Breed Spotlight

BRITISH SHORTHAIR

This ancient breed has been developed from the Domestic cat in Britain and likely has ancestors from the Roman invaders, who brought cats along from Egypt.

The most well known is the 'Blue' colour however, they can come in just about any colour or pattern. Tabby, tortoiseshell, bi–colour, all are available in this breed.

The British Shorthair has a distinctive crisp, dense coat which in the best examples, will "crack" noticeably when they move. Their body is powerful and sturdy, not too long, with a broad chest. The legs are thick set. Their head shape is rounded and massive in the males, with small ears set well apart on the rounded skull. The eyes are large, round and deep gold or copper in colour with a pleasing expression. Those eyes can certainly dazzle!

This is a dignified breed, devoted to their owners and requiring very little grooming, although combing in the spring is needed to remove the excess coat. They are not particularly lap cats but are happy to snuggle next to you on the sofa and follow you around the home. The British is not known to be athletes, although will have their playfull moments, which make them perfect indoor companions that will respect your belongings (compared to some of the other more active breeds). They can however, be prone to become a bit chubby, so do watch their food intake!