The British Shorthair is a cat that is said to resemble the teddy bear.  It is also referred to as the European Shorthair and is the descendant of cats brought to Britain by the Romans.  The Romans interbred with wild native cats.  The British Shorthair cat was later crossbred with Persian cats to improve the thickness of their coat.

This is an easygoing breed with a stable character that can live comfortably in apartment settings.  The cat is not normally destructive or extremely active, although can be playful.

Famous British Shorthairs include:

• A model for the Cheshire cat in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
• A silver tabby British Shorthair is the face of Whiskas
• A British Blue is the face of Sheba cat food
• The Bacardi Breezer commericals featured a silver tabby British Shorthair

The following appearance description is offered as tips for you to decide if the British Shorthair cat is right for you, your family and lifestyle.

Appearance Description

• Medium to large cat of compact build
• Powerful and well balanced
• Takes years to mature, often do not reach full size until age 3
• Full broad chest at maturity
• Medium to short strong legs
• Rounded paws
• Modified tail
• Massive round head that sits almost immediately on broad shoulders
• Females are smaller than males but retain the overall roundness and bulk associated with the breed
• Ears are set far apart
• Eyes are round and wide open
• One of the most appealing features is a built-in smile, which is caused by its round, prominent whisker pads
• The coat is short and as dense as deep pile carpet
• No other breed of cat has as dense a coat with more hairs per square inch as the British Shorthair does

The following personality description is offered as tips for you to decide if the Brit

Personality Description

• Life with the British Shorthair is relaxing
• They are not overly active cats
• They are comfortable in apartments as well as houses
• They like to join you while sitting quietly on the couch or chair if you invite them to do so
• They are content just being with you and will follow you from room to room
• They are also content perched somewhere just observing what everyone else is doing
• Quiet cats, will meow occasionally
• Confident cats and do well with other pets
• They do not ignore rodents or small birds even if you have them as pets, they may end up this cat’s prey
• They adjust well to dogs and other cats and it is not unusual that the British Shorthair will rise to leader of the family hierarchy
• Great family pets, they are willing to spread their love to everyone
• Patient cats, and are excellent with children

Grooming Tips

• The coat requires weekly brushing to catch shedding
• A bath several days ahead of a show ensures that a proper amount of oil returns to the coat of a show cat
• Toenails are always clipped on exhibition cats
• Use a warm, damp, soft cloth to clean the ears
• Vets must clean within the deeper portion of the ears

Follow the link in the resource box to see a picture of a blue British Shorthair cat, and additional cat breed information.

Written by:  Connie Limon.  Visit “Adopting Kittens” at http://smalldogs2.com/AdoptingKittens to find a complete online reference for choosing and caring for the perfect kitten, which matches you and your lifestyle.  Learn about litter box training at http://smalldogs2.com/LitterBoxTraining

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved Connie Limon

.