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Size: Medium, with a compact build,
powerful and well-balanced.
Colours: The British Shorthair coat, which is short and dense, comes
in all colours of the rainbow, although you'll see a preponderance of blue,
so much so that the cat was often called the "British Blue" in the early
days. The blue British Shorthair can be differentiated from the Russian Blue
by its gold or copper eyes.
Extra: The British Shorthair is loved for its "Cheshire Cat" smile,
which is not unexpected, in that Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat was originally
a tabby British Shorthair.
From
Franny Syufy
History: The British Shorthairs’ origins
are those of the native working cats, the street and yard cats of Britain.
The early British Shorthair and French Charteux were of similar type; many
breeders think they were originally the same cat. Today, breeders have taken
great care to produce two distinct breeds, to be judged separately.
Ancestors of the British Shorthairs survived years of superstition and
persecution in past centuries, when thousands of cats were killed. It is a
marvel that this wonderful, sweet-tempered cat is still around for the whole
world to enjoy.
Many shorthairs were shown at the Crystal Palace in 1895. They held the
limelight for about a year at the show, until the Persian took over. British
Shorthairs were to remain out of favor until the 1930s when a small number
of dedicated breeders took and interest in them. Mr. Harrison Weir, of early
cat fancy fame wrote, “ The ordinary garden cat has survived every kind of
hardship and persecution. That he exists at all is a tribute to his strength
and character and endurance”.
Temperament: British Shorthairs are very independent, yet extremely
affectionate. They are very alert and quizzical and enjoy following you
around the house to make sure you do things right. The males, in particular,
are extremely people oriented, usually downright mushy. This is an extremely
quiet, little talking, no-nonsense, “I can take everything in stride” breed
of cat. British Shorthairs are easy to groom, as their fur does not tangle
and should be combed very lightly. They make ideal pets for less active
people as well as the busy households.
Information Supplied By Southern Alberta Cat
Fanciers - Rene Copeland
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