British Short Hair Cats

Currently under construction as I piece together the information I have and all the questions I am frequently asked....

The aim of this page will be to provide some info on what it is like to own a british short hair cat.

Do BSH cats shed a lot of hair?

From my experience I would say no, not normally. There are times when Mylo seems to shed more hair, like during the summer or when he is particularly scared or stressed (yes sounds strange I know but every time I take him to the vet he has an uncanny habit of going "poof" with his hair like some kind of porcupine defense mechanism resulting in me sporting a hairy mohair look over my entire body). Of course under normal conditions you will naturally get a bit of hair coming off when you pick him up or run your hands over his body, but I wouldn't say it is overly excessive. Anyone that hoovers regularly wont notice much hair, I would say.

Do they need a lot of brushing?

No. You do not need to brush or comb bsh cats. Their fur is thick and plush and combing and brushing can apparently destroy their coat. Only use your hands to get rid of loose hair or use a Zoom groom (which Mylo isnt particularly a fan of) which statically removes hair and has very wide "prongs". As kittens their hair is soft and longer often with darker tips. As the kitten matures they will loose the kind of tipped hair as the dense undercoat grows.

Are they really big?

Well, yes and no! Mylo is my first cat and I often look at him and think, he isnt big really. But I see him everyday and you grow accustomed to how they are. When I see other cats in the street I do think however, wow what a weeny cat ;o). Then I realise perhaps Mylo is a tad bigger than norm. He is heavy in his cat carrier and people do comment on how he is a big cat. But to me he is my little Mylo. There is no excuse for your BSH to be fat. They may look it, but as the vet says, it is all fur and underneath they are a healthy weight if you feed them a good diet. Mylo is just big boned and I am proud that despite him being an indoor cat he is not a fat cat!