# Is this a British Shorthair thing?



## Drewa (Dec 26, 2010)

Hi, and especially to those who were so kind and helpful to me when I got my BSH Reuben a few weeks ago and was desperate about him not settling in - well, now he is tons better, though still quite edgy at times, but much improved. Whenever I sit down on the settee he comes straight away to get on my lap which is lovely and we have a good old petting session (whilst I sneakily try to groom him a bit as well) or he just lies there perfectly contented and happy. But what I'm particularly grateful for, and am wondering if it's just a Reuben thing, or a BSH thing, is that he doesn't ever do any of that pounding/kneading/going round in circles thing before settling down. Every other cat I've had did that but with Reuben he just jumps up and lies down - it's fantastic!

The other thing I'm really grateful for (having read other posts on here) is that I am an owl person (late to bed and late to rise) and he has never once woken me up - he doesn't sleep in the bedroom - it's the only door shut to him at night. And even when I sometimes get up to go to the loo and go back to bed, he never bothers me! Wow, that's my kinda cat!


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Drewa said:


> But what I'm particularly grateful for, and am wondering if it's just a Reuben thing, or a BSH thing, is that he doesn't ever do any of that pounding/kneading/going round in circles thing before settling down. Every other cat I've had did that but with Reuben he just jumps up and lies down - it's fantastic!


it's early days.... he could begin the kneadling/turining around thing later, when he gets more settled.

I don't think this kneeding thing is breed specific, it can just be in the cat's character to do it (or not to do it) but it can also (sometimes, not always) be a sign of a cat who was removed from the mother and siblings at too young an age. The same is also true of sucking habits in cats. Some cats might just do it anyway, but in my experience most of the sucky/kneedy cats I have known have been seperated too young from the litter.

It's great btw that your BSH is so cuddly so soon, and a lap cat too . As a breed they can tend to be more "next to you instead of on you" type of cats. I have one BSH girl who will only lie "on" me either when I am in bed, or when I lie with a cover over on me on the couch. She does always lie next to me though (even when I am in the bath, hehe). My other BSH girl prefers to be in my cardy/dressing gown/jacket.

best of luck with Reuben !!


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## Drewa (Dec 26, 2010)

Interesting idea the separation thing as Reuben lived with his mother and siblings until the day that the cruel woman (me) came to get him and take him away, so that would agree with what you say.

Yes, it is lovely that he's a lap cat because I'd heard that they often prefer to be beside you rather than on you. But his getting on and off is always on his terms and sometimes he stays ages and sometimes he doesn't. I read a theory that they might not be so keen on being on laps because they get too hot with their dense fur - what do you think of that idea?

And as you have BSHs can I ask if they are known for shedding a lot because Reuben sheds much more than I was expecting him too!


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## Emma32 (Jun 21, 2009)

Drewa said:


> But what I'm particularly grateful for, and am wondering if it's just a Reuben thing, or a BSH thing, is that he doesn't ever do any of that pounding/kneading/going round in circles thing before settling down. Every other cat I've had did that but with Reuben he just jumps up and lies down - it's fantastic!


I don't think it's a breed specific thing, it's more likely a Reben thing 
My own cat does it, but my previous cat didn't. I also know a variety of cats owned by friends, and while the majority of them do knead, a couple don't.
Also, great that he doesn't wake you. Wish I could say the same about my Charlie!
And yes, all chats shed, particularly when we're starting to get out of winter


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Drewa said:


> Interesting idea the separation thing as Reuben lived with his mother and siblings until the day that the cruel woman (me) came to get him and take him away, so that would agree with what you say.
> 
> Yes, it is lovely that he's a lap cat because I'd heard that they often prefer to be beside you rather than on you. But his getting on and off is always on his terms and sometimes he stays ages and sometimes he doesn't. I read a theory that they might not be so keen on being on laps because they get too hot with their dense fur - what do you think of that idea?
> 
> And as you have BSHs can I ask if they are known for shedding a lot because Reuben sheds much more than I was expecting him too!


I find with BSHs.... how can I say this.... I like well groomed cats... so once a week a good brushing I find suffices... but..... when my younger girl came to me (she was also slightly older when she came to us) she wasnt used to the thorough once a week brushings that I give... so I had a few months of a lot of shedding to get her coat into a good shape, now it's fine with a good brush once per week.

And yes I think there could be something in that that their fur may be so warm as it so thick and lucious, that may be why they are generally more "next to" than "on us" type of cats. It makes sense to me. I know mine have all been more cuddly in the winter months than in the summer months.

What colour is your Reuben... cos I find my blue's have both shed more (a lot more) than my silver tabby sheds.


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

Tje said:


> it's
> 
> It's great btw that your BSH is so cuddly so soon, and a lap cat too . As a breed they can tend to be more* "next to you instead of on you"* type of cats. I have one BSH girl who will only lie "on" me either when I am in bed, or when I lie with a cover over on me on the couch. She does always lie next to me though (even when I am in the bath, hehe). My other BSH girl prefers to be in my cardy/dressing gown/jacket.
> 
> best of luck with Reuben !!


god that is sooo true, '4 paws on the floor dont pick them up and sit next to you lol!'

my girl will come for cuddles and sit on my chest, they leave when she gets annoyed!

ive never seen a cat purr/pad/turn around loads of times before sitting down?? i think thats a dog thing lol!!  :lol:

british do take a while to settle so nothing wrong with that, also depends how they are brought up to if they handled alot around humans etc.

what colour is he???  pics??


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## Drewa (Dec 26, 2010)

I did post two pics a while back under "Pet Photos", "Cat Photos", "British Shorthair Breed" - I didn't know how to do the thumbnails some of you do at the end of your posts. Anyway, he's a cream boy with the most wonderful chestnut coloured eyes.

Tje - not sure if colour of coat makes any difference but I'm sure you're onto something about prior grooming. I'm pretty sure that Reuben has never been groomed or even handled that much prior to coming here. He came from a very loving home but really lived with about 10 other indoor cats doing "cat stuff", so I don't any/many of them got much individual attention. I have been trying to get him used to being groomed but I've got to take it very slowly and only when he's at his most relaxed on my lap (have to make sure anything I need is within easy reach as any movement and he'd be off!!). In fact it amazes me how cats can seem to be "out for the count" one second, then awake and alert the next - suppose it's generations of being hunted.


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Drewa said:


> I did post two pics a while back under "Pet Photos", "Cat Photos", "British Shorthair Breed" - I didn't know how to do the thumbnails some of you do at the end of your posts. Anyway, he's a cream boy with the most wonderful chestnut coloured eyes.


awww he is grogeous!!!! he is cream... but he is a tabby too ... right??? so what colour are his tabby stripes.



Drewa said:


> Tje - not sure if colour of coat makes any difference but I'm sure you're onto something about prior grooming. I'm pretty sure that Reuben has never been groomed or even handled that much prior to coming here. He came from a very loving home but really lived with about 10 other indoor cats doing "cat stuff", so I don't any/many of them got much individual attention.


I had this, and another lady here on the forum also adopted an older BSH from a breeding household and she also had similar "gihs they shed something rotten" issues in the beginning. I am sure once you get "up to date" on his grooming, you will notice a once a week groom is enough. (tho it did take me a while to get up to date with my girl, partly because cats have to trust us enough for them to let us "go to town" and give them a good old grooming.



Drewa said:


> I have been trying to get him used to being groomed but I've got to take it very slowly and only when he's at his most relaxed on my lap (have to make sure anything I need is within easy reach as any movement and he'd be off!!). In fact it amazes me how cats can seem to be "out for the count" one second, then awake and alert the next - suppose it's generations of being hunted.


slowly slowly wins the race in the end. I promise. Try digging your fingernails into his fur (against the grain if need be) that way it kind fo loosens all the dead hair, and then just wipe it all off with a cloth. Somehow they don't associate that with grooming. Another wee trick I use with my fosters (and sometimes they are matted to high heavens)... if you get a metal flea comb, and dont use it the way it's intended, but kinda use it so the point point at the end of the flea comb kinda scratches into them... (obviously not with so much force that it hurts) well a lot of cats seem to really love that, and it does get right down into the underlayers and gets a lot of dead hair out. My own cats would let me do this allllllllll night long, while a grooming they get sick of after 10-15 minutes, hehe. But a good "scratching session" they adore.


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## merothe (Jun 4, 2010)

Can I ask what you use when you groom. My two bshs shed like no other cats I know! I use the furminator about every 2 or 3 weeks which I think is more than they recommend?

Freya is just an endless source of hair. But humphrey hardly loses any when brushed but when you pick him up you get covered in it immediately


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## Drewa (Dec 26, 2010)

Well, I can't say I'm really "using" either of them, but the one I try and use and he will just about tolerate for a couple of minutes is a furminator. I can see it could be very good if he let me use it properly but.........

I also bought a Zoom Groom at the vets - it was an impulse buy but I did come home first and read reviews on Amazon which were good and it looked so much kinder than the Furminator I thought he might accept it better. Heck no - one look and he was terrified of the thing and there's no way I'd get it on his fur still it has come in useful - like when I'm eating I just put it next to my plate and he doesn't come anywhere near it!

Next I'm just going to get a cheapo "normal" cat brush and comb from Wilkinsons and hopefully work up from that to brisker use of the Furminator.


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## Drewa (Dec 26, 2010)

Tje said:


> awww he is gorgeous!!!! he is cream... but he is a tabby too ... right??? so what colour are his tabby stripes.


Well yes he is a tabby I suppose (oh boy do I feel like Mrs Know-Nothing on here) but tabbies are striped yes? His brother is exactly the same colours as Reuben but he's got definite stripes. One thing I liked about Reuben is that his markings are more like "blotches" than stripes. As for colour of the blotches - don't know any technical terms but I'd describe it like this - if his main colour is like pale sand his blotches are like pale sand that's wet!

You made me laugh with your suggestions about digging my fingernails into his fur though - so 60yrs of nail biting has to stop just because I've got a cat? Ain't gonna happen, but I might try the flea comb thing!


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

merothe said:


> Can I ask what you use when you groom. My two bshs shed like no other cats I know! I use the furminator about every 2 or 3 weeks which I think is more than they recommend?
> 
> Freya is just an endless source of hair. But humphrey hardly loses any when brushed but when you pick him up you get covered in it immediately


well I use a furminator... how often you use it must surely depend on how intensive each grooming is. I use it with my blue girl once a week or once a fortnight. If I could use the furminator for longer periods then maybe once a fortnight or once a month would suffice. Initially I used it daily, but like for 30 seconds each day until the new girl learned to trust me and learned to get used to grooming. I do use other brushes too though. As long as I keep them well(ish) groomed, I don't notice bad shedding at all. But I guess that's compared to other cats I have had (or fostered). It's hard to judge other people's expectations sometimes. Compared to a Persian a BSH (imo) is minimal grooming. Compared to sleek coated moggy, they are a lot of grooming.

my silver tabby girl does shed when picked up.... I find a good wipe down once a day with a dry cloth helps against this.


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Drewa said:


> Well yes he is a tabby I suppose (oh boy do I feel like Mrs Know-Nothing on here) but tabbies are striped yes? His brother is exactly the same colours as Reuben but he's got definite stripes. One thing I liked about Reuben is that his markings are more like "blotches" than stripes. As for colour of the blotches - don't know any technical terms but I'd describe it like this - if his main colour is like pale sand his blotches are like pale sand that's wet!
> 
> You made me laugh with your suggestions about digging my fingernails into his fur though - so 60yrs of nail biting has to stop just because I've got a cat? Ain't gonna happen, but I might try the flea comb thing!


yes tabbies are striped, but you also get blotched tabbies too (I think).

Don't ask me though... I am bad at this bit, heheeeheeee

You get striped and blotched and marbled and god knows what else (ticked tabbies, mackrel tabbies, spotted tabbies and unspecified tabbies, lol). Your description sounds perfect to me.

IF you got papers with reuben.... on his papers will be his exact colour. Thought it might just be a number. I think it is called an EMS code number. If you post the number next to "EMS code colour" I am sure some helpful soul will tell you what his colur and pattern are officially called.

Not me though. Though I could check me trusty books for you. :lol:

Anwyayyyy I think cream is a misleading colour descrition in BSHs as they all look light red to me. But I do adore cream!!


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## Drewa (Dec 26, 2010)

Tje said:


> yes tabbies are striped, but you also get blotched tabbies too (I think). Don't ask me though... I am bad at this bit, heheeeheeee
> 
> You get striped and blotched and marbled and god knows what else (ticked tabbies, mackrel tabbies, spotted tabbies and unspecified tabbies, lol). Your description sounds perfect to me.
> 
> IF you got papers with reuben.... on his papers will be his exact colour. Thought it might just be a number. I think it is called an EMS code number. If you post the number next to "EMS code colour" I am sure some helpful soul will tell you what his colur and pattern are officially called. Anwyayyyy I think cream is a misleading colour descrition in BSHs as they all look light red to me. But I do adore cream!!


Well then, I think I would call him marbled (sounds better than "blotched" and is probably just as accurate). I haven't got his papers yet (been posting on another thread about this) but even if I had surely they would just put on whatever the breeder said they were when she registered them. Ok, I give you the breeder should know the differences, but my understanding is that with BSHs and Ragdolls (and possibly with other breeds) their markings continue to deepen and show more up to 2yrs old? She always referred to him just as "cream" - that's how he was advertised and what is on his vaccination card, but even I can see he is probably a "cream tabby". She was very definite that he wasn't a "red" though and showed my a tray she had with what she said was a red and he was definitely more reddish/ginger than Reuben.


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## Brits (Jan 6, 2011)

He is beautiful, looks like a cream tabby blotched to me


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