British Shorthair Kittens

Meet the British Shorthair Cat Breed

There are many different breeds of cat, but I'm going to introduce you to the British Shorthair. They are thought to be the oldest breed of English cat. They were originally only available in the gorgeous blue colour but in the 1950's more colours were available. Because originally they were only available in this blue colour they were also named British Blue but this change to British Shorthair with the introduction of additional colours of fur.

The breed was developed in Europe from non pedigree breeds and were previously crossed with Persians to increase their coats thickness. They are believed to have been brought to Europe by the ancient Romans.

They have a short stocky frame which is very muscular and because of their shape and power are sometimes referred to as the bulldog of the cat world. This breed of cat has round whisker pads, making them look like they've got a permanent smile. They are thought to have inspired the iconic Cheshire cat image and the cat from Alice in Wonderland. Males are always larger than females and they are one of the larger cat breeds. As with many pedigree breeds the life expectancy is shorter than that of a non pedigree cat breeds and expected to live until their early teens. British Shorthair cats have a tendency to put on weight especially after they have been neutered so you may need to put them on a restricted diet or at least keep a close eye on their weight.

They are patient and affectionate cats so are great for families with young children. They also make great indoor cats so are well suited to flats or apartments. They're not the type of cat to come and sit on your knee but they will sit beside you. They also prefer to keep their paws firmly on the floor so they don't like to be picked up and cuddled but love you bending down to give them a gentle stroke. The Shorthair Breed isn't very vocal but they will tell you if their hungry so they will communicate without difficulty. They're not typically hyperactive either so you shouldn't have them chasing things around your lounge bouncing themselves off the walls. They are very clever and alert which is why they tend to be a common breed using in cat adverts such as Sheba cat food. Because of their relaxed nature they cope with being involved in cat shows and tend to the most popular breed at them.

British Shorthair Cat Resource and References
The author By CL Kerrie. You can find more information about cats such as their environmental needs and how to keep them healthy over at Cat Party [http://www.cat-party.co.uk].

BRITISH SHORTHAIR IMAGE By Kattefreakske [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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