Breed: British Shorthair
British Shorthair: grooming and care
The British Shorthair is the round, teddy-bear cat whose coat looks as if it should be hard work and mostly is not. Its care turns on two things, the density of the coat and the weight of the cat, and this guide takes each in turn.
The coat
The coat is short, dense and crisp, with no woolly layer to felt
CFA's breed standard asks for a coat that is short, very dense, well bodied and firm to the touch, with a crisp, resilient texture, and it states that the coat is not double coated or woolly. VCA describes the same coat breaking over the body's contours, crisp or cracking, and velvet to the touch. The result is a cat that rarely tangles, because there is no long, soft undercoat to knot, but that carries a great deal of hair close to the skin.
That density is the whole shedding story. CFA notes that the breed has more hairs per square inch than any other and says it would be unrealistic not to expect some shedding. Loose hair sits in the pile rather than dropping straight out, so you notice it when you stroke the cat against the grain, on dark clothes and on the arm of the sofa it favors. A weekly comb lifts it out before it spreads around the house.
- Short, very dense and firm to the touch (CFA)
- Crisp and resilient, breaking over the body's contours (CFA, VCA)
- Not double coated or woolly, so mats are uncommon
- More hair per square inch than any other breed, so some shedding is normal
At home
Once a week with a metal comb covers most of the year
CFA puts the routine at a quick weekly combing or brushing, plus claw clipping and an occasional ear cleaning. VCA's breed profile recommends a basic metal or curry comb at least weekly and more attention during the seasonal sheds. Ten minutes on a quiet evening is the honest size of the job; the work is in doing it every week, so the loose hair never builds up into a shed you notice on every chair.
CFA describes the breed as calm, quiet, peaceful and placid, and that helps. Comb on your lap or on a towel on a table, follow the direction the coat grows, and stop while the cat is still content, so the next session starts on good terms. The claws can come next, or they can wait for a $20 nail clip at the studio if your cat objects to them at home.
- 01
Settle the cat on a towel and comb from the neck to the tail, along the lie of the coat
- 02
Comb the chest and the flanks, then the base of the tail
- 03
Go over the shoulders and back with a curry comb to lift hair the metal comb skimmed
- 04
Look at the claws and trim only the clear tips, or book a $20 nail clip
- 05
Look inside the ears: CFA suggests an occasional cleaning, and redness or a smell is for your vet
- 06
During a seasonal shed, repeat the comb two or three times a week until it comes away clean
Weight
Weight is the British Shorthair's real grooming issue, and portions are the fix
This is a big, slow-growing cat. CFA says males can reach 17 pounds, females are somewhat smaller, and the breed takes three to five years to reach full maturity. VCA's breed profile advises measuring food portions so a British Shorthair does not become overweight, and VCA's page on feline obesity lists skin and coat problems among the complications of excess weight, alongside diabetes, arthritis and heart disease.
For grooming, that means a coat that turns greasy, flaky or patchy on a heavy cat is a question for your vet before it is a question for us, because more baths will not fix a problem that starts with weight. VCA adds a small, practical note for lap owners: the thick coat combined with your body heat can make a British Shorthair overheat, so let it move off your lap when it wants to.
- A greasy or flaky coat on a heavy cat: talk to your vet about weight
- Bald patches, scabs or a lump found while combing: your vet first
- A cat that stops grooming itself: your vet first
Hairballs
Shedding season is hairball season, so the weekly comb also protects the stomach
Cornell's Feline Health Center explains that a grooming cat swallows loose hair, that most of it passes but some gathers in the stomach as a damp clump, and that hairballs are more frequent in the seasons when cats shed their coats. A coat this dense gives a grooming cat plenty to swallow, which is the practical case for combing more often whenever the hair starts coming out in quantity.
Cornell also says when a hairball stops being routine. A cat that is lethargic, refuses food for more than a day or two, or retches or vomits again and again should be examined promptly. Keep your vet's number in your phone, and on Cape Ann check the City of Gloucester's list of local veterinary offices before you need it.
At the studio
At the studio a British Shorthair usually needs a Full Bath in a heavy shed, and little else
Book the Full Bath at $95 when the shed is outrunning your comb. It is a bath with water, a brush-out and a nail clip, and the brush-out after a bath clears hair from close to the skin that a weekly comb leaves behind. Minimal Trims at $45, a trim and partial shave with no bath, and the Full Service at $120, which adds shaving and trims to a full bath, are for tangled coats, and a healthy British Shorthair coat rarely is one.
Cats are groomed in a quiet room at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester, away from the dog floors, by cat behavior specialists who keep restraint light and the pace slow. There is no evaluation visit to book first; every cat is assessed on arrival for coat and temperament, and a cat that cannot be groomed safely is referred to your vet. Reserve a slot online or in the Dogtown app, or call 978 491-5922.
- Full Bath, $95: bath, brush-out and nails, for a heavy shed
- Nail clipping, $20: on its own, between baths
- Minimal Trims, $45, and Full Service, $120: for tangled coats, rarely this one
At Dogtown
Cat grooming at the Gloucester studio
The quiet cat room, the four cat services and their prices, for a short plush coat or any other.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
How often should a British Shorthair be bathed?
Do British Shorthairs get matted?
How much do British Shorthairs shed?
Can I book just a nail trim for my British Shorthair?
Will the groomer shave my British Shorthair?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- CFA: British Shorthair
- VCA: British Shorthair breed profile
- VCA: obesity in cats
- Cornell Feline Health Center: hairballs
- City of Gloucester: local veterinary offices
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
A plush coat, kept simply.
Book a Full Bath for a heavy shed or a $20 nail clip in between, online or in the Dogtown app. No evaluation visit, and a quiet room away from the dogs.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
