Cat Breeds - The British Shorthair

The British Shorthair is a breed of domestic cat that comes in many different colors but is most famous in its blue shade. It is the pedigree form of the shorthaired cat found around the country with a chunky body shape, a broad face and a dense coat. As well as solid colors, it is also found in a range of tabby patterns and even colorpoint.

History
The Shorthair is an ancient breed that dates back to the 1st century AD when it was brought to the UK by the invading Romans, possibly from cats that they had in turn brought from Egypt. These cats then crossed with the local population of wildcats and their natural isolation on an island has allowed certain traits to breed strong. Their coat is thick to withstand the climate of the country and they are large, robust cats. In fact, based on images that have been found, the breed is little changed from those times.

Selective breeding began in the 19th century with the blue-grey version often called the British Blue to distinguish it from the more delicate Russian Blue. Harrison Weir was one of the first people to have the idea of creating a standard for a breed and the British Shorthair featured in the first ever cat show he organised, held in Crystal Palace in London in 1871.

By the 1890s, new imported breeds such as the Persian saw the Shorthair fall out of favor and even became critically low in numbers around World War I. Breeders mixed Persian into the bloodlines to help restore the breed and this gave rise to the British Longhair while outcrossing with Russian Blues were also common.

After the war, the governing council of cats in the UK, the GCCF, set a rule that only third generation crosses could be accepted to their registry so by WWII, there was another shortage of breeding stock. Further outcrossing was needed and another ancient breed, the French Chartreux was also used. In the 1970s work to once more re-establish the breed saw it receive recognition from both The International Cat Association (TICA) and the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA). According to a 2013 survey, the British Shorthair is once again the most popular breed in the UK.

Description
The British Shorthair has a powerful and compact body that gives the impression of balance and sturdiness. It has thickset legs, a broad chest and rounded paws while its tail is of medium length. The head is also rounded and the muzzle is short with broad cheeks and large, round eyes that are of a copper color in the blue and otherwise depend on coat color.

These cats take longer to mature than most breeds, needing around three years to reach adult size. There is also a different in the size of the sexes with males weighing around 9-17 lb while females are 7-12 lb.

The coat is another distinctive feature of the cat, being very dense but without and undercoat, so the texture is described as fluffy and woolly. Accepted colors in addition to the blue include black, white, red, cream, silver and golden with new colors cinnamon and fawn also being added to that along with colorpoint, shaded, tabby and bicolor patterns. Tortoiseshell variants are accepted in all colors and the GCCF and TICA also accept chocolate and lilac colors.

Personality
While being dignified at all times, these cats are also very easy-going. They are not the most playful breed nor as active as some but are very affectionate and loyal to their owners. They live well with other animals and children but tend to dislike being picked up or carried around. Their coat type means only minimal grooming is needed but their weight does need to be monitored, as they are prone to obesity.