British Longhair

Origin
British shorthair cats were bred around 1870 in Great Britain out of beautiful house cats. Crossing with Persian cats caused the round and stocky type and the teddy bear expression of the British shorthair cat was kept. Many British shorthair cats wear the long-hair gene and it is therefore possible that there is a longhair kitten in the nest of shorthair British cats. For years people searched good shelters for these kittens, which were actually undesired and people didn’t breed with them. The breed British long-hair or Lowlander hasn’t been acknowledged yet by the FIFe and the independent Dutch Catteries.    
   

In Belgium, England and France they have been acknowledged. Dutch breeders of longhair British cats want to call the longhair British cat a Lowlander and want to have them acknowledged as a breed. This is of course not strange since many breeds have a longhair variant or reverse.

The kittens don’t receive a family tree in Holland but they receive descent proofs or experimental family trees. Since it doesn’t concern official breed cats, they cannot be showed on exhibitions. The longhair British cat, called Lowlander in the Netherlands, has "ll" as genotype and is therefore breed perfect for long hair. If you cross Lowlander’s among themselves you will only get longhair cats. The gene L for short hair dominates over the recessive gene for long hair "l". The difference of the Lowlander, with her British shorthair parents, who are both carriers of the recessive long-hair gene (genotype L,I) is therefore one gene. Since both parents are carriers of the long-hair gene (which comes from the Persian) it is sometimes said that the Lowlander is more sensitive to HCM and PKD but with a careful examination by means of ultrasound cardiograms and echographic kidney examination it is possible to exclude carriers for breeding already on a young age.

The Lowlander is just because of her long hair, definitely not unhealthier than her shorthair congeners. 

The Lowlander is just because of her long hair, definitely not unhealthier than her shorthair congeners. 

Appearance
The Lowlander has the same breed standard as the British shorthair cat with the exception of the fur length which can be medium-long to long. Lowlander cats are medium-sized cats. They should have a wide chest and a short, muscled back. Their figure must be stocky in all respects. The paws are short and straight with round, solid feet. The thick tail has a short to average length. The head is round, with full cheeks and a wide skull and is located on a short and thick muscled neck. The small ears are short and wide at the basis, and aren’t located close to each other. The eyes are large and round: they might have different colors, depending on their fur color. The wide nose is short and straight. The chin is solid and well developed.    

Lowlander cats combine a beautiful, stocky figure with a longhair fur and are friendly and quiet pets.

Fur colors and fur patterns
Since most Lowlander cats still come from a shorthair nest, the colors which occur are practically the same as with the British shorthair cat. When the Lowlander gets acknowledged there will be more information concerning acknowledged colors and fur patterns.

Character
Just like British shorthair cats Lowlanders are known for their even-tempered and pleasant humor; they might even be more affectionate than the British shorthair cat, but this of course may differ per cat. Most cats are very tolerant and friendly and have a large adaptability. The kittens are as playful as other cats until they are about one to two year; they will then become less active and don’t want to be in the centre of interest anymore. They don’t ask for attention loudly.

They can amuse themselves reasonably. Sometimes they are sleeping for hours, but they also like to be cuddled and stroked and they certainly appreciate contact with the housemates.  

Despite of their soft character Lowlander cats don’t approve everything just like that. They keep their own character and if they don’t agree with something they will certainly express this.

Care
The Lowlander needs a good fur care. Normally, daily brushing (about 5 minutes) is enough to keep the fur in a good shape. Especially in autumn and in winter they can have large tangles, which you can cut loose or cut free with a tangle comb. It is clever to keep the “pants” short.    

It might be necessary sometimes to wash a British longhair cat. This can take place with ordinary baby shampoo; the cat must be wiped dry well and if necessary you need to blow-dry him, so that the cat doesn’t get super cooled after washing.

Purchase
At this moment it isn’t easy to find a Lowlander kitten in Holland in the desired color or marking. There are only a few catteries which are specialized in the Lowlander. Regularly, longhair kittens are offered by British shorthair catteries. We therefore advise to keep a close eye on the various kitten mediation sites.  

It is hard to find Dutch documentation concerning the Lowlander. Hopefully this will change in the future. Until then, the Lowlander catteries will be pleased to answer your questions and receive your remarks.

Breedinformation & pictures provided bij cattery Boerling\'s Estate