British Shorthairs have dense, plush coats that are often described as crisp or cracking, referring to the way the coat breaks over the contours of the cat's body. Their eyes are large, round and widely set and can be a variety of colours, though the copper or gold eyes of the British blue are the best known. Their heads are round with full, chubby cheeks and their bodies are large and muscular. The breed has a broad chest and shoulders, short legs, round paws and a plush tail with a blunt tip.[3] T
The males of this breed are larger than the females, and the size difference between them is more easily noticed compared to other breeds. The males' average weight is 5-10 kilograms, whereas a female weighs up to 5–7 kilograms. As with many breeds, the adult males may also develop prominent cheek jowls that distinguish them from their female counterparts.[4] The typical lifespan of this breed is 14 to 20 years.[3]
[edit]Physical characteristics
The British Shorthair is a very muscular cat, with a "square" body shape and thick legs. Because of its bulk and muscle, it is nicknamed the bulldog of the cat world.[citation needed]
British Shorthairs have large, broad heads. Their eyes stand out and tend to be large and round. Their relatively small ears with rounded tips are set far apart. They have pert snub noses and slightly rounded chins.[5]
[edit]Varieties
British Shorthairs come in many colours and patterns. For many years, the more popular blue variant was common enough to have a breed name of its own: the "British Blue". It remains one of the most popular colours, though there is now a large variety of other colour and pattern variants accepted by most feline governing bodies and associations. These include the colours black, blue, white, red, cream, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon and fawn.
British Shorthairs can be bred in "self" or "solid", which are all one colour, as well as the colourpoint, tabby, shaded and bicolour patterns. All colours and patterns also come in the tortoiseshell pattern, which is a combination of red and cream with other colours.[6]
with other colours.[6]
[edit]Temperament
British Shorthairs are an easygoing breed of cat; they tend to be safe around children as they will tolerate a fair amount of physical interaction and hiss or scratch very rarely.[7] They have a stable character and take well to being kept as indoor-only cats, making them ideal for apartment living. They are not terribly demanding of attention, though they will let their owner know if they feel like playing. They often prefer to sit close to their owners rather than on them.
British Shorthairs are wonderful cats for people who work, as they are very happy to simply laze around the house while their owner is out. They do not get destructive or need other animals for company, though they do enjoy having another British Shorthair or a cat with similar temperament around.
They are not a very vocal breed but will meow to communicate with their owners, for example when they are hungry and their food is being prepared. Some do not mind being cuddled, but most prefer to keep four paws on the ground and be patted rather than picked up.
The breed has become a favourite of animal trainers because of its nature and intelligence, and in recent years these cats have appeared in Hollywood films and television commercials.[4] They can learn small tricks.
[edit]Care
British Shorthairs do not require a lot of grooming as their fur does not tangle or mat easily. However, it is recommended that the coat be brushed occasionally, especially during seasonal shedding, since they may develop hairballs at this time. British Shorthairs can be prone to obesity when desexed or kept indoors, so care should be taken with their diet.[3]
[edit]Famous British Shorthairs
- Smokey in Columbia Pictures' "Stuart Little" was a British Blue. However, In the film adaptation of the novel, Smokey is a Russian Blue.
- A British Shorthair silver tabby appears on many packages and adverts of Whiskas brand cat food.
- In Terry Pratchett's Humour/Fantasy series Discworld, the Lancre Witch Nanny Ogg's cat Greebo (also known as "The Terror of the Ramtops") is often depicted in art as resembling the British Blue.[citation needed]
- Winston Churchill (Church) from Pet Sematary was a British Blue.
- Happycat (arguably known as the first "lolcat", and also known as the "I Can Has Cheezburger?" cat), a meme started on the Something Awful forums. The original picture of a British Shorthair came from the front page of happycat.ru, a Russian cat food company.
- Toby, a fictional cat on the ABC prime time drama Desperate Housewives, is a British Shorthair.
- Arlene, a blueish grey British shorthair, as displayed in Garfield: The Movie
- Mick, from Kamen Rider W, is a British Shorthair who can turn into the Smilodon Dopant.
- Dex-star, of the Red Lantern Corps, is suggested to be a blue British Shorthair.
- Cheshire Cat in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll is a British Shorthair.
- Ruby in the film adaptation of the memoir "Girl, Interrupted" by Susanna Kaysen was a British Blue.
[edit]References
- ^ "British Shorthair Breed Profile". TheCatSite. Retrieved 2006-08-31.
- ^ "Analysis of Breeds Registered by the GCCF". Governing Council of the Cat Fancy. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
- ^ a b c "British Shorthair: Cat Breed FAQ". Cat Fanciers. Retrieved 2006-07-28.
- ^ a b "British Shorthair Cat Breed Information and Pictures". PussCats.com. Retrieved 2006-09-08.[dead link]
- ^ "British Blue Cat Physical Characteristics". Retrieved 2009-11-10.
- ^ "Breed Standard: British Shorthair" (PDF). Cat Fanciers' Association. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
- ^ http://www.findakitten.co.uk/bsh.html "British Shorthair Personality"
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