The British Shorthair is said to have originated from the common domestic cat of ancient Rome, and are believed to have been brought with the Romans when they invaded and ruled England two thousand years ago.

Throughout the years, these cats bred among themselves in the relatively secluded island possibly cross-breeding with local wild cats. During the nineteenth century,  the interest in pedigreed cats flourished in Victorian Britain. Exotic cats from the far and near orient arrived, some breeders decided to recreate the local British Shorthair as a pedigree in its own right.

In 1871, British Shorthairs were shown as a breed in the Crystal Palace cat show. With the development of the new cat breeds, interest in the British Shorthair declined, but the breeds revival after the second world war encouraged British breeders to make improvements by cross-breeding with Persian cats. This enhanced the round thickset look of the British shorthair.

Characteristics

The British cat is compact, well balanced and powerful, medium to large in size, showing good depth of body.  Tail thick at base with a rounded tip.  The head is round with good width between the ears, round cheeks, firm chin, large, round and well-opened eyes.  The coat is short and dense.

HEAD: Round and massive with good breadth of skull, well set on a short thick neck. Round face with round underlying bone structure.

EARS: Small, well-finished, slightly rounded at tips, with good width between.

EYES:  Large, round, and bold.  Set wide apart and level.

NOSE: Short, broad and straight.

CHIN: Firm and well-developed.

BODY: Cobby type with short level back.  Low on the legs with broad deep chest.  Equally massive across the shoulders and the rump.

LEGS: Short, well-boned and strong.  Straight forelegs.

PAWS: Round and firm.  Toes carried close.

TAIL: Short and thick but in proportion to the body length, with a rounded tip.

COAT: Short, dense and resilient.

CONDITION:  Hard and muscular. 

Special Needs

The British shorthair is an easy-to-maintain breed.  The short coat only needs brushing one or twice a week to remove dead hair.  Occasional bathing helps to remove excess oil from the coat.

Temperament

It is often the temperament of the British Shorthair rather than looks which endears this breed to people. British are laid back and non active. They tend to be lazy and would rather spend time sleeping than playing. Breeders say they are intelligent and can even be taught to walk on a lead. Although some cats will tolerate time outside the majority would rather choose to be inside looking out. They are often described as the cat with all four feet on the ground as they do not climb very well. British are not very vocal but will talk to you if they are not well or hungry.

Health and life span

Due to the mixed origin of the British they are one of the healthiest and hardiest of breeds. Their lifespan of 15 years or more is reflective of a sturdier cat. However, you must be careful not to overfeed them as low activity levels combined with hearty appetites makes them susceptible to obesity. The oldest recorded age of a British Shorthair is 23 years.