“Hello, I’m your… kitty from Brazil, where there are lots and lots of wild monkeys in the jungle.” That’s how the Brazilian Shorthair might introduce itself, borrowing a famous line from a classic Soviet comedy. So what are the cats from the land of endless carnivals, the best soccer and macho Dom Pedros really like?
History of the Breed
The Brazilian Shorthair is the name the world knows Brazil’s native cats by. The breed really did appear in the South American country on its own. Perfectly ordinary cats roamed Brazilian streets, and for a long time nobody thought twice about how they looked. Purebred? Come on, they’re just regular cats!
Yet these Brazilian cats aren’t as simple as they seem. In the 1980s, experts noticed them. Realizing that a distinct, uniform cat population was living carefree all over the country, they were delighted. Together with the Brazilian cat fanciers’ association, they set out to develop a national breed and succeeded. By the late 1990s, the World Cat Federation (WCF) had recognized the Brazilian Shorthair as a separate breed.
Now Brazil is rightfully proud of its cats. Catteries have started breeding them, but there still aren’t many outside the country.
Breed Description
Brazil is also famous for women so beautiful they routinely top the lists of the world’s best models. Like a proper Latin American beauty, the Brazilian Shorthair belongs on that list too. She hasn’t walked the runway yet, and fashion magazines haven’t put her on their covers, but her 36-24-36 is perfectly described in the feline version of Vogue: the breed standard.
- The head is medium-sized and elongated, slightly longer than it is wide:
- the nose shouldn’t be short; it flows into the forehead smoothly, without a stop. The nose is the same width along its whole length;
- the chin is strong and slightly prominent;
- the ears are soft, set upright and wide apart, rounded at the tips; ear tufts are allowed by the standard;
- the shape of the eyes and the gaze are hallmarks of the breed. Experts and owners alike agree that the Brazilian cat’s gaze is very piercing and intelligent. The eyes are expressive, large, almond-shaped and slightly slanted, set one and a half eye-widths apart. Eye color can be anything, as long as it harmonizes with the coat. A white cat will most likely have blue eyes. Silver cats have green or yellow eyes, and cats of other colors can boast yellow or copper eyes;
- the neck is strong and muscular.
- The body is rectangular and medium-sized, with a rounded chest and strong hips. The breed is naturally muscular.
- the legs are medium-sized and set slightly away from the body. Hind and front legs are the same length; the paws are small and round.
- the tail is thick at the base, tapers toward the tip and is in proportion to the body.
Overall, the Brazilian cat’s build is very harmonious and very familiar to the eye. It’s “cat squared,” and it doesn’t weigh much. Like any figure-conscious Brazilian model, this whiskered beauty doesn’t put on extra pounds as an adult and weighs about 6.5–11 lb.
- Coat and color
The Brazilian Shorthair’s coat has no undercoat; who’d need one in Brazil’s climate? The fur is very short, close-lying and silky. The standard allows a slightly coarse texture. A plush or stand-off coat is disqualifying.
You could go on forever describing the breed’s colors, since the standard allows every color imaginable. A black Brazilian cat is just as gorgeous as, say, a gray or red one, as long as it isn’t pointed (acromelanic), meaning a darker mask, tail, legs and ears than the rest of the body.
Personality
Raised in Brazil’s family-loving traditions, this cat grew up in a big-family culture. From kittenhood, a Brazilian Shorthair learns that a family can be noisy, loud and rowdy, but above all, loving!
This cat will calmly put up with a horde of neighborhood kids or a big, cheerful crowd of its owners’ guests, but only if nobody forgets about it and everyone pays it some attention. Yes, Brazilian cats look plain, but they’re the kind of street flower that blooms in a special way at home. They don’t distinguish between adults and children and treat every member of the pack equally.
Brazilian Shorthairs are excellent hunters and keep those skills even in a city apartment, so window screens are a must. And if a mouse moves in, a cat from Brazil will quickly solve the problem; they’re excellent mousers.
Independence is in the Brazilian cat’s blood too, but it’s willing to trade some freedom for affection and care. These cats love fresh-air outings and active games. A Brazilian kitten can start going for walks on a harness at a young age (but only after its vaccinations). Overall, it’s a playful cat with a positive outlook and a sharp mind.
Health
What’s great about native breeds? Everything, but especially their robust health. The Brazilian Shorthair doesn’t spend time on sick leave or run to the vet, because its health is excellent. The only issues that sometimes come up involve the coat and, occasionally, the digestive system.
Because the breed’s ancestors grew up on the street, Brazilian cats have a bad habit of putting anything lying around in their mouths. That can lead to parasite infections. Dozens of species of worms can infect cats and kittens, and some can infect people too, so worms are no joke!
How can you tell your cat has worms? There are several signs that, unfortunately, resemble other illnesses too, but they’re like an ambulance siren telling you to act fast. If your cat has constipation or diarrhea, blood or mucus in its stool or vomit, weight loss, a badly bloated belly, a cough or hair loss, get to the vet right away! Don’t self-treat; it could harm your pet.
The Brazilian Shorthair lives 15–20 years.
Care and Living Conditions
Deworm your cat every three months without fail. Even if your cat never goes outside, give it the right dose of a dewormer once a quarter and simply rule out the problem. Ask your vet whether a tablet or a spot-on product is the better choice for your cat.
Coat care is simple. Weekly brushing with a rubber brush or a FURminator-style deshedding tool is enough to remove dead hair. Your Brazilian cat is very clean, so it has probably swallowed a fair amount of fur; offer cat grass or hairball-control food to help it get rid of it. Also wipe the eyes and clean the ears from time to time, and that’s the whole care routine.
Feeding
The Brazilian beauty will happily eat premium commercial cat food. Cheaper foods may appeal to her too, but they can harm her health! Yes, premium food costs much more, but the health of the family’s favorite is worth it.
A homemade diet for a Brazilian Shorthair means meat and fermented dairy (if your cat tolerates it). Raw fish (freshwater and saltwater) and raw liver from warm-blooded animals can spread worms, and treating the consequences is long and difficult, so leave them out. Breeders also advise against feeding chicken skin, starchy vegetables or red vegetables, which the cat’s digestive system can’t handle well.
Photos
Allow us to introduce Consuela, a cat from Brazil, reportedly the only cat in the world that truly sings! At age 5, she began imitating her 17-year-old owner’s vocal practice. She is said to hit notes in two octaves without going off-key and to “sing” 36 songs, including an aria from La Traviata, Elvis Presley hits and even Bach! Consuela performs both in duets and solo, tours, poses for photos and appears on posters.
Where to Buy a Kitten
It seems you can only buy a kitten in Brazil, since the breed hasn’t spread widely yet. In the US, the CFA and TICA don’t recognize the Brazilian Shorthair, and we couldn’t find a US cattery for it.
“Brazilian Shorthair” kittens sometimes appear in classified ads, but who can give you a 100% guarantee you’re not being offered a litter from the neighborhood alley cat? After all, the breed’s hallmark (the “piercing gaze”) is a pretty subjective trait.
There’s no established US price for the breed. If you’re set on one, look for a WCF-registered cattery in Brazil or Europe through the World Cat Federation, ask for pedigree papers and plan for import costs (shipping, a vet health certificate and a rabies vaccination). Dedicated Brazilian Shorthair catteries are rare even there, but some catteries breed them alongside more popular breeds.
The Brazilian Shorthair. Quem vê cara não vê coração (“You can’t see the heart by looking at the face,” a Brazilian saying).
