British shorthair

The British Shorthair is a breed of cat originating in Great Britain. This medium to large sized cat is characterized by its very round head and large round eyes.

At the same time, English breeders, such as H. Weir selected the most beautiful alley cats which were exhibited for the first time at the Crystal Palace in London in 1871. They were called British shorthair to distinguish them on the one hand from cats foreign (foreign), oriental and on the other hand, to differentiate them from long-haired cats. It is the counterpart of the European from continental Europe and the American Shorthair from the United States. It is likely that from the early 1900s, British Shorthairs were imported to the United States, although they were registered as "domestic shorthairs" until the 1950s. The First World War struck a blow important to the breeding of British shorthair, almost extinct. In order to be able to revive the breed, crosses with cats without pedigree were practiced, resulting in the loss of the typical physique of the breed. To restore their lost roundness, Persian was used. The GCCF then refused to register these crossbred cats as British Shorthair and it took three generations before the descendants could be registered again. After the Second World War, the same scenario repeated itself. In addition to alley cats, it is likely that crosses with Russian Blues, Burmeses and Carthusians have taken place. The consequences were the same as after the First World War and it was again necessary to appeal to the Persians. The long hair gene was thus introduced into the breed. Kittens born with semi-long hair in British Shorthair litters were neglected for a long time, but in France, in 2000, the variety was recognized under the name of British Longhair. In the United States, where it was crossed with American Shorthairs, the British Shorthair was recognized by the CFA in 1980 and by TICA in 1979. The last standard published by TICA dates from 1993 but over the years it has changed little . In France, the LOOF approved it in 1979.

The British have a character in the image of their teddy bear appearance, and are cats with a peaceful and balanced temperament. They are cats with a great ability to adapt and who like the company of children as well as dogs or other cats. They are also very good hunters and love to play throughout their lives. However, these character traits remain perfectly individual and depend on the history of each cat.