British Longhair
Known as the British Longhair, Highlander, Lowlander and Britanica, the British Longhair has the same body structure as the British Shorthair, except the coat, which is medium length. The coat stands away from the body and is not flat lying or flowing. A full ruff and britches are desired. The coat is medium long with a dense undercoat and has a plush-like texture, which may be slightly different between the various colours.
Compare the head of the British Longhair with that of the British Shorthair, and you will not see any difference, except the coat length. Also the ears and eyes have the same shape, size and placement. The neck is short and thick.The breed is medium to large in size, the body is short (cobby). Shoulders are broad and muscular, the chest is broad and rounded. Legs are short to medium long, strong with large, round paws. Bone structure is very solid.
Historically very little has been written about the British Longhair, they have always been around and appeared in many shorthair litters. As it was common that British have to be shorthaired, the longhaired kittens were sold as pets for many years. Thus, the breeding history as a separate, distinctive breed is very young.
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Since May 2009 the British Longhair is fully recognized in TICA. The GCCF also recognised the British Longhair as a separate breed from January 2017, instead of them being known as the variant of a British shorthair. The breed has a long way to go with the GCCF to gain championship status, but thanks to some very dedicated people, the breed achieved it's landmark recognition.
Temperament wise the British Longhair are independent, yet very affectionate. They follow their human companion around the house to make sure that everything is done right. Males are very people oriented. They are very quiet, rather little talking, and very gentle. Everything is done cautiously, they are not seriously in a hurry. They make ideal pets for less active owners as well as for rather busy households.
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Grooming wise the British Longhair shows some variation between lines, colours and individual cats. Some are easy cats to groom, with coats that have no tendency to get filthy or knotted, only needing to be combed once or twice a week to get rid of old and dead hairs. Those with a thicker coat, or cats moulting in the spring, may require a more intensive grooming regime with a daily comb through to keep tangles away.