The Best Cats in the World (British Shorthair)

Member Name: rachelew

Product:	British Shorthair
Date:	04/06/09 (97 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful, affectionate, too many to list

Disadvantages: None

If you are looking to add a cat to your family, I can't recommend this breed highly enough. Proper cats!

A bit of a story I am afraid!...Last year my parents found a ginger cat living under a bush in their garden. It was a lovely little cat, very friendly and just seemed to love people. Six weeks later it was still living under the hedge. Mum had started feeding him, dad had made several trips around the neighbourhood to see if anyone had lost him, but to no avail. He didn't leave their garden. Mum, being a cat lover got really upset, she didn't like that he was living outside under a bush. We made posters and contacted local vets, still nobody came forward. After about 3 months of him living in the garden and mum becoming more upset I said I would take him in....so I did.

A week passed and he settled in perfectly. I called him Baggins and absolutely fell in love with him. The following week I though I had best take him to the vet and get him checked out....and there it was...he was chipped!!! Don't ask me why we hadn't thought to take him to a vet and get that checked. None of mum's cats had ever been chipped, so i guess we just didn't think about it. The vet checked the register, and low and behold the owner was found, not far from my parent's house.

I was so upset! I couldn't bear to take him home, but it was the right thing to do. The owners didn't seem bothered, despite telling the vet they wanted him back. I left him there knowing they wouldn't really look after him properly.

When I had taken him to the vet, the nurse had said she thought he had some 'posh cat' in him, British Shorthair. I started to do some research and found out that if this was the case it must be why he was so friendly and good natured. I decided to look into getting a british Shorthair and got in touch with a local breeder through the vet.

This story is getting rather long (sorry) so I will cut it a little short. I got my kitten on 20th September 2008 and he is the most beautiful and fabulous cat I have ever encountered! Although he has been a bit nervous from the word go, he loves people and always greets me every night after work and outside the bedroom door every morning.

There is something very dog like about him! He follows me from room to room and is such great company. He has the loudest purr imaginable, I've never heard anything like it. I had lots of moggies growing up, but none behaved like this. When he plays with toys he will practically fetch them and bring them to you!

It took me a long time to pluck up the courage to let him outside, but I did eventually and he loves it. Doesn't venture far and mostly goes out at night (thanks to a £250 cat flap I had to have installed through a double glazed window!)

He is so affectionate, gentle and loves being picked up or stroked. I have never experienced him scratching or biting. he was bred in a house with 5 children in it so I guess that stood him in good stead for a lot of handling.

These cats are beautiful. They have the most fantastic thick, plush fur. You will never have felt anything like it. It's so thick it 'breaks' when the move and they look like they have a rippled effect. They have gorgeous rounded heads and cheeks and thick, bushy tails. Just like bagpuss really! (but not pink!) They can grow to be 20lbs, mine is 12 at the moment and not fully grown. They are impeccably clean.

My cat, Alfie, is blue and white. He's not pure as he has a white flash on his back. he cost £275, but you can expect to pay up to £400 for a pure. It's so worth it. if you do purchase one, or any pedigree cat, please make sure you go to a reputable breeder as there are some real scoundrels out there.

This cat has converted my husband to a cat lover!

A few months ago, Boyd, a border collie joined our family. It was interesting to say the least at first, and did end up with rescuing the cat from a very tall tree at one point! All is peaceful now, and they get on well. I have heard that British Shorthairs do get on with dogs pretty well in general. Be warned though, you must be patient and supervise all introductions for quite a while. It really isn't a case of just throwing them together and letting them get on with it, that's asking for trouble. In a nutshell, let the cat feel he is boss, and you are onto a winner!

And just to end....Baggins came back to mum and dad's within a week of going home. He kind of lives with them in the garden now. They have taken him home several times, but he always comes back.

Summary: Even if you are not a cat lover, you couldn't fail to love these!