British Shorthair

British Shorthair
A blue British Shorthair
Origin	United Kingdom
Breed standard
FIFe	standard
CFA	standard
TICA	standard
AACE	standard
ACFA/CAA	standard
ACF	standard
CCA	standard
Domestic cat (Felis catus)

The British Shorthair is a domesticated cat whose features make it a popular breed in cat shows. It has been the most popular breed of cat registered by the UK's Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) since 2001, when it overtook the Persian breed.

Origin

The British Shorthair is the descendant of cats brought to Britain by the Romans and then interbred with wild native cats. They were later crossbred with Persian cats to improve the thickness of their coat. The breed was defined in the 19th century and British Shorthairs were shown at the 1871 Crystal Palace cat show. The popularity of the breed declined by the 1940s, but since the end of World War II, breeding programmes have intensified and the breed's popularity is high once again.

Breed description

A young male blue British Shorthair beginning to show the copper eyes typical of cats with 'blue' fur.

British Shorthairs have dense, plush coats that are often described as crisp or cracking, referring to the way the coat breaks over the contours of the cat's body. Eyes are large, round and widely set and can be a variety of colours, though the copper or gold eyes of the British blue are the best known. Their heads are round with full, chubby cheeks. Their bodies are large, sturdy, and muscular and are described as having a "cobby" build. The breed has a broad chest, shoulders and hips with short legs, round paws and a plush but not fluffy tail that ends in a round or blunt tip. These are the characteristics listed in most governing bodies breeds standards to which show cats must conform.

The males of this breed are larger than the females, and the size difference between them is more easily noticed compared to other breeds. The males' average weight is 5-10 kilograms, whereas a female would weigh up to 5–7 kg. As with many breeds, the adult males may also develop prominent cheek jowls that distinguish them from their female counterparts. The typical lifespan of this breed is 14 to 20 years.

Physical characteristics

The British Shorthair is a very muscular cat, with a "square" body shape and thick legs. Because of its bulk and muscle, it is nicknamed the bulldog of the cat world.^{[citation needed]}

British Shorthairs have large, broad heads. Their eyes stand out and tend to be large and round. Their relatively small ears with rounded tips are set far apart, making the head look domed. They have pert snub noses and slightly rounded chins which help emphasise the breed's powerful jaw and round head.

Varieties

British Shorthairs come in many colours and patterns. For many years, the more popular blue variant was common enough to have a breed name of its own: the "British Blue". It remains one of the most popular colours, though there is now a large variety of other colour and pattern variants accepted by most feline governing bodies and associations. These include the colours black, blue, white, red, cream, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon and fawn. British Shorthairs can be bred in "self" or "solid", which are all one colour, as well as the colourpoint, tabby, shaded and bicolour patterns. All colours and patterns also come in the tortoiseshell pattern, which is a combination of red and cream with other colours.

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  A British Shorthair with the classic tabby markings.

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  Male cream kittens and a female blue tortoiseshell and white kitten. These colours are not new but not as widely bred as blue.

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  Traditional blue shown in the newer bicolour pattern. This cat (named Maru) is being judged at a cat show while waiting for his box.

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  A fawn and white bicolour British Shorthair. Fawn and cinnamon are the newest of British Shorthair colours.

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  A dilute tortoiseshell and white.

Temperament

British Shorthairs are an easygoing breed of cat. They have a stable character and take well to being kept as indoor-only cats, making them ideal for apartment living. They are not terribly demanding of attention, though they will let their owner know if they feel like playing. They enjoy mouse type or stick style toys. They are not hyperactive cats, preferring to sit close to their owners rather than on them. They might supervise household activities from a comfortable perch or perhaps the floor.

British Shorthairs are wonderful cats for people who work, as they are very happy to simply laze around the house while their owner is out. They do not get destructive or need other animals for company, though they do enjoy having another British Shorthair or a cat with similar temperament around.

They like attention and enjoy being petted. They are not a very vocal breed but will meow to communicate with their owners, for example when they are hungry and their food is being prepared. They may also meow at their favourite toy as they play with it. British Shorthairs have a tendency to follow people from room to room, as they may want to be with their owner and see what is going on. Some do not mind being cuddled, but most prefer to keep four paws on the ground and be patted rather than picked up.

The breed has become a favourite of animal trainers because of its nature and intelligence, and in recent years these cats have appeared in Hollywood films and television commercials. They can learn small tricks spontaneously.

Care

British Shorthairs do not require a lot of grooming as their fur does not tangle or mat easily. However, it is recommended that the coat be brushed occasionally, especially during seasonal shedding, since they may develop hairballs at this time. British Shorthairs can be prone to obesity when desexed or kept indoors, so care should be taken with their diet.

Famous British Shorthairs

• Smokey in Columbia Pictures' "Stuart Little" was a British Blue. However, In the film adaptation of the novel, Smokey is a Russian Blue.
• A British Shorthair silver tabby appears on many packages and adverts of Whiskas brand cat food.
• In Terry Pratchett's Humour/Fantasy series Discworld, the Lancre Witch Nanny Ogg's cat Greebo (also known as "The Terror of the Ramtops") is often depicted in art as resembling the British Blue.^{[citation needed]}
• Winston Churchill (Church) from Pet Sematary was a British Blue.
• Happycat (arguably known as the first "lolcat", and also known as the "I Can Has Cheezburger?" cat), a meme started on the Something Awful forums. The original picture of a British Shorthair came from the front page of happycat.ru, a Russian cat food company.
• Toby, a fictional cat on the ABC prime time drama Desperate Housewives, is a British Shorthair.
• Arlene, a blueish grey British shorthair, as displayed in Garfield: The Movie
• Mick, from Kamen Rider W, is a British Shorthair who can turn into the Smilodon Dopant.
• Dex-star, of the Red Lantern Corps, is suggested to be a blue British Shorthair.
• Cheshire Cat in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll is a British Shorthair.
• Ruby in the film adapdation of the memoir "Girl, Interrupted" by Susanna Kaysen was a British Blue.

External links

• Everything you need to know about the British Blue Shorthair Cat