How Much Do British Shorthair Cats Cost? (And Breeder Info)

British Shorthair cats are one of the most popular breeds in the world. They’re the most registered breed in their home country, the UK, and are popular around the globe as well, with most breeders offering to ship the kittens worldwide. But how much will this set you back?

British Shorthair cats cost between $1000 – $3500 depending on the breeder and are among the most expensive cats globally. In addition, most breeders have a non-refundable deposit on their kittens between $250 – $500, which is usually incorporated in the final pricing.

Read on to understand more about the factors that influence the cost of the British Shorthair breed.

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The Cost of a British Shorthair

The British Shorthair cat is an expensive breed that can cost up to $3500, and several factors contribute to the costs. Most of these factors reflect the quality of breeding. That’s why there’s a range of prices even from the same cattery.

Some factors that influence the costs of a British Shorthair are given below.

British Shorthair Breed Standard

Breed standard refers to the description of the ideal characteristics of an animal of a specific breed. This is especially important for animals purchased with the intent of being placed in shows where adherence to the breed standard is essential.

Sometimes the breed standard guarantees health, particularly when concerning breeds like the British Shorthair, which tend to have few genetic health conditions.

A purebred British Shorthair cat costs much more than a mixed breed. This is because of the effort the breeder will have to take to ensure that the kittens produced by their breeding couple of cats will meet the breed standard set by the CFA or by the TICA.

British Shorthair Lineage

Most reputed breeders and catteries list the “Kings” and “Queens,” which refers to the male cats that sire the kittens and the female cats that bear them. This is because breeding is an imprecise and delicate science.

Maintaining the lineage of a good breeder is important, especially in the world of show animals.

The lineage of the cats is significant for British Shorthairs. Among breeders of these cats, the focus has typically been on ensuring that the cats match the breed standard rather than introducing changes to the standard itself.

A good breeder might have developed favorable characteristics, either in coat color, shape, and general visual characteristics of the breed or even in terms of the breed’s overall health. These would then be characteristics that the breeder would try to ensure would survive through each litter generation.

Efforts are made to continue the legacies of breeders long after they’ve retired because of how important some characteristics of that lineage become to the breed’s identity.

British Shorthair Colors

British Shorthair cats come in a variety of solid and tortoiseshell colors, all of which are variations of solid colors. Among the solids, the most popular and readily available color of British Shorthair cats is the smoky blue, to the extent that the cats are popularly known as the British blues.

Since this color is popular and easy to find, as is the lilac, cats with this coat color are not as expensive.

However, solid coat colors like black and white are rare.

Black is difficult to find because breeders often cannot control the darkness of the color. Moreover, for a British Shorthair to be a true black, both the undercoat and the topcoat need to be solid, which is difficult to find, and more difficult to identify as this breed takes time to mature.

White is also a difficult color because of the dangers of breeding white cats.

Across breeds, cats with white coats have an increased risk of being born blind. For this reason, two white cats are typically not bred together, so the chances of a British Shorthair kitten being pure white is very low.

Other colors that are rare and therefore priced higher are Cinnamon and Fawn.

These colors are prized because of how rare they are. Breeders tend to have little control over the coat because coat genetics involves several different genes, and the genes for fawn and cinnamon coats are recessive.

British Shorthair Adoption

British Shorthair kittens purchased exclusively for being pets are typically cheaper than kittens intended to be raised as show cats or kittens meant for breeding. If you cannot afford a purebred British Shorthair, you may be able to adopt one from a rescue.

People who purchase British Shorthair kittens must sign contracts that guarantee that they’ll not use their kittens for commercial breeding purposes.

While all British Shorthairs bred by reputable breeders will match the breed standard, kittens meant for breeding have to match this even more so. In a show, cats are expected to represent the best of their breed’s coat quality, color, other physical features, and temperament.

A lot of this depends on the breeder’s skill and quality of lineage. Unfortunately, this makes show cats and kittens much more expensive.

Breeding kittens are cats who will not be neutered or spayed. They’re typically very healthy and have the most characteristics that the breeder expected to see represented in the litter.

These kittens are purchased by other breeders and raised to breed more cats.

As they’ll become a source of income, breeding kittens are purchased for much higher rates than the average British Shorthair cat. Depending on the breeder’s reputation, they can range from $4000 – $6000 or even more.

Breeding Expenses

Raising cats isn’t cheap, even for the average homeowner. Catteries tend to have anything between 2 – 5 male and female cats, each of which needs to be catered to very carefully to ensure their good health.

Healthy cats make for healthy kittens, which need to be looked after.

Traditionally kittens are weaned at 12 weeks, but catteries will keep the kittens for a little longer if the kitten must travel internationally. This is to ensure that the kittens can handle the stress of the journey.

Breeding expenses typically include care of the parent cats to ensure optimum nutrition and a comfortable living and birthing space. In addition, the kittens themselves need to be fed, vaccinated, spayed, and housed well.

They also need screenings to ensure that they are perfectly healthy.

Some breeders might also offer life insurance to their clients to guarantee that their kittens are well-bred and raised.

The quality of the breeders themselves is also vital. A reputable breeder who is registered with the TICA or on the Breedlist by the FBRL is much more reliable. These breeders focus on the cat’s health and prevent genetic abnormalities or diseases from sneaking in.

While British Shorthair cats are relatively sturdy, they are at risk for HCM, a common form of heart disease. Good breeders will scan their parent cats and the kittens for this and other genetic diseases to prevent these genes from being passed on any further.

British Shorthair Cat for Sale

You can find purebred British Shorthair cats for sale at certified catteries.  These catteries are usually certified by the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) or The International Cat Association (TICA).  Here are a few examples of British Shorthair catteries:

Castlkatz

Castlekatz is a British Shorthair cattery in Canton, Ohio.  This likely means it will be more convenient for folks living in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan.  Castlkatz is a small cattery with many accolades.

Catslkatz has successfully shown cats in the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) and had cats that have been awarded national, regional, and breed awards.  Additionally, Castlkatz is highly transparent about its cattery procedures by listing them out on its website.

Castlkatz goes into detail about how they manage the following procedures for their British Shorthair kittens:

• Litters and Pans
• Water
• Dry Food
• Feeding
• Weaning
• Protocols
• Showing

Castlkatz appears to be highly regarded since they were 2015 CFA breed council members.   They were also listed as a Tier V cattery of distinction.

Laziblues

Laziblues is a British Shorthair cattery located in New York City and Westchester County, New York.  This cattery will likely be convenient for people living in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Eastern Pennsylvania.

Laziblues is registered with TICA and CFA.  They have a specialization in British Shorthair kittens with blue and lilac colors.  Additionally, Laziblues cares just as much about their cats being healthy and affectionate as they do succeeding in cat shows.

Laziblues talks quite a bit on their website about the personality of British Shorthair cats and how they make excellent pets.  They also discuss some distinctions between male and female British Shorthair cats.

British Glory Cattery

British Glory Cattery is located in Houston, Texas, and breeds purebred British Shorthair and Longhair cats.  This cattery would likely be more convenient for folks living in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.

British Glory Cattery is TICA certified, and their kittens have champion bloodlines from European cats. Additionally, British Glory Cattery treats their British Shorthair cats like they are family. 

This cattery does an excellent job on their website talking about how British Shorthairs are great cats with good attitudes and intelligence.  Also, this cattery points out that they became the first in the country to breed the golden chinchilla color. 

Are British Shorthair Cats Expensive?

Purebred British Shorthair cats are expensive because they can cost thousands of dollars.  Someone looking for a cat should examine their budget before buying a purebred British Shorthair kitten.  If they have disposable income, buying a purebred British Shorthair cat may be a good idea.

If someone looking for a cat does not have a lot of disposable income to use on a purebred British Shorthair cat, I would recommend reaching out to a rescue.   Additionally, if a person is looking for a loving cat, they can go down to their local animal shelter, and they will probably have a Domestic Shorthair ready to adopt. 

I have a Domestic Shorthair myself, and she is a loving cat (currently laying right underneath my chair because she loves being near me). 

Final Thoughts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5-Ff9yltOc

Overall, the cost of the British Shorthair cats depends on the breeder’s quality and reputation.

A good breeder ensures adherence to the breed standard, focuses on breeding good characteristics into their cats, and guarantees the overall health and quality of life of the kitten themselves.

Purebred cats, show cats, and breeding kittens will always cost more than mixed breed cats or cats who are adopted solely as pets, and that is why there is a range even among the prices of British Shorthairs.

If you enjoyed this article, please check out a few more:

• How Big Do British Shorthair Cats Grow? (With Growth Chart):  Click Here.
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