British Shorthair
The British shorthairs of today are descendants of domestic cat breeds that were brought to Britain by Caesar and the Roman legions. They were originally used as house cats and were mated with local European cats to create a hardier breed. Careful and selective breeding has produced the shorthair cats of today that now set the standard. The only real change that has occurred in the shorthair is with the variety of colors that have been added to the breed.
British Shorthair History
· 1870: Harrison Weir who was the father of the cat fancy came up with the idea of holding cat shows so that different breeds would be more carefully attended to and so that the owners of domestics cats would find greater joy in their beloved animals. He, along with another friend, agreed on the idea together, came up with a point system on how the cats would be judged: colors, forms, size, show, and arranged the judging criteria. The first organized cat show took place in 1871 at Crystal Palace. Best in show was awarded to a female blue tabby British Shorthair owned by Mr. Weir.
British Shorthairs are calm and quiet companions.
· For hundreds of years cats found in the cities and farms of the British Isles were very robust type cats. They were valued mostly for their ability to hunt, but soon people began to see their peaceful, confident personality shine through and they became desired companions within the home. It wasn't until the late 1800s that attempts were made to breed them.
· By the beginning of the twentieth century British Shorthairs were being exhibited in large numbers in several different classes. Each different color of cat had its own class and standard, but the type has generally stayed the same as today; round compact cats, large round eyes and head, with short and deep coats with fine texture.
· British Shorthairs were extremely successful in early cat shows. By 1910 this breed had done better than the American Shorthair. Their success created quite a stir in the cat fancy and they became in high demand. Many were exported to the United States; in fact the first shorthaired cat registered in the U.S. was in 1901.
· During WWII the cat fancy slowed down dramatically in England. British Shorthair registrations began to decline quickly. In the 1930s Kit Wilson took an interest in the breed, and through her work (along with some other dedicated breeders) they were able to keep the breed going through the Depression. By the end of the war, very few of the British Shorthairs had survived, and the ones that did were too closely related to form a strong gene pool. So they once again tried to introduce unpedigreed domestic shorthairs along with other breeds of registered shorthairs like the Russian Blues, the Burmese, or the Chartreux.
· In 1980 the CFA granted the British Shorthair Championship status.
· In 1988 the British Shorthairs earned their first CFA National Win with third best cat in Premiership.
· British Shorthairs are strong cats and generally have very few health problems. The fact that there is a large gene pool available in establishing this breed and with the use of informed practices has helped insure the health of the British Shorthair.
With today's hectic lifestyle, many people have found room in their homes for the British Shorthair as a perfect addition to their family. They are a calm, quiet companion that appreciates time without being over demanding of your attention.
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