British Shorthair Cat

British Shorthair Cat

This 'gentle giant' of a cat is loving and affectionate with a quiet voice and does not continuously demand your attention.

British Shorthairs are medium-sized to large cats with males being larger than females; this is more obviously so than with other breeds.
They have dense, short coats which do not require excessive grooming and are bred in a great many colours and patterns.
History
The British Shorthair, probably the oldest English breed of cat, traces its ancestry back to the domestic cat of Rome.

This breed was first prized for its physical strength and hunting ability, but soon became equally recognized and valued for its calm demeanor, endurance and loyalty to man.

Description
The British Shorthair cat has a broad and massive body with strong legs, round paws, and a thick, round-tipped tail.
The head is round with pronounced whisker pads. The eyes are round and open, and the ears are round and well set apart.

The overall look is a round, massive, smiling, "teddy bear" cat.
The coat of the British Shorthair is short but very dense. Its texture is not particularly soft, but is smooth and carpet-like.

Originally, pedigreed British Shorthairs had blue coats - in fact, the breed was once called the British Blue.


Today these breed may come in many colours and patterns, but most associations still do not recognize the British Colourpoint Blue.
The many colours include Bicolours, Colourpointed and the self which includes the Cream British Shorthair the Blue British Shorthair, black, and the Orange-Eyed White British Shorthairs.


In addition there is also the Smoked British Shorthairs, Tabby, including Tortie Tabby (Classic, Mackerel, Spotted, Tipped, including Golden Tipped (pictured below), Tortie including Tortie and White, and Manx.

Characteristics and Temperament
Because of its easy-going nature and intelligence, it has become a favorite of animal trainers, and in recent years many examples of these cats have appeared in Hollywood films and television commercials.

The British Shorthair is easy to groom and is a playful but no-nonsense cat. He tends to be reserved, in fact typically British by nature, but once he becomes a part of the family he is a devoted cat and undemanding companion.