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The British Shorthair Cat.
Dr David Richardson, July 31, 2005 Contact Aussie British Shorthair Breeders
The history of the British shorthair cat
The British shorthair had its origin in Roman times when large numbers of cats were introduced to the United Kingdom as working cats to help keep down the rodent population in farms and farms. After the Romans left in the second century AD, these cats were left to interbreed with the native British felines. As Britain was relatively isolated for the next 1000 years, the massive, stocky plush coated British shorthair cat window today evolved.
The British shorthair breed was well represented at the Crystal Palace cat show of 1871. During the later half of the 19th-century however the breed became less popular as versions & needs grew to be predominant.
During the first half of the 20th century, British shorthairs were interbred extensively with Chartreuse from France so as the two breeds became almost indistinguishable. In fact for a time they were regarded as the same breed. Following this the Chartreuse was re-recognised as a separate breed and interbreeding forbidden.
In World War II many British cat breeds were devastated because of shortages and hard times. So after World War II the British shorthair breed had to be recreated using a combination of Brits, Persians and some other shorthair varieties. It was at this stage that the many colours and varieties we now know in the British shorthair came into being.
Other Breeds derived from British Shorthairs
The British shorthair is the basis of several other breeds including the Manx, the Scottish fold, the Scottish shorthair and from America, Selkirk Rex variety.
What to look for when judging
The British shorthair is a massive cat with a wide chest, a soccer ball head, a cobby body type with a short level back. They have plush, very dense coats which ideally part as the cat moves. It has large round eyes, set wide apart, and full cheeks which giving the look made famous by Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat.
British have rounded, smallish ears, thick medium length tails with rounded tips, & broad stocky legs with round paws. They prefer to have their feet on the ground. They have a medium wedge muzzle and in profile they have a dip (indentation) but not a stop or break .
Scoring Summary
In the WNCA Standard a total of 35 points is given for the head ears and eyes, 20 for the coat and a further 15 for colour and pattern, and 15 for the body. And 5 for each of legs, tail and condition.
British Shorthair Gallery
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