Do All British Shorthair Cats Snore?

[nalaragdoll]

I have carefully considered all the breeds and have come to the conclusion that the British Shorthair is the breed that fits my lifstyle the best. I work fulltime, I'm single and I live in a medium sized condo, it will be an indoors cat. I need a cat that can stay at home without going crazy, who is fairly independent but still enjoys to be pet. I have read about this breed and taken 5 cat breed selector tests. This one comes on top in all of them.

I have just one reservation about this breed. I know it has a short nose which might create breathing problems. Is this true? Do they suffer? I have also heard that they snore. Do all British shorthairs snore, or just some? I can del with a bit of snoring once in a while, but I don't know if I can handle loud snoring all night long. I'd love to hear from owners who have british shorthair. Also, is your cat friendly, does it enjoy getting pet? I have read that some british shorthairs can be aloof, which might be a problem. I don't mind if it is a bit independent and wants to spend some time alone. I don't want a cat that craves attention 24/7, but at the same time I do want a cat that enjoys being pet from time to time.

It would be nice if owners of this breed could share their experiences.

 

[Ceracera]

This is my Cookie.





Cookie is very sweet and friendly. She’ll even greet people and other cats who come to visit. She also has a really calm personality.

Only thing is, she doesnt like being picked up, even though she puts up with it sometimes.

I dont think Brits are prone to breeding problems, but im not a breeder. Their faces arent as short as persians.

 

[abyeb]

British Shorthairs don’t have as short of a muzzle as Persians or Exotics (the brachycephalic breeds), who are far more likely to have breathing problems. Even then, a cat snoring isn’t very loud. It’s not like a dog or a human’s snores.

As for aloofness, the British Shorthairs I’ve met have all seemed very affectionate. They definitely enjoy a good petting session!

The best way to learn about any breed is to visit a cat show. There, you will be able to meet and interact with British Shorthairs, as well as find a reputable breeder. You can know that the breeders at cat shows are reputable, because they’re the ones who take the time and money to show up at a show in the first place. I’ll attach a link to the CFA and TICA show calendar:

Show Calendar
TICA Show Calendar

 

[nalaragdoll]

This is my Cookie.

View attachment 212378

View attachment 212376

Cookie is very sweet and friendly. She’ll even greet people and other cats who come to visit. She also has a really calm personality.

Only thing is, she doesnt like being picked up, even though she puts up with it sometimes.

I dont think Brits are prone to breeding problems, but im not a breeder. Their faces arent as short as persians.

Aww she is beautiful <3 It's nice to hear that she's affectionate. I do want a cat that likes to be pet, if he or she doesn't like to be picked up, that's ok. It's just me. There won't be any kids annoying it by trying to pick it up. How old is your Cookie? She looks like a kitten, is she very active? Is she vocal? I read that this breed is supposed to be quiet, of course any cat will meow from time to time, but hopefully not excessively. I once had a Ragdoll who was extremely active as a kitten, it also meowed a lot, it followed me everywhere and "talked" to me. A little bit is ok, it's cute, but I don't like if it gets too much.

British Shorthairs don’t have as short of a muzzle as Persians or Exotics (the brachycephalic breeds), who are far more likely to have breathing problems. Even then, a cat snoring isn’t very loud. It’s not like a dog or a human’s snores.

As for aloofness, the British Shorthairs I’ve met have all seemed very affectionate. They definitely enjoy a good petting session!

The best way to learn about any breed is to visit a cat show. There, you will be able to meet and interact with British Shorthairs, as well as find a reputable breeder. You can know that the breeders at cat shows are reputable, because they’re the ones who take the time and money to show up at a show in the first place. I’ll attach a link to the CFA and TICA show calendar:

Show Calendar
TICA Show Calendar

Thank you It's nice to hear that the British Shorthairs are affectionate. It's also good that the muzzle isn't as short as in some breeds. I've read that some british shorthairs have issues with breathing and that's also why they snore. I've seen a few videos of cats of this breed that snore, but it doesn't seem too bad. Hopefully the breathing issue is exaggerated, but it does make me question getting this breed. I don't want to get a breed that has difficulty breathing, that is especially why I don't want a Persian.

Are they very active as a kitten, or just medium active? I guess it depends on the personality of the cat, right? I was surprised to find out that Ragolls are VERY active as kittens, and they also demand a ton of attention. From what I've read the British Shorthair will be a better fit for me. I don't mind it being somewhat active as a kitten, I expect that, but hopefully not as much as the Ragdoll.

There aren't many cat shows around here where I live. I have however been in contact with a reputable breeder. She just got kittens, so I might end up buying one from her. I will talk to her about the personalities of the kittens. It's still a while to go though, I don't want to get my hopes up, because it's very early, but it's a possibility. It's good because it gives me time to research the breed first and time for me to carefully consider it and if I decide to go for it then I have time to prepare. They won't be available for sale for another almost 12 weeks anyway

 

[Purr-fect]

-bit off topic but I LOVE to hear Arnold snoring... its not loud, but i know he is completely at peace.

I think you are right to try to find out about the kittens personalities. My guys are fraternal brothers but quite different personalities. Not all british shorthairs will have the traits you are looking for.

 

[Percysdad]

I have two BSH kittens and they are adorable. I started with one though. They do need attention and, if you are working full time, I strongly suggest getting two from the same litter.

My fiancé and I both work full time demanding jobs and we live in an apartment in London. We originally got Percy (who is now 5 months) and quickly realised he was getting bored during the day and was demanding a LOT of attention in the evenings and weekends. We tried our best to be as playful as we could with him but we couldn’t give him enough. They are a docile breed but kittens are kittens... we ultimately decided to get him a little friend - another BSH kitten (now 2.5 months old) from the same breeder. We were originally extremely sceptical when the breeder suggested we take another kitten at the same time as we took Percy and we foolishly declined. We since have learned it is basically zero extra work or effort (apart from a bit of extra scooping) to have two instead of one and so if you can afford it, get two. They will exhaust themselves and be nice and chilled for when you want cuddle time! The age difference between ours at the moment means that the little one sometimes gets a rough time when Percy really wants to play, but that will even itself out pretty fast when he’s a tiny bit bigger.

I definitely noticed that Percy is 100% more affectionate towards us now he has feline stimulation. He used to quite enjoy being pet but he would quickly want to turn it into a play fight and would start biting. Now, because he has Barnaby, he loves being stroked under his chin and being groomed and generally being pampered. He’s like a different cat.

As you no doubt know cats do also totally have their own personalities and preferences. Percy doesn’t mind being picked up and transported to where we want him. Barnaby HATES it. They really are absolutely delightful and they are our babies now though. We can’t imafine life without them.

You can see ours on Instagram at @percival_kitteh

Keep us posted!!

 

[Percysdad]

Ps ours do not generally snore. (But they are still v young...)

 

[RupertsMum]

I have 2 British Shorthairs, and they are wonderful I work full time too, and chose Brits because I wanted a quiet cat that was happy being indoors-only. My two are very different personsality wise, but also similar, if that makes sense. They came from different breeders and I got Frances first. She’s 3 1/2 now and she is an absolute sweetheart. She was the last kitten left in her litter and was about 18 weeks old and was so timid and shy when I saw her at the breeders that it took her 15 minutes to be lured out from under the bed with a ping pong ball. I’d driven for 5 hours to pick her up though (and I’d read that British shorthairs were reserved if they didn’t know you) so I took her anyway and hoped for the best. I’m so glad I did! It took her maybe a week to bond with me, and then she was fine. Rupert is just over 2 yrs old now and he’s a bit more of a monkey, but still in a fairly chilled out way. He was much more outgoing as a kitten, strolled out of his cat carrier like he owned the place when I got him home (compared to Frances who spent most of the first few days hiding in my wardrobe).
Both cats mostly sleep (I think!) when I’m not home, but when I’m here they will follow me about and usually be in the same room as me. Neither really like being picked up and neither are lap cats - although Francie especially is happy to be picked up and cuddled if you scratch her head (she’ll do anything for pats and head scritches), and both cats will want to curl up next to me. Rupert is sleeping right next to my leg at the moment, and Frances is about 2 metres away on the floor. They’re definitely bonded to me and affectionate, and both come running to greet me at the front door when I get home, but they’re not all over me as soon as I sit down. Both are quite reserved/aloof with anyone they don’t know well. Neither are very vocal at all, the most would be a soft meow at dinner time or to say hello.
Neither of mine snores or show any signs of suffering breathing difficulties. Frances has had some kind of respiratory infection in the past - a short course of antibiotics cleared it up though, and she doesn’t have any ongoing problems.
As kittens, both of mine were much more energetic that they are now. But I was still working full time and long hours and they both were fine indoors and not destructive. We have several cat trees and lots of toys and I made sure to have playtime before I went to work and when I got home.
It sounds to me like you wanted very similar things to me in a cat. Mine are perfect for me But definitely talk to the breeder about what her cats are like personality wise, and each individual kitten. All the best!

 

[nalaragdoll]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I just talked to the breeder and it turns out that she has 5 boys. This is a bit of a letdown for me since I was in the mood for a girl. The one thing that makes me skeptical is the potential for a male cat to spray. I have a brand new condo and I really don't want my condo to smell of cat urine. I haven't completely ruled out a male kitten yet, but like I said I'm skeptical and leaning towards a no. I'd appreciate some advice though.

 

[Percysdad]

I know that you can't generalise from individual cases but I have two BSH male kittens and have had no spraying issues. The elder of the two will be getting neutered in two weeks' time and my understanding is that if they haven't started spraying by then, they're unlikely to start after having been neutered (more knowledgable members here will correct me if I am wrong about that though!). I love them to death and they are now a part of our family, and for us they have now fitted into our life (or we have fitted into theirs...) and we live in a two-bedroom apartment with two cats which doesn't smell of cats.

I am a bit worried that you might have certain expectations of how your cat should be and what your cat should and should not do though. You say that they "need a cat that can stay at home without going crazy, who is fairly independent but still enjoys to be pet", that you can deal with a bit of snoring but not a lot, that you can't deal with the smell of urine in your apartment, etc... I understand all of that and to some extent we had a similar "wishlist". But cats - just like kids - have their own personalities. Even though the breeder may tell you that your kitten is a certain way, that is no guarantee. There may well also be times whilst they are kittens that they have an accident outside of the box. They might climb up your curtains (we had beautiful custom-made voile curtains from before the kittens that have been essentially destroyed...) or scratch your sofa whilst you are still trying to teach them that the scratching post is the appropriate place to scratch. You will have to scoop up their crap every day. Sometimes their food might not agree with them and/or they eat something they're not meant to and consequently have diarrhoea and it might absolutely stink your apartment out. Before you have figured out which litter works best for you (HINT: non-clumping crystal litter is the only type we have found that makes our apartment smell as if cats don't live there), your apartment is likely to have a bit of a smell until you can get to the box and scoop. You will have to ferry them to and from the vets.

I'm not trying to be a downer but it's better if you weigh these things up now if you haven't already. It is ABSOLUTELY worth it in my opinion, but having a kitten can be a bit stressful in the early days if you've not had one before!

Please keep us posted!

 

[Ceracera]

I agree with Percysdad

You see to have very specific expectations and most breed descriptions are just vague generalisations. Every cat is going to be different.

When I got Biscuit, I was under the impression short-legged cats couldn't jump very high. The main reason I wanted a short-legged cat was that I didn't want my cat jumping all over the place. Well... the descriptions online were wrong and he can definitely jump. And he seems to like perching on high places too.

 

[nalaragdoll]

I picked out my British Shorthair kitten yesterday, it's all black. It purred a lot. It wanted to be pet, it was very cute. I'm getting it in less than two weeks