British Blue Cat: Same Breed, Its Own Original Name
A British Blue IS a British Shorthair: the breed's own original name, kept alive by its most popular coat. The history, the color, and the answers to what British Blue searchers actually ask.
Published August 20, 2026 3 min read
Contents
Two answers before anything else, because they are what you came for. A British Blue is a British Shorthair: not a separate breed, not a variety with different papers, just the breed's most famous coat wearing the breed's own original name. And it is not a Russian Blue, which is a genuinely different breed with a different build and coat.
Where the name comes from
The name is older than the breed's current one. 's own breed history states that cats "first exported to the U.S. in the early 1900s... were initially registered as 'British Blues,' but are now seen in many colors." As the palette widened, the registries renamed the breed for what it was rather than one coat. No registry document we read records the exact date of that rename, so we will not invent one.
Today, no registry uses "British Blue" as a formal class name. 's and 's standards both list the color plainly as "BLUE," and 's page calls blue simply "the most popular color for British Shorthairs." The one place the old name lives on officially is GCCF's own consumer page, as affectionate marketing: "The British Blue is the 'flagship' of the breed, with almost half the breed registrations being the 'self' colours."
The coat itself
A solid, even blue-grey over the breed's famously dense, plush, crisp-textured short coat, classically paired with deep orange-to-copper eyes: the teddy-bear look that built the breed's reputation. Blue is the most available color in every market our price research sampled. That also makes it the sensible first ask if you want a shorter waitlist.
British Blue vs Russian Blue: ninety seconds
Both are blue-grey. Almost everything else differs, in the registries' own words. The British is a cobby, round-faced, heavy-boned cat whose standard says the coat is "not double coated or woolly." The Russian Blue is a fine-boned, elegant cat whose defining feature IS its double coat, with vivid green eyes against the British's orange-to-copper. If a listing says "British Russian Blue," the seller is confused about at least one breed. It is worth finding out which.
The questions British Blue searchers ask, answered honestly
Because the search results treat "British Blue" as a whole-breed query, quick answers with the real pages behind them:
How much is a British Blue?
the most available, least premium coat; market-by-market figures from named catteries
How long do they live?
quoted ranges 12-20 () and 14-20 (); the clean measured figure is an 11.8-year median from 69 English deaths
Do they shed?
a weekly-comb coat with a seasonal molt, per the registries
Are they hypoallergenic?
no cat is, this breed included
The vet's take
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Frequently asked questions
Is a British Blue the same as a British Shorthair?
Yes: British Blue is the breed's original name, kept alive for its most popular coat, the solid blue. Same breed, same standard, same papers.
What is a British Blue cat?
A British Shorthair in the breed's flagship solid blue-grey coat, classically with orange-to-copper eyes, on the dense, plush coat the standards describe.
Is a British Blue a Russian Blue?
No. Different breeds: cobby and round-faced with a coat that is "not double coated" (CFA's words) versus fine-boned with a defining double coat and green eyes.
Are British Blue cats friendly?
They are British Shorthairs, so the measured temperament applies: one of the calmest, least demanding breeds studied, affectionate on its own four-feet-on-the-floor terms.
How much does a British Blue cat cost?
See the four-market price page: blue is the most available color at named catteries in every market we sampled.
Community questions
Got a question this page doesn't cover? Ask it: the best ones get published here with their answer.
This is information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot tell you what is wrong with your cat. Our rule is a simple one: if something is wrong with your cat, call your vet, and call an emergency clinic if it is out of hours. Nothing you read here is a reason to wait.
Medical information applies to every reader. Prices, legal duties and common practice do not: unless stated otherwise, they are given for the United States, and they differ in the UK, Canada and Australia, and often between states or provinces. Check with your own vet and your own local authority.
Our sources
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