Is the British Shorthair Cat for You?




The British Shorthair is a cat that is said to resemble the teddy bear. It is also referred to as the European Shorthair and is the descendant of cats brought to Britain by the Romans. The Romans interbred with wild native cats. The British Shorthair cat was later crossbred with Persian cats to improve the thickness of their coat.

This is an easygoing breed with a stable character that can live comfortably in apartment settings. The cat is not normally destructive or extremely active, although can be playful.

Famous British Shorthairs include:

· A model for the Cheshire cat in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
· A silver tabby British Shorthair is the face of Whiskas
· A British Blue is the face of Sheba cat food
· The Bacardi Breezer commericals featured a silver tabby British Shorthair

The following appearance description is offered as tips for you to decide if the British Shorthair cat is right for you, your family and lifestyle.

Appearance Description

Medium to large cat of compact build
Powerful and well balanced
Takes years to mature, often do not reach full size until age 3
Full broad chest at maturity
Medium to short strong legs
Rounded paws
Modified tail
Massive round head that sits almost immediately on broad shoulders
Females are smaller than males but retain the overall roundness and bulk associated with the breed
Ears are set far apart
Eyes are round and wide open
One of the most appealing features is a built-in smile, which is caused by its round, prominent whisker pads
The coat is short and as dense as deep pile carpet
No other breed of cat has as dense a coat with more hairs per square inch as the British Shorthair does

The following personality description is offered as tips for you to decide if the British Shorthair cat is right for you, your family and lifestyle.

Personality Description

Life with the British Shorthair is relaxing
They are not overly active cats
They are comfortable in apartments as well as houses
They like to join you while sitting quietly on the couch or chair if you invite them to do so
They are content just being with you and will follow you from room to room
They are also content perched somewhere just observing what everyone else is doing
Quiet cats, will meow occasionally
Confident cats and do well with other pets
They do not ignore rodents or small birds even if you have them as pets, they may end up this cat’s prey
They adjust well to dogs and other cats and it is not unusual that the British Shorthair will rise to leader of the family hierarchy
Great family pets, they are willing to spread their love to everyone
Patient cats, and are excellent with children

Grooming Tips

The coat requires weekly brushing to catch shedding
A bath several days ahead of a show ensures that a proper amount of oil returns to the coat of a show cat
Toenails are always clipped on exhibition cats
Use a warm, damp, soft cloth to clean the ears
Vets must clean within the deeper portion of the ears

Follow the link in the resource box to see a picture of a blue British Shorthair cat, and additional cat breed information.


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