British Shorthair
Silver Spotted
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British Shorthair
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Silver Spotted
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| Harrison Weir, father of all cat shows, was a great admirer of these cats. "The ordinary garden cat," he wrote, "has survived every kind of hardship. That he exists at all, is a tribute to his strength of character and endurance." Mr. Weir's devotion to the shorthaired British cats was shared by Mr. Jung, who was to become one of the first cat show judges. He believed if these beautiful cats were thoughtfully bred, a race of cats with aristocratic pedigrees and the same inherent goodness and quality would be developed. The breed produced was named the British Shorthair and were the only cats to be shown as pedigreed at the first cat shows. All others were simply shown as longhair or shorthair, divided by their various colors. |
| Placid and easygoing. Sleeps a lot. Content to lie around the house. Can be aloof. Play gets left behind with kittenhood. Extremely dignified and gentle. |
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Head
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Round and massive. Round face with round underlying bone structure well set on a short thick neck. The forehead should be rounded with a slight flat plane on the top of the head. The forehead should not slope. |
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Eyes
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Large, round, and set wide apart. Color appropriate to coat color (copper, gold, blue, green, blue-green, odd eyed). |
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Ears
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Ear set is important. Medium in size, broad at the base, rounded at the tips. Set far apart, fitting into (without distorting) the rounded contour of the head. |
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Neck
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Short, thick, and muscular. |
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Body
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Compact, well-knit. Broad chest, shoulders, and rump. Muscular. |
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Paw
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Short and strong. Well boned and muscled. Round paws. |
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Tail
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Medium length in proportion to the body, thicker at base, tapering slightly to a rounded tip. |
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Coat
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Short, dense, and well bodied. Firm to the touch. Plush, giving the impression of natural protection. Abundant undercoat. British Longhairs also exist, the result of the introduction of too much Persian blood. All colors permissible. The British Blue is the most popular variety. |
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Nose
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Medium, broad. In profile there is a gentle dip. |
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Fault
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Overly fine head, jaws, or skull structure. Oriental eyes. Fine boning. Overlong coat. No undercoat. White lockets or buttons. |
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Character
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This calm, good-tempered, easygoing cat looks like a teddy bear. British Shorthairs are excellent, well-balanced companions that adapt easily to life in the city or in the country (where they can act on their strong hunting instinct). The British Shorthair gets along well with other cats and dogs. He is lively, playful, and very affectionate, but not to the point of being bothersome. This hardy breed does not reach full maturity until two or three years of age. Onset of puberty is relatively late. Weekly brushing and combing is sufficient. During shedding season (this cat sheds a lot), daily brushing is required. |
| No known genetic problems. Generally hardy. |
Black Tipped