The British Shorthair has a general lifespan of 14 to 20 years, but this is directly dependent upon their health. This is one particular breed that must be fed carefully, for risk of obesity. The British Shorthair is not especially active, preferring to spend much of its time taking it easy, so it does not get the opportunity to burn calories. If you have questions about the perfect amount of protein and carbohydrates you should be feeding to your Shorthair, your veterinarian can help you to create a life diet plan, so that stages of growth can be taken into consideration, and your cat is having all of its nutritional needs met.