Can you tell me about your British Shorthair please

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We have always had rescue dogs before and one huge rescue boy from Celia Hammond in London. All are now pushing up the daisies.

We haven't had a pet at all for about 9 months. My daughters are both very gentle non grabby kids and used to smaller dogs and cats. I am actually keen on a tortoise. My kids are 10 and 4 and are keen on a cat.

Our old cat used to sit in the bushes for about 15 minutes a day and then come back inside and i must say i quite liked this because i don't want a roaming cat that will get lost and i am also not keen on a hunter. Killing wildlife has always been a reservation for me about having a cat.

I have recently discovered the British shorthair. They seem adorably cute, lazy, not lap cats and don't like being picked up, generally like children, homebodies, live quite long. Like playing.

We are in a big detached house with a dog flap to a well fenced medium garden, not near any busy roads. Very quiet chilled place.

I am daunted by the amount of hair as since having no pets the house is immaculate and the possible vets bills as this breed is prone to a few things.

Celia Hammond currently have 4 for rehoming that they want to go in pairs (not sure about this as i have read they like to be only children).

Any way any advice would be very welcome.

I have had several over the years and currently have 2. The older one is 14 and curled up on her blanket on the sofa. The younger one is now 7 and asleep on top on my ironing board! Generally, everyone we have had (except my youngest) have been placid cats, like to curl up next to you, very friendly, like to sunbathe in the garden etc. My 7 year old is a bit different! She is a bit of a hunter (currently has a collar with 2 bells on) and likes to bring home the odd mouse and had a huge pigeon earlier in the year. She loves my DH and sleeps on him in the evening when he is sat on the sofa. She also follows him round particularly if he is gardening or doing D.I.Y. She loves human company and can get a bit lonely if we are all out. She runs to greet us when she hears our cars. She also stalks next door’s dog who we look after occasionally. Generally a lovely breed and very easy.

Forgot to say, we have always had females as female cats generally have a smaller territory and don’t go far from our house.

thanks so much Hells, do you think they need to be in pairs or would one be best? what is the hair shedding like, can you control it with brushing?

We are thinking on getting a rescue so hopefully they will have a good idea of personality. I didn't know that about the males that's interesting.

I have two British Blues crossed with Scottish Folds, I am biased.

I am not sure what parts are the British Blue or Scottish Fold but they are quite frankly the best. They are incredibly sweet but also lots of sass, they like their own space, aren't super cuddly but can surprise you with curling up on you/next to you.

They shed but nothing more than you would expect from any animal, its just another thing and is easily dealt with hoovering or using hair rollers.

These are my first 'proper' pets and keep us on our toes but I wouldn't change them for the world.

I would say get insurance, I pay around £15 a month for both.

We got a British shorthair because DD very much wanted a cat and I wanted one I wouldn’t react to (have mild asthma). At some times of the year there’s more hair she’d than at others (like now). We don’t comb her very much but that would probably reduce how much she sheds. I occasionally hoover the bed if she’d been sitting on it but other than that I don’t really notice that much. Haven’t reacted to her very much either.

She was four when we rescued her - now six. She’s lovely but can be quite jumpy (mostly when she’s looking out of the back door at other cats - she hardly goes out and never goes any further than next doors garden.

She lets DD pick her up but is generally quite standoffish - she’ll come and sit next to me during the day and very occasionally will sit on my lap. She’s much much more DD’s cat and goes to meet her at the door when she gets home.

My BSH is just as described in OP. She’s quite cuddly but only with us, not very interested in visitors or other people. She doesn’t leave the garden and couldn’t catch anything if she wanted to. Most of her time is spent dozing with spurts of playtime.

I’m glad to read all of these descriptions - I had thought she didn’t go out much because of her previous experiences (generally unknown but she had had a hard time with dogs in her previous home).

Also worth saying is that our cat still uses her litter tray inside - wouldn’t dream of going outside.

I had a British Blue and he was gorgeous and amazing.

Yes brush him, especially when change of season.

He started off standoffish, but within a few months he let me pick him up. By the time he died, he followed me everywhere, slep on my legs, lay in my arms like a baby, answered when we called, licked us etc.

Absolutely beautiful animals, thoroughly recommend.

I had a BSH, she was lovely. Very playful and liked sitting next to you/ nuzzling you/ trying to eat your hair 🙄although hated being picked up and never a lap cat. Very patient with children, in fact if we were away she’d go and hang out at the neighbors until we got back (she always returned after), and chatty without it being constant . Like PP said she wasn’t especially fussed about visitors but didn’t seem to mind them. She spent a lot of time outdoors but very reliable about coming home. However, and I think this was maybe just her, she was a pretty big hunter when young.

We have two. They are indoor cats (required by the breeder but we would let them out if they showed any inclination to want to go out).

They do shed. Everything is grey. And the fur is fine and flies around.

They are affectionate but only on their own terms. Both of ours were very timid when we got them and we think they were not socialised well by the breeder. One has come around. She will come and lay next to you on the sofa and demand belly rubs. The other is very jumpy and dives under furniture whenever there is a knock at the door. Her catchphrase is "don't touch me". However they both follow me around the house. And like to be in whatever room their humans are in so I think they like us really!

I should have done more research - I thought they were lapcats because a friend's bsh, but I think he was an outlier! They are very beautiful though.

I should add that neither of ours has ever raised a paw in anger. The only time they have scratched me was trying to escape from the vet! They are softies.

I have a BSH, he's 12 now and he's an absolutely lovely cat, so placid and calm. He sleeps a huge amount of the time and always has. He's never bitten or scratched me, he's gentle and purrs as soon as you stroke him, uses his litter tray without any problems. He's mainly a house cat and this seems to suit him. We have an enclosed courtyard at the back of our house with very high walls so he can't really get out but he's happy just sunbathing out there when the weather is right and doesn't try to roam. To be honest, he's terrible at climbing and jumping anyway, we call him wobbly cat. He's never been a hunter.

He loves us and is always nearby, sleeps in our room on his own bed or on a cover at the foot of our bed but he isn't a lap cat and doesn't like to be picked up at all. He is loving in his own way, loves strokes and head bumps and follows us around (when he's awake) but I soon realised after I got him that he was never going to curl up on my lap, so I then got a Ragdoll as well and she is much more loving in that way. He's very good with my other cats and will accept any other animals that come into the home. He'll go up to visitors and is very friendly. All in all, he is an absolute gem and I love him a lot but I probably wouldn't get another British, just because I like lap cats and BSHs are known not to like being picked up and cuddled or for getting on your lap for a stroke.

They are perfect for a house with children though as they are very chilled and gentle and will just follow their humans around and keep them company.

Oh I forgot to say, I've never had any trouble with him moulting loads of fur, I rarely find his grey fur on things and any that hangs around is easily hoovered up and doesn't show up on much anyway. Ragdoll fur on the other hand.....................................🙄