The British Shorthair is considered the oldest English breed, and in fact was the only cat to be shown as pedigreed at the first cat shows. The "Brit" is an ideal pet, affectionate "velcro kitties" who will settle near you at every opportunity. Although moderately active, they adapt to any size household, and are particularly good with children and other pets. Truly a perfect family cat.

Breed Brief:

Size: Medium, with a compact build, powerful and well-balanced.
Colors: The British Shorthair coat, which is short and dense, comes in all colors of the rainbow, although you'll see a preponderance of blue, so much so that the cat was often called the "British Blue" in the early days. The blue British Shorthair can be differentiated from the Russian Blue by its gold or copper eyes.

Extra: The British Shorthair is loved for its "Cheshire Cat" smile, which is not unexpected, in that Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat was originally a tabby British Shorthair.

Registry Standards and Profiles:

• AACE Standard
• CFA Official Standards
• TICA Breed Profile

British Shorthair Clubs:

• Southern British Shorthair Club (U.K.)
• Colourpointed British Shorthair Cat Club (U.K.)

Photo Credits:

Maximus
A pedigreed blue British Shorthair, shown at eight months old, owned by Carmen Carr. Photo used with permission.

More Breed Information :

• Information from FBRL (Fanciers' Breeder Referral List), a great source of information on all approved breeds of cats.

• British Shorthair FAQ, written by Erin Vosburg for CatFanciers.