British Longhair
A British Shorthair carrying the long coat gene: the same round face and the same calm under a much denser coat. Undemanding, and not a lap cat by preference.
Photo by Fanni 93, CC BY-SA 3.0
Overview
The British Longhair is a British Shorthair in a long coat, and it exists because Persians were used to rebuild the British Shorthair after the World Wars. The longhaired kittens that kept appearing were eventually recognised as a breed of their own.
It is the same cobby, heavy boned, round faced cat, without the Persian's flat face, under a dense semi long coat with a full undercoat.
Temperament
Calm, dignified and undemanding. British cats of both coat lengths are famous for not being lap cats: they like to be in the room, near you, and not on you.
They are patient and quiet, slow to anger, and easy with children who respect them. They are also slow to mature, taking three to five years to reach full size and full coat.
Care and grooming
This is the real difference from the shorthair. A full undercoat under a semi long topcoat mats if it is neglected, so a comb through two or three times a week is a requirement rather than a nicety, and daily through the moult.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a genuine concern in the British breeds, and ALMS1 heart variants have been found in them. Ask about cardiac scanning specifically.
Living and exercise
A quiet indoor household suits them completely. They are not athletic and they do not need much space.
They do need weight management. A placid, heavy boned, indoor cat with a good appetite is exactly the profile that becomes an obese cat, and obesity is the most preventable health problem this breed has.
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