Origin and History
· The British Shorthair is one of the oldest breeds of cats in Europe.
· They are believed to be descended from the Roman cats brought to the British Isles by the Romans in the first century A.D.
· These foreign cats then mated with the indigenous cats of Britain to produce the British Shorthair.
· Later selective breeding with the best of the native cats improved the breed.
Appearance
· The British Shorthair is a medium to large cat.
· It has a powerful build with a broad chest and short, strong-boned legs with large rounded paws.
· The tail is short, thick at the base and rounded at the tip.
· The male average weight is 6-9 kilograms while the female is 4-6 kilograms.
· The head is round with small ears that are set wide apart and have rounded tips.
· The nose is short, they have chubby cheeks and their eyes are large and round.
· The British Shorthair’s coat is short but dense and plush.
· The coat does not lie flat on the body.
· All coat colours and patterns are permitted.
Character and Personality
· British Shorthair cats are affectionate, quiet and devoted.
· They are not lap cats but they love to follow their humans around or sit beside them.
· They also do not like to be carried and they prefer to have their feet on the ground.
· They are intelligent cats that have a good temperament and are content even when left by themselves.
· They are tolerant with children and dogs.
· This breed of cat loves food but they have a sedentary personality so they are at risk for developing obesity.
Needs
· Moderate grooming.
· Adapted to living both indoors and outdoors.
· Food needs to be rationed to prevent the British Shorthair from gaining too much weight.
Trivia
· The British Shorthair is the National Cat of the British Isles.
· Because of the rounded head, large eyes, chubby cheeks and plush coat, the British Shorthair is called the Teddy Bear cat.