Taking care British shorthair

The eyes of a British usually require little care. When an otherwise healthy British shorthair suffers from watery eyes or lumps in the corners of the eyes, there is sometimes a question of poorly formed tear ducts. This is a legacy of Persians (from whom the British Shorthairs descend), some of whom face the same problem. If it becomes severe, it is sometimes necessary to consult a veterinarian and have the tear ducts flushed. In all other cases, it is sufficient to carefully remove any dirt that may be in the corners of the eyes with a moistened tissue. Always rub towards the nose.

Cats usually switch their kitten teeth to adult teeth when they are between four and six months of age. It is recommended to check this process. Sometimes a milk tooth gets stuck, causing the underlying tooth to grow crooked. It's rare but it can happen. When in doubt, always go to the vet. Cats can also get tartar and inflammation. Just like for humans, this can be very painful for cats. They often express this by being moody, not eating hard chunks (anymore) or by withdrawing. Sometimes this happens so gradually that the owner doesn't notice that the cat is in pain. Untreated dental problems can lead to tooth loss, not to mention the pain the animal suffers from the chronic inflammation. Make it a good habit to check your teeth once a month and ask your vet to also check the annual vaccination.

The ears, British have small ears with rounded tips. Only clean the ears if necessary and do it very gently. You can remove the dirt from the visible part of the pinna with a tissue or cotton swab. Do not use cotton swabs in the ear canal itself, as you will simply push the dirt further in, resulting in a potentially dangerous inflammation in the deeper ear canal. If you discover dark brown to black colored granules that smell strongly in your cat's ear canal, your cat may be suffering from ear mites. Then consult the vet. The same applies to cleaning the ears as so many other things: get used to this at a young age, then it will be easier later on.

Nail Care In principle, cat nails should never be clipped. We don't do it ourselves with our British shorthair cats. Scratching should be enough for a cat. Therefore, make sure that the cat has a place to scratch, such as a scratching post.

If the nails get too long, it makes a distinct sound when the animal walks on a smooth surface. You can then cut the nails from time to time. In all other cases, trimming the tips is only necessary to prevent your cat from injuring people or other animals or when he scratches a lot of furniture. For example, it is customary to trim points when the cat goes to a show. In all cases, use a good sharp cat nail clipper and cut only a few millimeters off the nail so you don't cut in the nailrim.