The Cheshire Cat of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland was depicted as a British Shorthair tabby. Around the same period, English breeders, including Harrison Weir, had begun selectively breeding the most beautiful street cats, which were shown for the first time at London's Crystal Palace in 1871. These cats were called British Shorthairs to distinguish them from foreign and oriental breeds and from longhaired breeds such as the Angora.
The British Shorthair is the counterpart of the European Shorthair and the American Shorthair. In 1901, the British Cat Club was formed. The first British Shorthairs (mostly blues) resembled the Chartreux. As a result, the two breeds were crossed, to such an extent that the F.I.Fe decided to combine the two and recognize just one breed. But, in 1977, the F.I.Fe once again separated the two breeds and prohibited crossing of the two breeds.
Following World War II, British Shorthairs were crossed with Persians to add mass and to fill out the British Shorthairs silhouette, as well as to increase the range of coat colors. New patterns, such as colorpoint, were recognized.
Head:
Round, broad, and massive. Full cheeks. Distinctive muzzle. Short, broad, straight, nose with a gentle dip (but no nose break). Firm chin forming a perpendicular line with the nose.
Ears:
Medium in size, wide at the base with rounded tips. Moderately wide set.
Eyes:
Large, round, and set wide apart. Colour appropriate to coat colour (copper, gold, blue, green, blue-green, odd eyed).
Neck:
Short, thick, and muscular.
Body:
Compact, well-knit. Broad chest, shoulders, and rump. Muscular.
Paws:
Short and strong. Well boned and muscled. Round paws.
Tail:
Length is equal to 2/3 the length of the body. Thick at the base and tapering slightly to a rounded tip.
Coat:
Short, dense, and well bodied. Firm to the touch. Plush, giving the impression of natural protection. Abundant undercoat. British Longhairs also exist, the result of the introduction of too much Persian blood. All colours permissible. The British Blue is the most popular variety.
Fault:
Overly fine head, jaws, or skull structure. Oriental eyes. Fine boning. Overlong coat. No undercoat. White lockets or buttons.
Character:
This calm, good-tempered, easygoing cat looks like a teddy bear. British Shorthairs are excellent, well-balanced companions that adapt easily to life in the city or in the country (where they can act on their strong hunting instinct). The British Shorthair gets along well with other cats and dogs. Lively, playful, and very affectionate, but not to the point of being bothersome. This hardy breed does not reach full maturity until two or three years of age. Onset of puberty is relatively late.
