HARVESTMOON​
THE BRITISH SHORTHAIR
ORIGIN.
The Romans brought cats into Britain which then interbred with Britains wild native cats which resulted in the British Shorthair breed. To improve their coats they were then crossbred with Persian cats. The breed were very popular in the 19th century and were even shown at the 1871 Crystal Palace cat show. The British Shorthair wasn't as popular during the 1940s, but breeding programmes have intensified since the end of World War II and the British is once again a very popular choice.
CHARACTERISTICS
BREED DESCRIPTION.
British Shorthairs have dense, plush coats that when at their best should leave a hand impression when patted. The coat will also crack when the cat turns their head or lays down, that is it will form a distinct opening.
Their eyes are always large, round and widely set and come in a variety of colours, though the copper or gold eyes of the British blue is the most familiar. Their heads are round with full, chubby cheeks very similar to the cartoon cat Garfield. Their bodies are typically large, stocky and muscular. The British has a broad chest and shoulders, short legs, round paws and a plush tail with a blunt tip.
The males are larger than the females, with the males' average weight being 5-10 kilograms and the females' average weight being up to 5–7 kilograms.
​ The average lifespan of this breed is 14 to 20 years.
VARIETIES
COLOURS
British Shorthairs can come in many different colours and patterns. For years, the most popular colour was the blue variant but other colours are becoming popular as well now. The colour and pattern variations are generally 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 colourpoint, tabby, shaded and bicolour patterns.