Cornish Rex vs British Longhair - Breed Comparison

The British Longhair cat hails from Great Britain. The cat is a longer-haired variety of the British Shorthair.

These British Shorthairs were interbred with imported long-haired varieties with the idea being to bring about a cat that was more compact and stout and with a rounder face. Today the British Longhair is an established longhair breed in its own right.

Cornwall is the birthplace of the unusual Cornish Rex cat – a curly-coated cat.

A kitten was born in 1950 and belonged to Nina Ennismore and Winifred Macalister. The other kittens had short hair but this unusual kitten had curly hair, the result of a spontaneous natural mutation.

A successful breeding program was started and it was in 1963 that the American Cat Fanciers Association as well as the and today it is recognized by all cat registries.

The beautiful British Longhair cat is a medium-sized feline, leaning towards being a large cat with semi-long hair.

The cat, whether males or females can weigh between 4 and 8kg. It is robust and muscular with round paws and legs of medium length. The ears are smallish and round at the tips.

The color of the eyes can be different - browns, greens, blue, and grey. The colors of the coat can be blue, white, black, grey, calico, tabby, bi-color and tortoiseshell. The coat can be a solid color or it can be in different patterns. The fur is always medium length and silky with an undercoat.

Temperament:

The British Longhair has much the same personality as the British Shorthair – being calm, amicable cats who appreciate their human owners.

They’re adaptable cats too and are willing to get along with any other pets in the home as well. They’re playful and affectionate with their owners but don’t particularly like being held for too long.

Even though this is a docile cate, it is intelligent and will require mental stimulation. You’ll need to invest in a few ‘intelligent’ type of toys to keep your cat physically and mentally active. Take a look at the kinds of games where your cat will be required to ‘hunt’ for his food.

The Cornish Rex is a small to medium-sized cat weighing between 3 to 5kg. It’s a lithe, slender cat with a small, narrow head with big ears and eyes.

The cat has long, slender legs with a tail that is also slender and long. The hair is very fine and they are actually prone to hair loss. The coat has fine, short, silky hair. There can be a bit of a curl in the hair, The coat comes in many colors from white, silver, black, red, blue to chocolate and they can have different patterns too as well as bein bi-color.

The eyes can be gold, brown, or green. The torso is long and lean, the cat has a deep chest but strong hips and rear end that allow the Cornish Rex to leap with ease up onto perches.

Temperament:

The Cornish Rex loves his human family and loves spending time with them, whether that means fun and games or sitting in your lap.

He is intelligent and can learn a few tricks and is capable of learning to walk on a leash. He is a confident cat, playful and entertaining. Gentle and loving, he is a talkative cat, wanting to express his opinion about everything.

He will fit easily into different lifestyles, whether you’re single, a family, or in a retirement home, so long as he is receiving lots of attention.

He isn’t as frail as he looks and can get pretty active and social with children and dogs and may even beat the dog to fetching a small ball.

The British Longhair makes an awesome pet and can live happily with children, other dogs, and cats and all of his human family.

He isn’t a cat that wants to be picked up too often – he is independent but is willing and loving towards his humans.

For the friendship he offers, you’ll want to reward him for the joy he brings by providing well for him.

If you’re looking for a cat that can bring laughter and fun into the household, you won’t go wrong with a Cornish Rex as they will amuse and delight.

He is also a cat that doesn’t require a lot of fuss and bother, although he makes a fuss about the amount of attention he gets.

He doesn’t like being left alone for long, so a good idea is to work from home or to get a companion for him. Other than than, he makes the most splendid feline companion.

These beautiful cats can be prone to obesity if kept as an indoor cat only and a cat that doesn't get enough exercise.

Obesity, an accumulation of excess body weight, is a preventable disease. It is necessary to prevent this obesity as it can reduce your pet’s life expectancy. Fat tissue is active, secreting inflammatory hormones and creating oxidative stress on the body’s tissue, and this is precisely what contributes to so many diseases.

The British Longhair cat can also be prone to renal polycystosis. This disease is where many pockets of fluid or cysts form in the kidney and if they grow large over time they can actually interfere with kidney function and this can bring on kidney failure.

The Cornish Rex is a hardy cat with very few health issues. Certainly, because of the very fine hair, you’d have to be aware of sunburn.

Cats can get sunburned and can be at serious risk of getting skin cancer later on. Be sun-smart and apply pet sunscreen.

Be careful of the type of sunscreen you use as your cat will likely want to lick it off. Other issues to look out for are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This is a common kind of heart disease in cats where there is a thickening in the wall of the heart.

Because of the long hair, the British Longhair is going to require brushing as the coat can easily become matted, particularly as the coat thickens in preparation for winter.

You’ll need to brush the hair once a week, but perhaps more in peak shedding times. A gentle but firm brushing keeps the cat’s fur and skin in good condition.

Have your pet spayed and neutered to avoid unwanted kittens.

Take your pet to the vet as soon as he is unwell. He is part of your family now and must be treated as such.

Provide your pet with human companionship especially if you buy one of the more social cats.

If your cat is an indoor pet, provide him with a litter box ad be prepared to clean it every day.

Provide a clean, dry, comfortable bed in a quiet area.

Provide your cat with stimulating toys.

Vaccinate your cat against the major feline diseases. Also, have your cat dewormed.

Diet:

In terms of nutritional requirements, make sure that your British Longhair gets the very best cat food there is, whether you provide him with homemade food or you give him some of the excellent commercially manufactured cat foods there are.

There are wet- and dry foods and it's for your furry friend to decide which one he prefers.

Learn to read labels and make sure your cat is getting foods high in protein, after all, your cat is a carnivore.

Be sure that the food has lots of vitamins and minerals for his health. A cat also needs a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Grooming your Cornish Rex isn’t going to be an issue as the cat has very little hair. Although nothing is set in stone and some Cornish Rex’s have thicker coats, requiring more brushing. Maybe a soft brush once a week will be sufficient for this cat breed.

A good idea is to take a cloth of warm water and to gently wipe your cat so that he is free of dust.

Supply a litter box and make sure that you remove his droppings every single day.

Have your pet neutered or spayed if you don’t want unwanted kittens. These minor ops have many health benefits for your cat as well.

When you brush your cat, check his entire body out for any abnormalities. Check for new lumps, check inside the ears to make sure they are clean and free of redness which could indicate an infection.

Clip his toenails, make sure his eyes are clear and bright, free of discharge, and check inside his mouth to make sure there aren’t any bad teeth, as this could cause him a lot of discomfort.