British Shorthair Cats

The British Shorthair cat breed, sometimes called Brits or British Blue cats, has been prized for its heartiness and hunting ability. The origin of the cat breed is considered to be ancient and may be a derivative of the domestic cat breeds from Rome. British Shorthair cats may be the oldest English cat breed.

Though British Shorthair cats were originally often called British Blue cats, this was due to the original bluish hue to the original coat coloring of the cat breed. Since then, variations in coat color have been introduced, so a British Shorthair cat is less likely to be called a British Blue cat.

In 1980, the British Shorthair cat breed was accepted for championship status in the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) in the United States. British Shorthair cats are recognized for their intelligence and laidback temperament. This large, stocky cat breed is not known for its speed or agility. Unlike many cat breeds that enjoy roaming and perching in high places, British Shorthair cats tend to prefer to stay on the ground.

The body of British Shorthair cats is compact and powerful. British Shorthair cats have large, round heads. The ears are medium sized with rounded tips. The placement of the ears is considered important for this cat breed. The ears should set wide apart along the rounded contour of the head.

British Shorthair cats have expressive faces. They often look like they are smiling. Their wide, round eyes should be set well apart and level. Eye color can be gold, copper, green, blue-green, or hazel. The eye color varies with coat color.

The coat of British Shorthair cats can be solid, tabby, patched tabby, tortoiseshell, calico, cameo, bi-color, smoke, silver, or shaded. The possible solid colors are white, black, cream, red, or blue. The chinchilla silver coloring has a white undercoat with black-tipped hair on the head, back, flanks, and tail which gives the cat a sparkling silver appearance.

The British Shorthair cat is not common in the United States. Therefore, Americans may have difficulty finding an available British Shorthair kitten and may have to pay higher prices for a British Shorthair kitten than for other cat breeds.