Last updated: September 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how The British Shorthair Cat (britishshorthaircat.co.uk), operated by Icon Media Solutions Ltd, collects, uses and protects any personal information you provide when using this website. This site is operated in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Who is the data controller?
The data controller for this website is Icon Media Solutions Ltd t/a The British Shorthair Cat. You can contact us using the contact form on this website.
What information do we collect?
Contact form data. When you submit the contact form, we collect your name, email address and the content of your message. This information is used solely to respond to your enquiry and is not shared with third parties.
Cookies and usage data. This site uses cookies to help it function correctly and, where you have consented, to understand how visitors use the site. Please see our Cookie Policy for full details.
Breeder directory listings. If you apply to be listed in the British Shorthair breeder directory, we will collect your name, cattery name, contact details and location. This information will be displayed publicly as part of your listing.
Calendar competition photographs. Some photographs on this site were entered in the CattyLicious Calendar Photo Competition, which Icon Media Solutions Ltd runs at shop.cattylicious.com. Entry details (your name, email address and photographs) are collected and held there. This site uses only the photograph and your name, which we show as a photo credit beside it.
A credit stays on the site for as long as the photograph does. To have a photograph or credit removed, email ross@britishshorthaircat.co.uk with the subject line “Photo Removal Request” and we will remove it within 30 days. Our Terms and Conditions set out how competition photographs are used.
How we use your information
We use the information we collect to respond to your enquiries, to manage breeder directory listings, and to improve this website. We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information to any third party.
Spam prevention
To protect our forms from spam and abuse, when you submit a form on this website your IP address is automatically checked against AbuseIPDB, a third-party service that maintains a global database of IP addresses reported for spam, hacking and other abusive activity. Only your IP address is shared with AbuseIPDB to carry out this check; the result tells us whether that address has a recent history of abuse so we can block malicious submissions before they reach us. AbuseIPDB acts as a data processor on our behalf and is based in the United States. We rely on our legitimate interest in preventing spam and keeping this website secure as the legal basis for this processing. You can read how AbuseIPDB handles data in its own privacy policy at abuseipdb.com.
Legal basis for processing
We process your data on the following legal bases under UK GDPR: Consent — for optional cookies and analytics. Legitimate interests — to respond to contact form enquiries and to credit calendar competition photographers by name. Contract — to manage breeder directory listings you have applied for.
How long do we keep your data?
Contact form enquiries are retained for up to 12 months. Breeder directory listing data is retained for the duration of the listing and deleted promptly upon request.
Your rights under UK GDPR
You have the right to access, correct or erase your personal data, to restrict or object to its processing, and to data portability. To exercise any of these rights, please use the contact form. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk.
Third-party services
This website is hosted on servers located in the UK and EU. Contact form submissions are processed via Gravity Forms. We use Google Analytics 4, provided by Google, to see how visitors use the site: it sets cookies only if you accept statistics cookies in the cookie banner, and Google may process that data outside the UK. Our Cookie Policy has the detail.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date at the top.