Black British cat: how color is formed, features, character

The black Briton with shiny charcoal fur, large, looks amazing. It creates a bewitching, mystical impression. Black Solid, also called the handsome ones, is a popular color among the British, but difficult to breed.

According to the standard, the fur of a British cat is thick, dense, slightly harsh, shiny with an anthracite tint. Each hair is dyed exactly the same color from the base to the tips. The paw pads, nose tip, and body from the ears to the tip of the tail will be charcoal. Any inclusions, the presence of gray-red spots, or white hairs are considered defective. Coal beauties are representatives, participants in international cat shows, and, as a rule, contenders for first places.

Origin of color

It is believed that Roman conquerors or French sailors brought cats to the English Isles back in the 23rd century. They quickly multiplied in a semi-wild manner. The English breeder and felinologist Harrison Wyer began breeding monochromatic, solid cats of a purely British breed. With hard work, mating animals, he got black, red, and chocolate colors. This is how it was obtained and recognized in 1898 as an independent British cat breed.

The British black color of cats depends on the number of pigment granules, melanin and genes in each cell of the coat.

Melanin, which makes up Black color, is divided into two chemical varieties:

Eumelanin, it contains dominant genes: “B” is responsible for the black pigment, and “C” and “D” give color intensity.
Pheomelanin with diluting gene "A".

The fur of such a cat contains more closely pressed microscopic granules of pigment, so it feels harder and more elastic to the touch. Unlike other types of Britons, they cannot be called smooth like velvet.

Description of external features

Black solids for their brilliant anthracite color, with a harsh coat that does not resemble velvet, are recognized as leaders at all world exhibitions. In terms of beauty and effectiveness, close attention and primacy are given, but when selecting, judges apply strict criteria.

The characteristics of British black cats according to the standard include:

Body: characterized by a straight back of medium size, with a wide chest, dense torso.
Body: massive, squat due to short limbs, with voluminous hips.
Head: Large, rounded in outline with characteristically thick, slightly drooping cheeks, between which is a short, straight nose of a basic color.
Neck: compressed with the usual British rim, thick fold.
Muzzle: Well arched with prominent whisker pads.
Ears: small with slightly rounded tips, set wide relative to the nose, high on the forehead.
Limbs: short, thick, but strong. The front paws have 5 toes, the hind paws have 4. The pads are the main color.
Tail: Medium length, cone-shaped with a rounded tip.
Coat: with an anthracite sheen, slightly harsh, with a dense undercoat. Each hair is painted with the main color from the tip of the tail to the ears; for purebred cats, spots, unpainted areas, inclusions are considered defective.

Eye color

Adult solidids have large, rounded eye sockets that are set wide apart from the nose. The final color of the iris is established late, in a one-year-old kitten. At first, blacklings are born with blue eyes, but from 6 months they begin to transform. In mature individuals, the eyes become yellow, or copper, orange, which is considered valuable.

Meeting a purebred coal Briton with blue or green eyes is not allowed by the standard.

How the color and pattern of a cat's fur is formed

The hair, like grains, contains a dye - melanin. Each individual has a different amount and composition of it in its body. It is its combination in all hairs that creates the unique color of the cat.

Melanin exists in two forms: pheomelanin (A-gene) and eumelanin (B-gene), giving respectively yellow-red and black pigmentation to the coat.

In addition, there are two genes responsible for color intensity. The so-called C and D. If the first of them dominates, then the color of the coat will be quite faded (for example, gray or peach), otherwise the cat’s coat will be of a bright, intense color (for example, bright red).

Thus, for a kitten to have a bright black color, D and B genes must dominate in its genes.

By the way, the denser the pigment granules are located in the hairs, the tougher the structure of the pet’s fur. If they lie further away, the fur coat will elegantly shine in the light, emphasizing the nobility and grace of the British beauty.

Shorthair

Black shorthaired British cats and cats, as befits the breed, have a large body, a large head, a cute face with wide-set round eyes, as well as dense and water-repellent fur, but not soft, velvety, but rather harsh, giving off an anthracite shine. This gives a mystical mystery and bewitching appeal.

Coal Britons, affectionate but independent animals, easily tolerate loneliness. They can find entertainment themselves in the form of a toy or their own tail. They are clean, from childhood they are accustomed to the toilet and other rules of behavior in the house. They are distinguished by intelligence and intelligence.

They quickly get used to their owner and remain loyal. It is believed that such cats relieve tension with affection and purring, and help with pain and hypertension. They treat strangers with caution and keep their distance.

Contents of a Black Briton

Contrary to popular belief that the British are difficult to look after, the reality is completely different. If you follow simple rules of care, a four-legged animal can easily live up to 18, and sometimes 20 years.

General Content Rules

There are just a few nuances that you should pay attention to.

Namely:

Avoid hypothermia of animals and do not place their houses in drafts. Representatives of these breeds have weak eyes. Therefore, at the slightest breath of wind, their eyes begin to water and sour.
Visit a veterinarian regularly, especially for owners of animals over 10 years old, and get vaccinated.
Feed your cats correctly.
Do not allow frequent matings (for cats), this weakens the immunity of fluffies, they begin to get sick often.

Feeding a British cat

Caring for cats involves proper feeding. This can be high-quality dry food or canned food, as well as natural food.

Important! It is strictly forbidden to combine drying with food from the table, because this will lead to serious problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

First you need to decide, and then carefully select your diet. If preference is given to dry food, then it is better to choose the holistic or super-premium lines. Many brands offer food specifically for the British, taking into account their age.

At the same time, veterinarians advise choosing food based on the four-legged lifestyle. If the animal is overweight, then it is worth purchasing appropriate food. If the cat does not leave the house, therefore, it is necessary to purchase appropriate food. It's all written on the packs. In addition, veterinarians working in specialized pet stores will always give advice and help, so this will not be a problem.

Some owners worry that their British black kitten will go hungry while they are at work. Therefore, they leave the drying directly in the bowl, pouring it with a mountain. This cannot be done because, firstly, the feline’s stomach will quickly stretch out, and secondly, they will get used to the fact that they can eat as much as they want, and then they will not leave their feeder. Considering that the British are prone to obesity, doing this is strictly prohibited.

As for natural nutrition, in this case it is better to give preference to fresh meat. It could be rabbit, veal or turkey. It is advisable to avoid pork as it is too fatty. Before serving, the treat can be doused with boiling water and given to the animal immediately. To make food more nutritious, it is recommended to use vegetables. It could be pumpkin, zucchini or carrots. Some people grind the meat in a meat grinder, then grind the vegetables and make vegetable-meat balls, which the four-legged animals eat with pleasure.

Animals must be given eggs at least a couple of times a week. The same applies to dairy products. True, there should not be an excess of them. To maintain the charcoal shade of the coat, you can add kelp to your food from time to time. If the cat is repelled by the smell, then it is worth buying vitamin complexes that contain these algae and giving them.

You should forget about food from the table. British black cats, like representatives of other colors, begin to get sick if they consume fat, salt and spices in excess. All this is present in the food that a person eats. All this is prohibited for animals.

Grooming

Many people believe that the British Shorthair black cat's coat does not need to be looked after. However, it is not. If the animal is not combed at least once a week, the hairs will begin to tangle and cough. Therefore, this procedure cannot be avoided. To do this, it is better to buy a soft brush that will not injure the skin. During the molting period, procedures become more frequent, but they depend on the amount of undercoat being combed out. In order for an animal not to be afraid, it must be taught from childhood. Although, if you choose the right comb, there should be no problems with scratching.

Cats should not be bathed frequently. If the animal walks along the street, then “bath days” must be organized 2 times a year. For bathing, you should take shampoos designed specifically for black Britons. These cosmetics are sold in pet stores.

Fold

Initially, such cats were brought to Scotland from China. The animals settled on the island, and by the middle of the 19th century they began to be considered a Scottish Fold breed. The name was given due to the characteristic feature of the construction of the auricle, the tips of which are slightly bent forward, which gives the muzzle an unusual appearance.

The Scots have a strong, well-formed body, with a large head, a powerful chin and strong jaws, with plump cheeks. Breeders gave the name to this type of cat appearance - cobby.

Breeders tried unsuccessfully to mate a thoroughbred British male with a Scottish Fold. When such individuals were brought to Russia in the 90s, Russian breeders tried to breed a new breed of British fold cats. The resulting appearance of the British, including black ones, was distinguished by the characteristic feature of slightly drooping ear tips on a large round head on a massive body. The fur of the British remained short, filled with undercoat. The crossing experiment was unsuccessful; the kittens were born with weak musculoskeletal function and other genetic diseases.

International felinological organizations did not recognize the new breed of British Fold, and since 2004 mating of Scottish Folds with British dogs has been prohibited.

Feeding

British cats are not picky when it comes to nutrition and will eat almost anything that is offered to them. Therefore, it is necessary to create the right diet and feed your pet natural and high-quality food in order for him to be healthy, beautiful and active. Many people mistakenly believe that there is nothing better for cats than fish. Such a diet will not bring the necessary nutrients and vitamins to the animal’s body.

Pet stores offer a large number of types of food, both dry and wet. Some companies develop a special balanced diet intended only for this breed. Preference should be given to more expensive products; they contain more natural meat, fresh vegetables and nutrients.

If you are a supporter of natural products, you need to prepare daily portions yourself. Your cat should receive the necessary proteins from meat, natural fiber from vegetables and herbs, and you can sometimes add eggs and dairy products. From time to time, your pet needs to buy vitamins, which a veterinarian can recommend after an examination. Also, fresh water should always be freely available in the house.

Breeding

For experienced breeders, it is difficult to be sure that the offspring from each mating will produce a quality litter of black kittens. It is impossible to predict the result for objective and subjective reasons. It all depends on how the pairs are chosen correctly, which must meet the following conditions:

Both parents are purebred black British, without flaws in the coat.
When one of the applicants is prepotent, he will pass on the necessary genes to his offspring.
When testing blood groups, A and B should not be combined in a pair, otherwise offspring may be born but will not survive.
This is not the first time a cat and a cat have participated in mating. Early matings are contraindicated; the body of young kittens is not ready to reproduce healthy offspring.
Genetic signs of heredity are traced through the pedigrees of the couple. If earlier in the litters there were babies that violated the standard, were colorful, with splashes, then the result of obtaining pure black kittens is not guaranteed.
The couple undergoes a health examination from a veterinarian and preventive treatment against helminth infection.
Be vaccinated at least a month before mating.

Black kittens

Breeders are not always able to obtain anthracite babies, even if the conditions for mating black solids are met. Kittens do not immediately become charcoal. A newborn's coat is gray or brown, but only after 8 months does it take on an adult color. To the chagrin of breeders, kittens do not always acquire a perfectly even anthracite tone. Another test awaits the black color. With complete loss of baby teeth in kittens, during puberty, coal solids can radically change the color of the coat.

Black cats in culture and history

In ancient and modern history and culture, black cats were given special attention, most often mythical, associated with memories and beliefs. Here are some well-known facts:

According to the stories of sailors, there is a legend that the famous discoverer of America, Christopher Columbus, kept a black cat on board his ship during his voyage as a talisman for good luck.
According to the surviving frescoes of the ancient Egyptians, it is clear that black cats were given magical properties to protect against evil spirits.
During the Inquisition, coal cats and their mistress-witch were treated with superstition; there are known cases of being burned at the stake.
In Russian folk tales, Baba Yaga always had an assistant, an anthracite cat, living in a hut on chicken legs.
In Mikhail Bulgakov’s mystical novel “The Master and Margarita,” the cat Behemoth is one of the main characters.
In many of Nikolai's stories Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol there is a black cat.
For decades they have been singing the cheerful song “Once upon a time there was a black cat around the corner...”.
Many peoples of the world have an ambiguous attitude towards such a cat:

The Slavs have a companion of magicians and sorcerers;
Among the Chinese, it is considered to protect the home from evil spirits;
For the Romans, the messenger of the gods, a symbol of divine power;
For the people of Ireland, it is a sign of good luck.
For Russians, a harbinger of trouble.

Nowadays, a black cat is treated differently, some will see it, cross the street to the other side and spit over their left shoulder.

Who is the color suitable for?

Many owners are attracted to the black pet because of its mystery and mystery. The owner, purchasing a coal kitten for his home, receives a devoted, affectionate friend for many years. These are independent, balanced, clean animals suitable for large families with small children. Good-natured until old age, they gladly participate in children's fun. For a frequently busy owner, such a cat is simply luck; he takes loneliness calmly and will not get bored, act up and climb on tables. Affectionate and sociable, the black British Shorthair cat has incredible positive energy.

Pros and cons of color

The lucky owners consider coal beauties simply ideal animals; they find many advantages in their behavior and manners:

They rarely get sick and are carriers of immunity.
They are affectionate towards their owner and remain loyal.
Long-lived, sometimes up to 20 years.
Independent, do not require much attention.
They are clean, behave intelligently, do not misbehave, and are not vindictive.
It has been observed that communication with them has a beneficial effect on health:
For those suffering from hypertension;
For people with heart disease;
Relieves stress, absorbs negative energy accumulated during the day.

There are practically no negative traits in the behavior of handsome black men; the shortcomings are only in disqualifying vices. You can buy a kitten for a high price, which, having matured, will not retain the purebred characteristics of a black British cat.