Colors of British Shorthair cats - description, codes. British black cat: description, characteristics, features and reviews British color name

Today there are a wide variety of varieties british cats. Everyone can find their own among them pet who will give his love and respect. The white British cat is especially popular among lovers of this type of animal. There are more than two hundred of the most different colors Britons who look great, both in photos and in real life.

History of the origin of the breed

First option

According to historians, the Briton is one of the most ancient breeds. Surely, many remember that cats were especially popular in the Roman Empire for hundreds of years. Emperors, as a rule, had not one or three cats, but about a dozen pets. These cats were brought to Britain by Roman soldiers from Ancient Rome . The images that have been preserved from those times show that they were short-haired gray British dogs not only with large round eyes, but also quite sharp fangs.

Second option

Absolutely opposite to the first version is the second version of the origin of British seals. According to the second story, these wonderful animals appeared on British Isles thanks to the French sailors who took them on voyages with the hope that the cats would protect their ship from rats and mice. In France they were also used as rat catchers in wine cellars.

Popular British colors

British white

British cats white color and with blue eyes are one of the most gentle and sweet.

Combinations of white and other colors are not allowed, since the coat must be evenly colored. The paw pads and nose must be pink. They get along very easily with families with children, because they prefer home house with a friendly atmosphere than an animal breeder's kennel. The peculiarity of British white cats is that at birth they may have one of the following defects:

• blindness;
• loss of smell;
• hearing loss;
• non-absolute white color.

Adult representatives have White color coat and depending on the category the following eye color:

• blue;
• orange;
• heterochronic;
• green.

Peculiarities

Newborn white British kittens have gray stripes that disappear within a year. This situation This is explained by the fact that when breeding these animals, individuals of different colors take part. If you do not adhere to this principle, then British White cat kittens may develop various defects(often deafness).

Since white British kittens are not pure white, it is possible to determine what color their parents were. Therefore, if one of the parents is an animal blue color, then the spots will be bluish-gray. If one of the individuals was black, then the marks will be black. According to buyers, pets with different eye colors bring good luck to their owner.

Of course, what white favorites demand special care. The wool needs to be combed. You can use a special shampoo or dry shampoo if your pet doesn’t really like bathing in the bath. Representatives of this color take very good care of their white coat. as if they understand the importance of constant care for her. In order for a white cat to have a muzzle with a characteristic circle for this breed, it is necessary to give her diced meat, scalded with lightly boiling water, for lunch.

Fold white

The British are related to the Scottish White Fold. Many may think that this is their variety, but this is not at all true, since they are a separate breed. They also have white fur, which is soft and very pleasant to the touch. Unfortunately, they too can inherit deafness.

Black color

Breeding this type of color is quite difficult, since the black color of such a kitten can change to chocolate or brown within six months.

If they have light or white tan fur, they will already be considered defective.

Blue pet

No less popular color than white is grey colour without any gray tints. The fur coat should not have light fibers. Kitten is born with blue eyes, and then gradually they turn orange.

Silver

This type of color is extremely rare. These pets have eyeliner around their eyes, the tip of their tail, and their paw pads are colored black. People call them “golden”.

Cream

These representatives of the breed have a pale cream-colored coat. The presence of white or red spots is excluded. Their earlobes are pale pink. Eyes can be copper, orange or gold.

Of course, every cat breed has its own characteristics, and the British are no exception. The following facts are highlighted from the description of the British:

• British cats are endowed with very acute hearing. They have this ability due to the fact that the nerve endings that are located in their eyes instantly transmit noise from external environment into their ears.
• Representatives of this breed, unlike other pets, distinguish odors 14 times better, since the organs responsible for smell are also the antennae, and not just the nose, like other cats.
• British Shorthairs have eyes without eyelashes. It is noticeable that their eyes are not very proportional to their body and this did not affect their visual perception of the world at all.
• They have good health, are quite hardy, have short and strong legs, and also have very good hunting qualities.
• 14-16 hours, this is the period of time a British Shorthair needs to sleep.
• They meow extremely rarely, because they have a reserved, intelligent character, like real Englishmen.
• If you care for them properly, their life span will be more than 20 years.

VETERINARIAN CONSULTATION REQUIRED. INFORMATION FOR INFORMATION ONLY. Administration

The white color of British cats is an elegant, even color, but, however, with some difficulties.

Photo white British With with different eyes(BRI w 63)

WHITE BRITISH: COLOR STANDARD

White color british cats should be smooth, clean, monochromatic, each hair should be equally colored from top to bottom.

A white British cat should not have spots, stripes, or “smoky” dark hairs. There should also be no yellowness; it is most often found near the eyes, at the base of the tail and on the head. The nose and paw pads of a white British breed should be Pink colour.

Important! IN childhood White kittens often have small spots (on the head), which indicates the absence of deafness. As the years progress, all these spots disappear.

The white British cat has interesting feature: the fact is that the hairs are not white, and the color of the coat is hidden by the W gene.

Eye color in white cats can be in three variations:

• orange (BRI w 64)
• blue (BRI w 61)
• odd-eyed (BRI w 63)

GENETICS OF WHITE COLOR

The genetics of this color are one of the most interesting. The “W” gene is responsible for the white color, which seems to “hide” any other color under the white. In other words, under the white color there can be any other color that is “covered” with white paint.

And it’s not even entirely correct to call animals of a given color colored at all. After all, there is no pigment in their fur at all; more precisely, they are not colored.

White cats have the “W” gene - dominant. Genotype "WW" or "Ww". Cats with the “WW” genotype will produce offspring of only white color (regardless of what color the second sire is), and cats with the “Ww” genotype can produce offspring of both white and other colors.

The first sign of a white color is a pink nose and no rim, which is extremely important because... many may confuse this color with the silver chinchilla.

Let's take a closer look.

W– white epistasis, covers all colors (dominant gene).

w– allows color to appear

The “W” gene also affects the hearing organs and eye color. Often white animals with blue eyes suffer from deafness.

Eye color in white cats depends on the “c” and “c a” genes.

“c” is a true albino, pink iris, “c a” is an albino with blue eyes.

• White cats with blue eyes will most often be deaf, since this color is linked to hearing genes.
• Cats with different eye colors (one eye is blue, the other is golden) can be deaf in one ear - exactly on the side where the eye color is blue.
• This color, unfortunately, carries many mutations and often cats of this elegant color cannot boast of such excellent health like their painted counterparts, also their the immune system weaker.
• Two white cats can produce a kitten of a different color (if the genetic formula of the parents looks like Ww+Ww)
• can never be born from two non-white parents white kitten(since the gene for white color - W - is dominant)

BRITISH WHITE KITTENS

Some white British kittens sometimes have dark markings on their heads, which go away with age (up to about 1 year).

You should also know that mating white cats with each other is prohibited, because... white British kittens develop congenital deafness.

White Britons are a fairly rare color for this breed.

WHITE BRITISH CATS: PHOTOS OF ADULTS

Below is a gallery of photos of British cats and cats.

WHITE BRITISH KITTENS: PHOTOS OF SMALL KITTENS

We are pleased to present photos of white British kittens.

The thorough and mysterious British cat is truly royal breed. She had a hand in the creation of a whole galaxy of European aboriginal breeds, made her mark in America and continues to dictate the rules at modern exhibitions. A lot of advantages - from appearance to character traits - allowed the British to conquer the world.

British cats are not a native breed. They were brought to the islands by the Romans. Many years have passed since that moment, and modern Britons have acquired characteristics and traits that do not allow these cats to be considered separately from their habitats. Harsh Albion provided them with solidity and heavy bone, and felinologists perfected their magnificent exterior through outcrossing with the Persians.

The only thing that the British Shorthair has left for itself is its character. Majesty and the undeniable right to self-determination - this is briefly about the prototype of the Cheshire Cat. The standard comparison is nevertheless justified. Tenniel's drawings for the anthology of English surrealism are still used by breeders to this day.

The British Shorthair gave rise to more than one national breed: American, Scottish, European, Chartreux - all of them owe something to the British.

The official standard was registered back in 1898, and in the first half of the 20th century the British, like many others European breeds cats almost ended their purebred lines due to wars.

The situation was saved by US felinologists who used the British to improve their native breed. Their nurseries compensated for the lack of cats to allow selection without attracting other breeds. Britons are still used in Scottish, European and American shorthair lines, but outcrossing of purebred cats within the breed is prohibited.

The British received the modern standard in 1982, and since then they have been recognized by all associations of felinologists.

Description of appearance

The real pride of any Englishman - the British Shorthair cat - has many features. People who are far from felinology may confuse its description with another breed, for example, Scottish. However, the British are very different from their short-haired fellow tribesmen, primarily in their thoroughness in everything - from appearance and character to physiological aspects of maturation.

British Shorthair cats have the following description in the standards:

• Body: closer to large in size. Powerful, all parts are wide, developed, strong. The limbs and neck are short and visually massive. The Briton looks stocky. The tail is proportional to the body, short, rather dense;
• head: round, massive muzzle, has full cheeks and pronounced large whisker pads. The British are distinguished by excess skin around the head, which gives it extra volume. The presence of a transition to the profile and a pronounced chin. Short nose, quite wide. There is no stop. The ears are medium-sized, widely set;
• coat: very dense, short, equipped with a thick undercoat. Tactilely creates a feeling of plush;
• British colors: a subject of both pride and controversy. Everyone is accepted without exception. Thoroughly described and systematized by standards - thoroughness was evident even in this;
• eyes: all options are possible, provided they match the color. The British often have all shades of yellow, but can also have blue and green. True, kittens are born, as a rule, with dull eyes, having a gray color.

Colors

The British cat breed has fully adopted all the stiffness of English traditions: the colors of its proud representatives are systematized and recorded. Everything, from fur to eyes, has its place in the table of ranks; moreover, markings and even the coloring of the nose and paw pads have become the object of special attention.

Solid color – Solid

The British Blue cat is a real leader in world sympathy among monochromatic representatives of the breed. However, there is a whole palette of colors. Multiplied by the quality of the wool, they represent the true wealth of English aristocrats: purple, chocolate, cream, black, red. The British white cat occupies a special place.

Paw pads and nose are consistent with the main color, without spots.

Features of a solid color: the hair is dyed evenly with one color: the blue Briton, in principle, has no silver in the coat, and black and chocolate with a light undercoat are rejected by the standards as a defect. In addition, even a hint of a drawing will be considered a defect.

True, white kittens may have spots of a different color. Disappearing with age, they do not in any way affect the appearance of an adult Briton. It is they who are allowed to have blue, orange, or even different colored eyes.

Tortoiseshell color – Torty

Perhaps the most unpredictable and elegant are the British: tortoiseshell kittens whimsically mix cream with chocolate, blue or lilac. Black tortoiseshell cats are no less impressive.

The stains on the coat should be evenly distributed and also mixed. The predominance of one color is unacceptable. True, there is a small relaxation: the standards are not against short stripes in appearance, namely on the bridge of the nose and on the legs of tortoiseshell Britons.

The eyes are predominantly yellow, of different shades. The nose and pads of these Britons can be black or beige.

Silver typing – Silver

Cats British breed can boast of an equally spectacular color – typed. The point is that top part each guard hair is a specific color, and the rest and undercoat are solid silver or white.

Such Britons are called smoky, or Smoke, this effect is combined with the Solid colors inherent in the breed, and is also often found with tortoiseshell bicolor.

Externally, the classic Smoke cannot be distinguished from the Solid or Torty colors. It manifests itself in dynamics - silver whimsically highlights the main color of cats in motion, because the thick guard hairs are colored by a full third.

Smoky British have two more varieties - shaded and chinchilla (shell).

The cat looks very light. The guard hairs are colored in Solid shades, only 1/6 of them are shaded and 1/8 of them are shell, respectively.

The black chinchilla has a completely extraordinary appearance- she is white. Only by looking closely can you notice a black coating on the fur. True, then the black pads and hairs framing the eyelids and nose catch the eye - this rule remains the same for all other colors.

Golden typing

One of the rarest British colors. Instead of silver or white, the undercoat and lower guard hairs of cats are evenly colored in light shades of apricot. Incredible combination emerald eyes with black or chocolate coating makes these Britons a real treasure.

Colors that allow patterns on the coat - Tabby

These are the only Britons who have a certain freedom in appearance. True, they also have their own characteristics and limitations.

Purebred cats are allowed to have only three types of patterns:

• marble;
• mackerel;
• spotted.

Complete freedom is allowed in color and background - here standards cannot limit nature. True, this is where the liberties end. A British Tabby must have:

• necklace: the larger, the better the closed clear stripes on the neck;
• claw bracelets: solid stripes with good contrast;
• symmetry of markings;
• the letter "M" on the muzzle";
• striped tail (the exception is the spotted Britons, they have spots instead of stripes).

Point colors

With all the diversity, the British can also be pointing dogs. The color, originally characteristic of graceful Orientals, harmoniously fits into the exterior of the powerful English Shorthair. At the same time, the British point can be of any color; it evenly fills the face, ears, paws, and tail. The background is painted in lighter shades of point. The breed has added its own characteristics to this coloring: the tail can be striped, and on the muzzle there is the obligatory letter “M”. Fuzzy tabbing of the body is also acceptable.

Bicolors

In fact, bicolor Britons may have more than two colors. White serves as the base, and it is already complemented by any other or a combination of two colors. There are three types of bicolor cats:

• Van allows a solid color on the tail and a couple of markings on the head;
• Harlequin - about 20% of the fur is a color other than white;
• Actually, Bicolor - up to half of all wool is dyed a different color.

In bicolor Britons, all Solid colors, Torty combinations, Silver smoke and Tabby markings are acceptable, but instead of an "M" on the face there must be an inverted "V" filled with white. At the same time, the kittens Van and Harlequin mandatory have a smart white collar.

Features of character and behavior

The British cat, massive and clumsy, is actually very, very active. It’s just that he prefers sleep to any active activity. The British sleep 20 hours a day, sometimes without stopping to eat.

Up to 3-4 years The British are not yet fully formed, both physically and psychologically. At this age, they are, in essence, still kittens with appropriate behavior - active and mischievous. Then the kitten becomes much calmer.

The breed is characterized by absolute self-sufficiency. The British Shorthair cat itself determines the rhythm of life, the time for affection and, especially, for games. Shows independence from early childhood. Even little kitty has sacred knowledge of his rights. The most important thing is not to waste time. Kittens up to one year old are amenable to suggestion and education. After - no.

Soft and independent Britons have their own opinion about everyone. The kitten will choose a place to sleep himself. The owner’s task is to equip it. When dealing with a Briton, you must remember: he has remarkable intelligence and memory. Reviews indicate that from childhood the kitten demands respect for its person and really does not like noise.

You will have to forget about closed doors in the apartment: this will shock absolutely calm cat, even to the point of depression. Ideally, of course, the British should be able to roam freely. Then neither the cat nor the owner will experience any shocks.

The British Shorthair cat is non-aggressive, but will not allow itself to be offended. She is unobtrusive and rarely talks out loud about her feelings. If a Briton wants to eat, this will be expressed in a silent picket next to the cup.

Kittens get used to the family and are sincerely attached to the owner, but they can do quite well without his company.

Health

The British Shorthair cat is not susceptible to hereditary diseases. She is in excellent health. However, this does not mean that vaccination and preventive examinations at the veterinarian.

It must be taken into account that sexual and physical maturation in general occurs late in the British - around the age of four. It is at this age that kittens turn into adult cats: they show all the solidity and massiveness provided for by the standards. There is no point in sounding the alarm or suspecting dystrophy until this moment.

In comfortable conditions, a Briton lives on average 15 years. However, there are record holders in the breed whose age has exceeded 20. The reasons are simple: lack of stress, active cat life, balanced food and, of course, unconditional love. The well-being of the British largely depends on feeling like a member of the family.

• standard eye and ear hygiene as discharge or contamination appears;
• trimming nails as they grow;
• weekly combing of fur, and during the molting period - daily.

Wool is the main wealth, but at the same time it is a big problem. The British are extremely clean and everything that is not combed out ends up in their stomach.

Dense and thick undercoat, soft, silky guard hairs instantly fall off in clumps, so it is necessary to provide a special paste or food for resorption and unhindered removal of the hair.

Otherwise, they require a clean tray and sterile utensils, otherwise the Briton may become depressed, fraught with refusal to eat.

Feeding

Kittens from certified catteries already have food preferences. Even though they adapt quickly, it is better to feed them their usual food. Reviews say that this way they get used to new conditions much faster. The British are distinguished by their unpretentiousness in food. Cats easily accept canned and dry food.

However, the champions of modern exhibitions owe their impressive appearance to natural food. Breeders recommend lean meats, vegetables, and grains. Additions of fish and dairy products are possible, but they should not be given priority.

Any diet must be supplemented with vitamins and minerals, especially during the molting period.

The British, in the best traditions of old England, were able to win the hearts of millions. The smile of the Cheshire Cat, which glorified the breed in literature, is famous throughout the world. Little colonists have all the necessary qualities: aristocracy and calmness, thoroughness and good nature. In return, these cats require very little: unconditional love and, of course, respect.

Cats with aristocratic roots were bred in Great Britain and to this day are the pride of the country. Large and medium-sized Murkies with short plush fur and a charming “Cheshire” smile are a British breed that officially appeared in 1987 and has won millions of fans. The first officially recognized representative was pure white. The desire to breed a large, strong, hardy, calm and intelligent cat has led to the fact that the colors of British cats include more than 25 species. Some of them are considered very rare and are highly valued not only in breed, but also in monetary terms.

Intensive work on popularization, attraction of other popular breeds to breeding, and obtaining offspring from cats from different continents has led to the expansion of breed species. The first Britons had a thick undercoat and short coat. Relationship with Persian cat gave birth to the semi-longhaired British.

Associatively, a British cat appears to be smoky or blue in color; many “cat lovers” cannot even imagine what colors British cats come in and how unusual kittens can appear in a family of two “standard” parents. The types of colors of British cats are divided into groups depending on the pattern, the predominance of color and the method of pigmentation.

Blue solid

The standard color of the breed, popularly called gray or classic. The British Blue's coat is monochromatic, without light hairs; the undercoat may be slightly lighter. The skin is exclusively blue. Representatives with a lighter tone are more valuable for the breed. Kittens are allowed to have a residual pattern, which disappears as the animal grows.

Myths about British blue cats!

№1. It is a common belief that Blue British kittens should have bright orange eyes - this is not true. Kittens of all breeds and colors are born with blue or gray “cloudy” eyes; the iris gradually gains color.

№2. If a breeder offers you an exclusive British Blue Fold, say “Thank you” and walk away. IN best case scenario they offer you Scottish cat, at worst a mestizo. There are no shorthaired British Folds.

Golden color, suggests darkened pigmentation on 1/8 of the length of the hair, the rest is painted in a rich golden color. Gray tint or undercoat is not allowed. At the same time, the collar is light, often white, and the ear tassels are silver. Despite the light tone of the coat, cats predominantly have black paw pads, dark or black eyeliner and nose. “Home name” is golden chinchilla.

Tortoiseshell

A prerequisite is an equal presence of tones, the absence of a pattern in red/beige areas. Red/cream spots on the face are desirable. The eyes are copper or orange. According to the laws of genetics, only females can have a tortoiseshell color, so obtaining the ideal color is painstaking work and calculated “for luck.” Tortoiseshell is a rare and difficult to obtain color that combines several colors:

• black/brown/chocolate;

• red/cream;

• blue/lilac.

This is interesting! The birth of males of the correct tortoiseshell color has been recorded in the world. However, an error in the genetic code makes cats infertile.

Patterned, aka tabby

One of the colors allows a difference in the color of the fur at the base. British tabbies have a variety of body patterns, from stripes to large and leopard spots. Tabby is divided into silver, golden and color point subspecies.

Any breed has a certain standard, which includes different criteria. One of the most important is color. Sometimes determining it is much more difficult than it seems at first glance. This is especially true for British cats because they have the strictest criteria. Today, seven colors are clearly defined, and there are more than two hundred variations. With the help of our article, you can check your pet for compliance with the standard and find out a description of all the options.

[Hide]

Varieties and characteristics of colored Britons

If you decide to buy a kitten with a view to further participation in exhibition competitions, then keep in mind that the requirements for British cats are the most stringent. The term “color” is generalized and consists of a set of the following characteristics: eye color, coat color, and coat pattern. Even the nose and paw pads are taken into account, the color of which is interconnected at the genetic level. Just imagine, if there is a gray spot on a pink pad, the cat's color does not fall under the cream standard. Therefore, when choosing kittens, it is very important to pay attention to all these nuances.

According to standard requirements, every hair on a cat's fur must have an even color from root to tip. Only silver and tabby varieties fall under the exception. This means that solid-colored kittens should have an even color without overflow. No one will argue that the silver tint on a blue cat’s coat looks impressive, but she will simply not be allowed to compete due to inconsistency. Unfortunately, only a few of our domestic cats fall under such a strict requirement.

Not only the colors of British dogs, but also the patterns on their coat are subject to strict restrictions. In accordance with one of the authoritative American standards, in bi-color or calico, as well as in smoky, solid and shaded colors, signs of residual pattern are considered to be a serious fault.

Behind long years existence, British cats have won the hearts of many furry lovers. Palm long time held by the blue British. Lilac kittens are a little behind, followed by silver tabbies and spotted cats. In a number of countries, brown-spotted kittens are popular, having pronounced chocolate spots on a light background.

The color of the coat should be as pure and uniform as possible. The presence of spots, white hairs and other shades is unacceptable. The coat of British cats is very soft, despite its thickness. It is for this reason that this breed does not leave anyone indifferent.

Colors of cats

The main colors of the British are divided into seven groups, each of which has a corresponding coding. A special table will help you understand in more detail.

Color	Photo	Code
Blue		BRI a
Black		BRI n
Lilac		BRI c
Chocolate		BRI b
Cream		BRI e
White		BRI w
Red		BRI d

Sorry, there are no surveys available at this time.

A little about whites

Cats with a white color stand out noticeably from others. Their eyes can be blue or orange. Some kittens may have different colour eye. Popularity of white British cats in Lately is growing rapidly. This is facilitated by their incredible appearance, which eliminates the appearance of extraneous shades and yellowness.

Breeding White Britons is fraught with some difficulties: the offspring may have physical defects, problems with vision and hearing. The coat is not always exceptionally white, and some kittens may be born with barely noticeable markings, which usually disappear completely with age.

Tortoiseshells

The tortoiseshell color has the following description: two-color spots are evenly distributed over the body. The most common combinations are black and red, cream and blue, cream and chocolate. Only females are genetically predisposed to tortoiseshell coloration.

The main requirement for color is the uniform distribution of spots over the body, that is, one color should not prevail over another. Small stripes on the muzzle are acceptable. According to the standard, the eyes should be copper or gold, and the nose and paw pads should be painted black or pink.

The fate of tortoiseshell cats is very controversial. For some, this color is unacceptable, while others are not even against such diversity. One way or another, British tortoiseshells are indispensable for further selection. Their offspring are so diverse that just look, in a few years another group will appear.

Blue British

British blue cats may have a silver tint, that is, the hair is not completely colored, but only its middle part, starting from the middle. Based on the ratio of the colored part of the hair to its total length, shaded, smoky and chinchilla colors are distinguished. Smoky kittens are the most closely related to silver cats. Their coat is dyed in the dominant color only a third of the hair size, and the lower part and undercoat can very often be almost white. The color of the paw pads of these cats is identical to the color of the coat, and the eyes sparkle with copper or gold. At first glance, it seems that the fur of smoky cats is completely uniform, but looking at the photo, you will understand that this is not entirely true.

Chinchillas

They are shaded and look almost white, but upon closer examination you can see that there is a characteristic coating at the tips of the hairs. In shaded cats, this coating occupies 1/6 of the hair, and in chinchillas only 1/8.

Tabby or wild color

The greatest similarity with representatives wild world have kittens with tabby color. Their coat color can be anything, but according to established standards, only three patterns are recognized: spotted, brindle and marbled. At first glance, it seems that everything is extremely simple, but each type of pattern can be on the main color.

Color point

Kittens whose fur has more dark spots, fall into the category of color points. As a rule, these spots (points) fall on the tail, muzzle, ears and limbs. The color of the points corresponds to one of the six main color groups, excluding white.

Bicolor

Cats that combine any of the main colors with white are divided into a separate group - bicolor. This also includes tortoiseshells, and those with patterns that also have white inclusions. Among bicolored Britons, there are three main groups: harlequin (only 1/5 of the body is colored, large spots are located on the back and head), van (with two spots on the head and a colored tail) and bicolor (half of the body is colored, White spot on the muzzle and a collar on the neck).

As you can see, Britons can come in a wide variety of colors. Perhaps this is where the incomparable magic of this breed lies.

Photo gallery

Video " British Specialty Show»

At exhibitions to British cats always present high requirements. In this video you can not only see the variety of colors of the breed, but also find out the judges' requirements for them.