Cat Quote: "There is something about the presence of a cat... that seems to take the bite out of being alone." ~ Louis J. Camuti

British Shorthair

British Shorthair Cat - Breed Profile

British Shorthair Breed Profile and Pictures submitted by Pamela Lanigan of Cuddleton British Shorthairs

Breed Description and Pictures Submitted by: Pamela Lanigan - Cuddleton British Shorthairs

History - The British Shorthair has come to be known as the teddy bear of the cat world. With a cobby body and wide Cheshire grin they are hard to resist and popular the world over. British Shorthairs originated from farm and street cats in the 1800's in Britain. Harrison Weir, the inventor of the Cat Fancy, bred British Shorthairs and they were one of the most shown breeds at the very first cat shows in Britain. Unfortunately, during the World Wars the British Shorthairs, like many other breeds, suffered greatly in lost numbers, perhaps more than any other breed. With few stud males available breeders had to resort to out crossing to keep the breed alive. This started to see the decline of the cobby body until, in the 1950's breeders began to use big boned Persian cats to bring back the solid frame. This caused problems in itself as the Persian has a snub face and a soft, long coat. Selective breeding plans have managed to reduce and remove these traits and we have the British Shorthair of today.

Colors and Coats Types Available - Most people think of a British Blue as being the colour of the British Shorthair breed. It is certainly the most popular and well known colour but in actual fact there are literally hundreds of colour & pattern combinations being bred all over the world. British Shorthairs are heavily boned, thick limbed and well muscled. This makes them surprisingly heavy for a reasonably compact cat. They have beautiful, wide, round eyes that together with full cheeks give them an irresistible face. Their coat is thick and dense with a bouncy, crisp feel. Most have deep orange eyes. Tabbies can have green eyes and Colourpoints have blue eyes but with all colours the deeper and richer the eye colour the better.

Grooming and Care - British Shorthairs don’t need much grooming at all. They will drop their coat when winter is over and all they need is a good comb to get out the shedding hairs. They have big eyes and these can need the occasional wiping.

Best Suitable Environment - British Shorthair's are dumpy and not super active especially once they get a bit older. They don't need loads of exercise and are quite happy living inside. Other cats and dogs are usually accepted well by the breed and they are very patient with young, gentle children. They make excellent companions for people who live alone or older people.

Personality Traits - Despite the rolly, polly look of these gorgeous cats, British Shorthairs are not a super cuddly breed. They don't like too much handling and are known as a "four paws on the floor" cat. This being said, that make exceptionally good companions and will sit with you, rather than on you. They are affectionate and loving cats but not in a demanding way. They will let you know when they are in the mood for smooching.

British Shorthair Cat Breeders

	04/28/2011
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Cat Quote: "There is something about the presence of a cat... that seems to take the bite out of being alone." ~ Louis J. Camuti

British Shorthair

British Shorthair Cat - Breed Profile

British Shorthair Description