The British shorthair cat is a strong, large and round cat. A teddy bear with a calm but playful character, affectionate and not at all independent, that is, a perfect feline companion. All this and much more is what has made this breed one of the most appreciated in the world.
Origin of the British Shorthair
It is said that the British arose from the crossing between the cats that the Roman legions transported to ancient Britain with the indigenous cats of the area. To protect themselves from the British climate of rain and humidity, they developed a characteristic double coat, very dense and short, which makes it unmistakable.
The first recognition of the breed came in an exhibition by artist Harrison Heir in 1871 at the Crystal Palace in London. As a consequence of World War II, the British population was decimated. To recover it, the breeders were forced to make crosses with other races, such as the Persians. Thanks to genetics, these crosses gave the British new physical characteristics, colors, bone structure and long-haired specimens also emerged. This “new breed” was called British Longhair, and is currently recognized in some feline associations such as TICA and WCF but not in others such as FIFE.
The standard British Shorthair
The current British standard is defined as a compact and balanced cat, with a strong body and broad chest, short, thick and rounded legs and tail. Their ears are small, rounded at the tip and well separated. Prominent cheeks and firm chin. Round eyes, large and wide open, with a wide and short nose. Their hair is short and very dense, with a crispy touch and a good undercoat.
Colors and patterns in the British Shorthair’s coat
The range of colors is very wide, from the golden british shorthair, black, blue, red, cream, chocolate, lilac, tortoises until the last recognized, the cinnamon and fawn. If we add white to these, we will have bicolor and tricolor, or even whole whites. Keep in mind that turtles (a color mixed with cream or red) and tricolor can only be female. In addition, the color patterns that we can find in the British are tabby, spotted and color point.
These patterns are still little known in our country, but in recent years, and thanks to the work of some breeders, good specimens are beginning to be seen. The most representative color of the British is blue, but it must be confused with other races whose specimens can only be of this color, such as Carthusian or Russian Blue. The color of the eyes is consistent with the coat and pattern, being the usual copper-orange color, but we can also have blue and green eyes in the British silver tabby and golden shaded.
The character of the British Shorthair
One of the aspects that so many people choose this breed for is its character. It is a calm cat, playful even in adulthood and very affectionate. It is not an independent cat, it is happy being in the company of its owners, welcoming them when they get home and always looking for contact or closeness. It gets along well with children and with other animals since it is not aggressive or territorial, compared to other breeds. For all this, it is considered the perfect companion to live in our house.
Common diseases in British Shorthairs
The British, in general, is a strong cat in good health. Even so, when acquiring a cat of this breed it must be taken into account that, due to the crosses that were made with other breeds, there is a certain incidence of polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Being a genetic disease, if the parents of our kitten have tests with a negative result, we should not worry.
Basic care of the British Shorthair
The care of the British is very simple, similar to what any other short-haired breed needs. To maintain its coat, a brushing from time to time is enough to remove the excess hair, more frequently during the shedding season. If our cat does not go outside the house, it is not necessary to bathe it often, but when we do, it will be necessary to use specific products for cats. It is convenient to check and clean the eyes and ears of our cat when we observe excess tears or legacies in the eyes, or wax in the ears. It is enough with a gauze or similar (avoid the cotton for the eyes) and some product indicated for it.
We hope that this little guide has served to convince you to include a British Shorthair in your life.
