Adopting a British Shorthair

So you’ve decided to add a British Shorthair as your newest family member–congratulations! Though this is only the first step of many on your journey, deciding on your breed of choice is the biggest determining factor in how to move forward.

Adopting from a Breeder or Cattery

If you choose the breeder route, it’s important to do your due diligence! The British Shorthair community is unfortunately a huge stalking ground for scammers. Your first stop and ultimate point of reference should be the TICA (The International Cat Association) website. You can search by breed, and narrow down by country and state. If you’re willing to spend a bit more for your new companion, it’s helpful to open your options to other states–some are much more plentiful in catteries than others and may not be close to home for you. You can also find a wide variety of breeders through Facebook community groups, such as this one. While moderators do their best to weed out scammers, it’s on each individual to do their research and avoid illegitimate breeders. Not all legitimate breeders will be TICA certified, which isn’t necessarily a full-stop red flag, but it’s a great way to cross reference and set you on the right path.

The next measure you should be sure to take is communication. Most if not all breeders will have some kind of application process. The degree of formality will differ–some will simply chat or text questions your way for you to answer in conversation; others will send a full-on, multi-page PDF to be filled in and sent back for consideration. It’s important to note that some breeders will be strict about the kinds of plants you have at home, other pets, and even how often you’d be at home during the day! While you definitely want to answer to ensure the acquisition of your British Shorthair, it’s extremely important to be truthful here and assess whether you’re truly ready to bring a cat (young or old!) into your home.

Once you’ve moved past the initial inquiry and application process, the likely next step for your breeder will be a down payment. Before making this hard commitment, make sure things are legit before moving forward. If your breeder hasn’t already offered, ask if you can facetime with the cat you’re interested in–or, if you’re committing ahead of time to a litter that hasn’t been born yet, ask to see the parents! This will give you a bit of an idea of the temperament and real-life look and feel of your potential cat.

Adopting from a Rescue or Shelter

For those who prefer to adopt over shopping from breeders, the road forward may not be as straightforward. While there are lots of adoptable pet search engines to utilize (such as Petfinder or Adoptapet), British Shorthairs are one of the least-available cat breeds to be available for adoption. While this is surely due to their lovely temperament and lovability, in reality it’s due to the expense and exclusivity of the breed. As docile, mostly indoor cats, it’s unlikely that you’ll find a purebred British Shorthair roaming the streets of a given neighborhood or city as you might with the more common Domestic Shorthair. Chances are higher that you may find a breed mixed with a British Shorthair, which often leads to cats listed as British Shorthairs by shelters, though they may only have one or two of the telltale traits such as the cobby body, distinctive flattened face, or teddy bear nose.

Every so often a purebred British Shorthair will show up! However, it’s important to note the location of the shelter or rescue, as often they prefer or require to adopt out to owners in the direct local vicinity rather than a household hundreds of miles away. It’s also important to do your due diligence as you would with a breeder, however the extent of this will likely be any serious health issues the individual cat may have. Since they’ve ended up in a shelter, chances are the cat will have specific needs for medication and type of household–please pay close attention to these requirements and only apply if you can ensure that you can provide the home the cat needs, and are willing to commit to any financial costs that comes along with the cat, to ensure that they don’t end back up in another shelter.

If you’d like to adopt rather than shop… but aren’t quite able to

If you’re unsure about breeders but are unable to secure an adoptable British Shorthair, fear not! There’s still a path forward for you. Most upstanding breeders, especially those listed on the TICA database with their certification, are careful to breed for the best of the breed. This means that they are careful to minimize the risk of defects and illness that are especially prevalent with flat-faced cats and other purebreds. As Persian cats (who do tend to have a series of health concerns that can have a serious impact on their lifespan) have historically been used to introduce the distinctive squished face and jowls to the British Shorthair bloodline, this is important to keep in mind. Most well-bred British Shorthairs maintain excellent health and long lifespans (even up to and over twenty years)! While it can be difficult to swallow purchasing your cat from a breeder if you’ve long-envisioned adopting from a shelter or rescue, with a breed as exclusive as the British Shorthair it’s certainly not the worst decision to make in exchange for a cat that will live a long and happy life.

Another option you have is to adopt an adult cat instead of a kitten. Adopting an adult British Shorthair from a breeder rather than a kitten is a great alternative if you had your heart set on shelter or rescue adoption and are looking for a reason to look to breeders instead. While we’ll get into more of the differences below, the primary factor for the sake of your sourcing decision is likely ethics. As many cats within breeder houses are bred from maturity, they are typically only a few years old. As some cats may not take well to the breeding process, breeders do tend to have a few adult cats on hand that will absolutely have a much happier life being loved and adored by you!

The Difference Between Cats & Kittens

There is a considerable difference between bringing a cat and a kitten into your home! While most if not all kittens you’d bring home won’t be newborns, there is still a lot to consider for your tiny new roommate. If you’re adopting from a breeder, many work several months in advance! This is standard practice across all breeds of kittens, and with British Shorthairs in particular you might want to prepare yourself to wait several months! Don’t fret–if anything, this will give you enough time to save up for the full payment and plan ahead so you have everything perfectly ready for your newest family member. For adult cats, this window is usually narrowed down to a few weeks at most–the biggest impact on lead time is if they’ll require surgery to be spayed or neutered, and recovery so they’re in tip top shape for their arrival to you!

On the topic of spaying and neutering–many breeders will require that your kitten or cat be sterilized before you receive them into your home. In most cases this is due to the fact that breedable cats cost much, much more than house cats to be used as pets. The competitive cat community is a whole other world. This is another factor in the longer wait time for kittens after birth, as they need to reach a certain age in order to be ready for the surgery–this can range from five to six weeks, to five to six months of age. Be sure to discuss this with your breeder to get their input and plan your timeline accordingly.

Fees, Payment, & Transport

While not quite as expensive as purebred dogs, British Shorthairs tend to run on the high end of the expense scale across all cat breeds. You can expect to pay roughly $2,400 for a British Shorthair kitten, or $1,200 for a mature cat. Expense is at the discretion of the breeder, and may be subject to change over time. If the breeder you’re working with is located in a different state or country, they typically have a service they can recommend or provide to get your cat delivered! For the safety of the cat, this is usually in the form of a cat nanny service for someone to personally fly with your new pet and hand-deliver it to you at a designated airport. The fees charged by the breeder will cover the airfare of the nanny, plus supplies for your cat’s journey such as a carrier, pop-up water bowl, food, medication (if needed), and potty pads. In some cases your breeder may offer driving courier services–in this case be sure to do your due diligence and ensure your cat will be well taken care of on the journey! In any case, if you’re looking to avoid some cost or just have more power in the situation, you can always travel to the breeder yourself to pick up your British Shorthair and bring them home safely. If this is your first time doing so, make sure to do your research and have all the supplies you might need to give your cat the most comfortable journey possible!

Finding a new pet to bring into your home is a journey, and doing so with a British Shorthair is no exception! While the path may be tricky at times, know that you’re not alone–keep your eye on the prize! The beautiful future ahead of you with your new pet–full of love, playfulness, and adorable memories.