British Shorthair
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
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.
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.
, 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.
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.
s at this time. British Shorthairs can be prone to obesity when desexed or kept indoors, so care should be taken with their diet.
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
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
Governing Council of the Cat Fancy
The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy is a cat registry, established in 1910 and the largest organisation that registers pedigree cats in the United Kingdom. It was formed from a small number of cat clubs which were registering cats at the time when the modern cat fancy was in its first stages....
(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 PalaceThe Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
cat show. The popularity of the breed declined by the 1940s, but since the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, breeding programmes have intensified and the breed's popularity is high once again.
Breed description
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.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 colourpointColorpoint Shorthair
Colorpoint Shorthairs are the first cousins of the Siamese and the Cat Fanciers' Association is the only registry that recognizes them as a standalone breed. In all other registries, they are part of the Siamese and Oriental breeds. These cats are distinguished by their elegance in sixteen...
, tabby
Tabby cat
A tabby is any cat that has a distinctive coat that features stripes, dots, lines or swirling patterns, usually together with an "M" mark on its forehead. Tabbies are sometimes erroneously assumed to be a cat breed. In fact, the tabby pattern is found in many breeds of cat, as well as among the...
, shaded and bicolour
Bicolor cat
A bicolor cat has white fur combined with fur of some other color, for example black or tabby. There are various patterns of bicolor cat. These range from Van pattern through to solid color with a throat locket...
patterns. All colours and patterns also come in the tortoiseshell
Tortoiseshell cat
Tortoiseshell describes a coat coloring found mostly in female cats. Cats of this color are mottled, with patches of orange or cream and chocolate, black or blue. They are sometimes called torties...
pattern, which is a combination of red and cream with other colours.
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 hairballHairball
A hairball is a small collection of hair or fur formed in the stomach of animals that is occasionally vomited up when it becomes too big. Hairballs are primarily a tight elongated cylinder of packed fur, but may include bits of other elements such as swallowed food. Cats are especially prone to...
s 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 PicturesColumbia PicturesColumbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
' "Stuart LittleStuart LittleStuart Little is a 1945 children's novel by E. B. White, his first book for children, and is widely recognized as a classic in children's literature. Stuart Little was illustrated by the subsequently award-winning artist Garth Williams, also his first work for children...
" was a British Blue. However, In the film adaptation of the novel, Smokey is a Russian BlueRussian BlueThe Russian Blue is a cat breed that has a silver-blue coat. These cats are known to be highly intelligent and playful but tend to be timid around strangers...
. - A British Shorthair silver tabby appears on many packages and adverts of WhiskasWhiskasWhiskas is a brand of cat food sold throughout the world. It is owned by the American group Mars, Incorporated. It is available either as meat-like pieces in cans, pouches, or dry biscuits. Most packaging is a recognisable purple colour.-History:...
brand cat food. - In Terry PratchettTerry PratchettSir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
's Humour/Fantasy series DiscworldDiscworldDiscworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
, the Lancre Witch Nanny OggNanny OggGytha Ogg is a character from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. She is a witch and member of the Lancre coven.- Personality :The character of Nanny Ogg is based on the Mother stereotype of the Triple Goddess myth...
's cat Greebo (also known as "The Terror of the Ramtops") is often depicted in art as resembling the British Blue. - Winston Churchill (Church) from Pet SemataryPet SemataryPet Sematary is a 1983 horror novel by Stephen King. It was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984, and was later made into a film of the same name.-Plot:...
was a British Blue. - Happycat (arguably known as the first "lolcatLolcatA lolcat is an image combining a photograph of a cat with text intended to contribute humour. The text is often idiosyncratic and grammatically incorrect, and its use in this way is known as "lolspeak" or "kitty pidgin"....
"), a meme started on the Something AwfulSomething AwfulSomething Awful, often abbreviated to SA, is a comedy website housing a variety of content, including blog entries, forums, feature articles, digitally edited pictures, and humorous media reviews. It was created by Richard "Lowtax" Kyanka in 1999 as a largely personal website, but as it grew, so...
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 ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
prime time drama Desperate HousewivesDesperate HousewivesDesperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
, 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 SmilodonSmilodonSmilodon , often called a saber-toothed cat or saber-toothed tiger, is an extinct genus of machairodonts. This saber-toothed cat was endemic to North America and South America, living from near the beginning through the very end of the Pleistocene epoch .-Etymology:The nickname "saber-tooth" refers...
DopantDopant (Kamen Rider)The are the fictional antagonists in the Kamen Rider Series Kamen Rider W. Dopants are normal humans who use Gaia Memories. The Gaia Memories are aspects of the true , the knowledge of everything on the Earth. These were originally accessed due to Philip's link to the Gaia Memory by means of the...
. - Dex-star, of the Red Lantern CorpsRed Lantern CorpsThe Red Lantern Corps is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They debuted in Green Lantern vol. 4 #25 and were created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver...
, is suggested to be a blue British Shorthair. - The "I Can Has Cheezburger" cat is a British Shorthair.
- Cheshire CatCheshire CatThe Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll's depiction of it in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Known for his distinctive mischievous grin, the Cheshire Cat has had a notable impact on popular culture.-Origins:...
in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll is a British Shorthair. - Ruby in the film adapdation of the memoir "Girl, InterruptedGirl, InterruptedGirl, Interrupted is a best-selling 1993 memoir by American author Susanna Kaysen, relating her experiences as a young woman in a psychiatric hospital in the 1960s after being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder...
" by Susanna KaysenSusanna Kaysen-Life:Susanna Kaysen was born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the daughter of economist Carl Kaysen, a professor at MIT and former advisor to President John F. Kennedy, and his wife Annette Neutra Kaysen. Kaysen has one sister and is divorced...
was a British Blue. - Puss in Boots is a British Shorthair