The British Shorthair feline breed also known as the «English shorthair» , or British shorthair , is originally from the United Kingdom, it is considered one of the  oldest English cat breeds and has as ancestors the domestic cats of Rome that were deported by the Romans to then Britain. Their short, bushy double coat is believed to have been developed as a means of defense to ward off the British wet and humid weather.

The  British Shorthair has a great hunting ability that also helped it to survive in the British countryside, they were mainly in charge of avoiding rodent pests that went in search of crops in the field and prevented health problems in cities also caused by rodents.

The British shorthair is generally very calm, cuddly, resistant and loyal to its family, after World War II they were on the verge of extinction and the Persian Cat was involved to give greater vigor to the breed.

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Behavior of the British shorthair

The British Shorthair cat loves to be caressed and to feel the affection of the people it loves the most, it is also a good companion animal for children because it loves to play a lot even if it is an adult cat.

The British shorthair  is very calm, but also cheerful, it has the ability to adapt to any type of house whether in the city or in the country.

His relationship with dogs is very good, the British Shorthair is one of the cats most sought after by people in recent years.

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British Shorthair characteristics

Height: varies between 30 and 35.5 cm.

Weight: between 4 and 8 Kg.

Body: large and muscular, with short to medium legs.

Head:  round with plump cheeks.

Coat: short, dense, silky and with a very compact texture.

Coat color:  the  British shorthair has a wide variety of colors such as black, blue, red, cream, chocolate, lilac, golden, cinnamon and fawn, in addition it can present patterns such as bicolor, tricolor, tortie, tabby, calico , tipping, harlequin and colorpoint (like the Siamese cat ).

Ears:  medium in size, rounded, broad at the base and widely separated from each other.

Eyes: they  are large, separated, round and of intense colors.

Nose:  straight, short and wide.

Tail:  thick at the base and tapers to the tip, which is rounded.

Longevity: These cats live between 9 and 15 years.

British shorthair health

The British shorthair cat is a generally strong cat in good health, but prone to diseases such as polycytosis of the kidneys, coronavirus, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and feline panleucopein.

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British Shorthair Care

• One brushing a week is enough to remove dead hair, remember that during shedding time you will need to brush it more frequently.
• Bathe your British Shorthair  when necessary and use suitable cat care products.
• It is convenient to check and clean the eyes and ears of our British Shorthair cat when they present blemishes and wax.
• Give him a balanced diet to avoid being overweight.
• Make available various toys, because it is a generally playful cat.
• Try to be physically active to burn energy and calories.
• Take your British Shorthair to the vet regularly and have all his vaccinations up to date.

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British Shorthair Curiosities

• The first recognition of the race took place in an exhibition realized by the artist Harrison Heir in 1871 in the Crystal Palace of London and thanks to this it was more popular than the Persian cat .
• British Shorthair cats that have a tortie (a color mixed with cream or red) and tricolor coat pattern can only be female.