#Shortcat bob full

The British Shorthair's coat is one of the breed's defining features. Unusually among domestic cats they are a noticeably sexually dimorphic breed, with males averaging 9–17 lb (4.1–7.7 kg) and females 7–12 lb (3.2–5.4 kg).

#Shortcat bob full

They are slow to mature in comparison with most cat breeds, reaching full physical development at approximately three years of age. However, the Shorthair can be characterised by having its pointy triangle ears, whereas the Fold has softer, folded ears. The British Blue variant can often be confused with the grey Scottish Fold, a breed closely related to the British Shorthair. Their large ears are broad and widely set. The head is relatively large and rounded, with a short muzzle, broad cheeks (most noticeable in mature males, who tend to develop prominent jowls) and large round eyes that are deep coppery orange in the British Blue and otherwise vary in colour depending on the coat. The British Shorthair is a relatively powerful-looking large cat, having a broad chest, strong thick-set legs with rounded paws and a medium-length, blunt-tipped tail. Description Appearance Ī British Blue male, showing the classic 'Cheshire Cat smile' for which the breed is renowned

According to the GCCF's 2013 registry data, it is once again the most popular pedigreed breed in its native country. Breeders worked to re-establish the true British type, and by the late 1970s, the distinctive British Shorthair had achieved formal recognition from both the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) and The International Cat Association (TICA). British Shorthair breeders also worked with the French Chartreux, another ancient breed, which although genetically unrelated to the British Blue, is a very similar cat in appearance. This contributed to another shortage of pure breeding stock by World War II, at which point the Persian and Russian Blue were reintroduced into the mix. Ī young British Blue male showing the copper eyes typical of cats with 'blue' furĪfter the war, in an attempt to maintain the breed standard, the GCCF decided to accept only third-generation Persian/British Shorthair crosses. The Blue Shorthair, outcrossings of the British with the Russian Blue were also common.

As all cats with the blue colouration were then judged together as variants on a de facto single breed. At the time, any long-haired cats produced were placed into the Persian breeding program. The genes thus introduced would eventually become the basis for the British Longhair. At least partially to alleviate this, British Shorthair breeders mixed Persians into their bloodlines. īy the 1900s with the advent of the newly imported Persian and other long-haired breeds, the British Shorthair had fallen out of favour, and breeding stock had become critically rare by World War I. The new British Shorthair was featured at the first-ever cat show, organised by Weir and held at the Crystal Palace in London in 1871, and enjoyed great initial popularity. Others suggest a group of breeders may have been involved. Some sources directly credit UK artist, and pioneering cat fancier, Harrison Weir with the initial concept of standardising the breed. Selective breeding of the best examples of the type began in the nineteenth century, with emphasis on developing the unusual blue-grey variant called the 'British Blue' or 'English type' (to distinguish it from the more fine-boned ' Russian type'). The Cat Fanciers' Association profile reads: 'When gracelessness is observed, the British Shorthair is duly embarrassed, quickly recovering with a 'Cheshire cat smile'.' Īn early example of the 'English type' Blue Shorthair, from Frances Simpson's Book of the Cat, 1903 The breed's good-natured appearance and relatively calm temperament make it a frequent media star, notably as the inspiration for John Tenniel's famous illustration of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. A quarter of all kittens registered with the GCCF each year are British Shorthairs, making the British the most popular pedigree cat in the UK. In modern times, it remains the most popular pedigreed breed in its native country, as registered by the UK's Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF). It is one of the most ancient cat breeds known. The breed has also been developed in a wide range of other colours and patterns, including tabby and colourpoint. The most familiar colour variant is the 'British Blue', with a solid grey-blue coat, orange eyes, and a medium-sized tail. The British Shorthair is the pedigreed version of the traditional British domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, dense coat, and broad face. British Shorthair in the classic colour ’blue’.