British Shorthair: health conditions to watch
British Shorthairs are calm, easy-going and sturdily built. Their two main considerations are a heart-muscle condition and, because they are such relaxed cats, a tendency to put on weight.
What to watch in a British Shorthair
A predisposition is a “worth knowing”, not a diagnosis. Most British Shorthairs never develop these — but knowing the early signs means you can act early.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
Learn about Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) →HCM (a thickening of the heart muscle) has a known breed link; it can be silent, so ask about screening and know the emergency signs (sudden breathing difficulty or a painful, dragging back leg).
Join the Heart Health community →Obesity
Learn about Obesity →Their laid-back nature makes weight gain easy, and extra weight loads the joints and raises other health risks; measured meals and play keep them trim.
Join the Weight Management community →Start here
Screening and Genetics: Maine Coons, Ragdolls and the proBNP Test
Three different tests get talked about for feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and online they are often thrown together as if you could pick any one of them. A gene swab, a blood test, a heart scan. They are not...
Feline HCM Explained: The Thickened Heart, and Why Cats Hide It
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a mouthful of a diagnosis, and most owners leave the consulting room holding the letters HCM and not much else. Meanwhile the cat it refers to is asleep on the sofa, looking entirely fine....
Saddle Thrombus: The Sudden Clot Every HCM Owner Should Know
A cat who seemed entirely well an hour ago is abruptly screaming in pain, dragging its back legs, and unable to stand. There is one feline emergency that frightens vets as much as it frightens owners, and this is it. To...
Living With a Cat With HCM: Monitoring, Stress and Rechecks
A diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy comes with a steep learning curve, but here is the part to hold onto first: it does not have to mean a fearful life, for you or for your cat. Many cats with HCM live for years...
Feline HCM: Prognosis, From Incidental Murmur to Managed Disease
The question behind every other question, the one that rarely gets asked aloud in the consult room, is how long you have and how bad it will get. You deserve a real answer to that, not a single grim figure...
When a Cat With HCM Goes Into Heart Failure
Heart failure in a cat usually skips the warnings owners brace for. No cough builds over weeks, no visible slow decline. A cat who seemed perfectly fine in the morning is, by the evening, sitting hunched and breathing...
Looking after a British Shorthair
- Ask about cardiac screening (ultrasound) and buy from lines that heart-test
- Keep them active and feed measured meals to hold a healthy weight
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