A British Shorthair will not tell you it is getting fat, will not complain about a sore mouth, and will sleep through most of the exercise it needs. The breed's real care work is measurement: a weekly weight, a coat that sheds twice a year, and three genetic tests that are worth doing once and never again.
The weight number that matters most
Females finish at 3-5.5 kg, males at 4.5-8 kg, and the skeleton keeps filling out to about 3 years. A weekly weigh-in is the single most useful habit with this breed, because a British Shorthair gains 300-500 g a year on free feeding without looking different in that dense coat.
- 4 months: 1.8-2.6 kg
- 8 months: 2.8-4.0 kg
- 12 months: 3.4-5.2 kg
- 24 months: 4.0-6.5 kg
- Adult: 3-5.5 kg female, 4.5-8 kg male
Judge shape as well: a waist visible from above, ribs felt under light pressure, and a belly that tucks up rather than swinging. A 6 kg male with a visible waist is fine. A 5 kg female with a fat pad at the tail base is overweight.
The year at a glance
| Period | Coat | Weight and health |
|---|---|---|
| January-February | Rubber curry comb once a week, 5 minutes | Weekly weigh-in; the winter gain is the one that sticks |
| March-May | Two or three combing sessions a week during the spring shed | Book the annual check; trim nails every 3-4 weeks |
| June-August | Once a week; bathe only if the coat looks greasy | Play sessions move to cooler hours; watch water intake |
| September-November | Two or three sessions a week for the autumn shed | Weigh-in after the shed; book dental scaling if tartar shows |
| December | Once a week; check under the chin and belly | Year-end weight, vaccine dates, parasite dose |
Coat: dense, not high-maintenance
The coat is short but packed, and a rubber curry comb once a week lifts what has already come loose. Twice a year, in March to May and again in September to November, that becomes two or three sessions a week, because the undercoat releases in a short burst and a curry comb left idle for ten days means hair on every surface of the flat.
Bathing is not part of the routine. Wash only when the coat starts to look greasy or feel tacky at the shoulders, roughly once or twice a year at most, and use a cat-specific shampoo because the dense coat holds residue. Mats are rare; the two places to check are under the chin and between the front legs.
PKD: one test, then stop worrying
Polycystic kidney disease runs through the PKD1 gene and is testable with a single swab, so a clear result never needs repeating. If the cat came without a test, an ultrasound at 12 months and again at 3 years looks for cysts; after two clear scans the risk is low but not zero. Raised kidney values in a thin older cat need attention.
After age 7, add a baseline blood panel and a blood pressure check to the annual visit. Raised blood pressure is common in older cats with kidney disease and is easy to miss at home; a systolic reading above 160 mmHg in a vet clinic is worth rechecking. Weight loss of 200-300 g in a cat that is eating normally is a reason to run bloodwork, not to celebrate.
Heart and clotting
The breed has its own MYBPC3 variant behind hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, with a few percent prevalence in screened catteries and higher in unscreened lines. A first echo at 12 months and then one every 12-18 months separates a screened cat from a guess. Resting breathing under 30 a minute while asleep is the home number to know.
Haemophilia B, a factor IX deficiency, is reported in the breed and has a DNA test. It matters before surgery, not after: if the cat has never been tested, ask for a clotting check before a neuter or a dental extraction, and mention any unusual bleeding after a nail trim or a vaccination.
Feeding a cat that would eat all day
A 4 kg adult needs roughly 220-250 kcal a day and a 6 kg adult about 280-320. Measure it, split it into two meals, and stop leaving a full bowl down — this breed's appetite does not regulate itself the way a lean, active cat's does. A 10 percent calorie cut for 8-12 weeks takes off about 300-400 g, which is the safe rate.
Feed high-protein wet food for at least half the intake. Protein protects muscle in a cat that is losing weight, and the moisture helps the urinary tract in a breed that drinks little. Treats under 10 percent of calories, which is 25-30 kcal, or about four small pieces a day.
Exercise: the missing ingredient is motivation
This is a cat that will not exercise out of boredom, only out of interest. Two sessions of 5-10 minutes plus one food puzzle a day is the realistic minimum, and a wand toy dragged along the floor beats anything waved in the air, because the breed prefers a low chase to a jump. A sturdy post it can lean into gets used; a wobbly one does not. Reaching a high shelf is not this cat's idea of fun, so do not buy a 2 m tower and expect it to climb.
Mistakes that cost the most
- Free-feeding because the cat "only picks at it" — it picks all day.
- Weighing once a year, when 400 g a year is invisible in a dense coat.
- Skipping the PKD test and finding cysts at 9 instead of 3, when dental work also gets postponed.
- Ignoring bad breath; this breed builds tartar early.
- Buying a tall, unstable cat tree for a cat that will not climb it.
When to call the vet
Any weight loss with a normal appetite, drinking more than 45 ml per kg a day, a new cough or a breathing rate that stays above 35 at rest, bleeding that does not stop after a nail trim, or a mouth that smells foul and drools. Book the same week rather than the same month for the breathing and bleeding items.
The year runs on four habits: weigh every week, curry-comb weekly and twice a week in the two shed windows, keep meals measured against 220-320 kcal, and get the PKD, heart and clotting questions answered once, properly, at the start.
Frequently asked
How much should I feed a British Shorthair to stop weight gain?
A 4 kg adult needs about 220-250 kcal a day and a 6 kg adult about 280-320, split into two measured meals. Most overweight cats are eating 20-30 percent more than that because the bowl is refilled rather than measured. Cut by 10 percent for 8-12 weeks, weigh weekly, and expect 300-400 g of loss over that window rather than a fast drop.
Does a British Shorthair need a PKD test if the breeder says the line is clear?
Ask to see the parents' DNA results, because PKD is inherited through a single gene and a tested clear cat cannot pass it on. If the paperwork is missing, test your cat once with a cheek swab; the result never expires. Without a test, ultrasound at 12 months and again at 3 years is the alternative, since cysts can take years to become visible.
How often should a British Shorthair be bathed?
Once or twice a year at most, and only when the coat looks greasy or feels tacky at the shoulders. The dense coat does not mat easily and stays clean without help. Weekly bathing strips the natural oils and usually makes the skin produce more sebum within a few days, so the coat looks worse a fortnight later than it did before the first bath.