The British Shorthair is a medium-size cat with low energy and a calm temperament — which makes it easy to gain weight when feeding is not adjusted. The breed also has a tendency toward hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the most common heart disease in cats, which reinforces the importance of adequate taurine in the food.
In the current My Pet Magazine analysis, the best food for the British Shorthair is Hill's Science Diet Perfect Weight Cat (Hill's Science Diet), with a technical score of 87/100 (🌟 Superior Quality), calculated with the My Pet Magazine IDNM/IPFI methodology across 50 cat foods reviewed in July 2026. See the full ranking ↓
What to weigh in food for the British Shorthair
Two points weigh most in the choice of a British Shorthair's food: weight and the heart.
A calm cat, calories under control. The sedate temperament and low energy mean this cat burns few calories day to day — which puts on weight quickly if the portion is not adjusted. A food with fiber for satiety and controlled calories fits that more sedentary profile better.
A heart in order with taurine. Taurine is essential for any cat, being an obligate carnivore — but in the British Shorthair that care carries extra weight because the breed has a tendency toward hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a thickening of the heart muscle. Food with taurine at an adequate level and good-quality animal protein is relevant nutritional support for the heart, alongside regular veterinary follow-up.
Since low energy and a calm temperament add up to a risk of excess weight across life, tracking the cat's body is continuous care — not something resolved once and for all — in choosing and adjusting the food.
Criteria scored against the My Pet Magazine nutritional targets (protein, fat, calcium and caloric density ranges by size — see our methodology).
Breed profile and predispositions
The British Shorthair has a calm temperament and low energy, traits that reduce the cat's spontaneous calorie expenditure and favor weight gain across life when feeding is not adjusted to that more sedate profile — according to the nutrient profiles from AAFCO, which point to controlled calories and functional fiber as weight-management tools.
The breed is also among those most prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common heart disease in cats — it affects as many as 1 in 7 cats, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. Having the breed tendency does not mean every British Shorthair will develop the condition, but it reinforces the importance of taurine at an adequate level and quality protein in the diet, always alongside veterinary follow-up.
Recommended foods for the British Shorthair
Ranked by IDNM/IPFI technical score across 50 cat foods — no manual product curation.
- 1
Hill's Science Diet Perfect Weight Cat · Hill's Science Diet
87/100 - 2
Purina Pro Plan Weight Management · Purina Pro Plan
86.8/100 - 3
Purina ONE +Plus Ideal Weight · Purina ONE
85.7/100 - 4
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Kitten · Blue Buffalo
84/100 - 5
Purina Pro Plan Indoor Care · Purina Pro Plan
83.2/100
Frequently asked questions about British Shorthair food
- Why does the British Shorthair gain weight more easily than other cat breeds?
- Because he is a calm cat with low energy — and low calorie expenditure day to day. According to AAFCO's nutrient profiles, that more sedate profile makes calorie control and the presence of fiber in the food important criteria for this breed.
- Does the British Shorthair have any known cardiac tendency?
- Yes. The breed is among those most prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) — a thickening of the heart muscle that is the most common heart disease in cats, affecting as many as 1 in 7 cats, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. That reinforces the importance of adequate taurine and quality protein in the food.
- Does every British Shorthair gain weight?
- No. The calm temperament and low energy favor weight gain when feeding is not adjusted, but they do not guarantee excess weight on their own. A controlled portion and keeping an eye on the cat's body across life reduce that risk considerably.
- Is taurine more important for the British Shorthair than for other breeds?
- Taurine is essential for any cat — every cat is an obligate carnivore and depends on it. The difference in the British Shorthair is the extra weight the tendency toward hypertrophic cardiomyopathy gives that nutrient: it is worth choosing a food with a carefully managed taurine level.
- Is a low-calorie food always the most suitable for the British Shorthair?
- Controlled calories tend to fit the breed's sedate profile well, but the ideal food also depends on each cat's individual weight and activity. Veterinary follow-up and an eye on the cat's body help fine-tune it.
Methodology
The block of recommended foods on this page is ordered by My Pet Magazine's IDNM/IPFI technical methodology, which evaluates the nutritional density and ingredient purity of each product in the active dataset for the British Shorthair's medium-size profile — with no manual curation or brand influence.
The score takes into account how well the food fits the feline species' profile as an obligate carnivore: control of caloric density and animal-source protein are factors that weigh in the ranking, recalculated whenever the product dataset is updated.
The ranking on this page is a projection of the My Pet Magazine IDNM/IPFI scoring engine over the cat dataset, with no manual product curation. See the full methodology →
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