1900s, British Shorthairs were bred with other long-haired cats. These included the Turkish Angora and the Traditional Persian. The goal was to make the British Shorthair look more sturdy and have a rounder face. Breeders also wanted to keep its short fur.

However, when these cats were bred together, some kittens were born with semi-long fur. These kittens were often not wanted at first. But in more recent years, people started breeding these long-haired kittens on purpose. They bred them with each other or with standard British Shorthairs. This helped create the British Longhair as its own special breed.

Recognizing the Breed

Different cat organizations have different ways of recognizing the British Longhair. In the UK, two main groups are starting to recognize it. These are the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy and Felis Britannica. Felis Britannica is part of a larger group called Fédération Internationale Féline.

The name of the breed can be confusing. Some groups call it the British Longhair. Others use names like British Longhair Variant or British Semi-Longhair. In some European countries, it is known as the Britannica. In the United States, it is sometimes called the Lowlander.

Other Names and Similar Breeds

One group, Feline Federation Europe (FFE), uses several names for this cat. They call it the British Longhair Variant, the Highlander, and the Highland Straight. However, the names Highlander and Highland Straight can be confusing. Other cat groups use these names for completely different cats.

For example, the Highlander cat is a very large cat with ears that often curl upwards. It comes from the American Curl cat and is not closely related to the British Longhair. The Highland Straight is a British breed, but it is the straight-eared version of the Highland Fold. These are the long-haired versions of the Scottish Straight and Scottish Fold.

To avoid confusion, TICA (The International Cat Association) uses different names. They call them Scottish Fold, Scottish Fold Longhair, Scottish Straight, and Scottish Straight Longhair.

Health and Care

British Longhairs can sometimes become overweight. This is especially true if they are spayed or neutered. It can also happen if they only live indoors and do not get enough exercise.

Like most cats with longer fur, British Longhairs need regular brushing. If they are not brushed, their fur can get tangled and matted. Their coat gets thicker in autumn and winter. This means they are more likely to get tangles during these colder months.

This breed, like some others related to the Persian cat, can have a higher risk of a kidney problem. This condition is called polycystic kidney disease (PKD). It causes small cysts, or sacs of fluid, to grow in the kidneys.

See also

In Spanish: British Longhair para niños