![]() ![]() The new British Shorthair was featured at the first-ever cat show, organised by Weir and held at the Crystal Palace in London in 1871, and enjoyed great initial popularity.īy the 1900s with the advent of the newly imported Persian and other long-haired breeds, the British Shorthair had fallen out of favour, and breeding stock had become critically rare by World War I. Others suggest a group of breeders may have been involved. Some sources directly credit UK artist, and pioneering cat fancier, Harrison Weir with the initial concept of standardising the breed. Selective breeding of the best examples of the type began in the nineteenth century, with emphasis on developing the unusual blue-grey variant called the "British Blue" or "English type" (to distinguish it from the more fine-boned "Russian type"). The Cat Fanciers' Association profile reads: "When gracelessness is observed, the British Shorthair is duly embarrassed, quickly recovering with a 'Cheshire cat smile'."Īn early example of the "English type" Blue Shorthair, from Frances Simpson's Book of the Cat, 1903 The breed's good-natured appearance and relatively calm temperament make it a frequent media star, notably as the inspiration for John Tenniel's famous illustration of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. A quarter of all kittens registered with the GCCF each year are British Shorthairs, making the British the most popular pedigree cat in the UK. In modern times, it remains the most popular pedigreed breed in its native country, as registered by the UK's Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF). It is one of the most ancient cat breeds known. The breed has also been developed in a wide range of other colours and patterns, including tabby and colourpoint. ![]() The most familiar colour variant is the "British Blue", with a solid grey-blue coat, orange eyes, and a medium-sized tail. The cat’s coat should be evenly tipped, with the colour on the legs fading towards the paws.The British Shorthair is the pedigreed version of the traditional British domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, dense coat, and broad face. Tippies should not have any strong tabby markings that said, rings on the tail may be acceptable if the cat is otherwise a good specimen of the breed. It’s the evenness of the tipping which is of paramount interest to a show judge, rather than the degree thereof. Colours can be any one of the accepted self-colours with a pale near-white undercoat. The tipping should be even across the whole of the cat’s body, except for the undercarriage and chin. The undercoat is very pale (it can be cream, silver or another light shade), appearing white with a “frosting” of colour. Tipped British Shorthair catsĪlso known as a “Tippy”, the tipped British Shorthair is a cat with the silver gene but with a colour at the ends of their hairs. Smoke BSH cats with colourpoints are also possible, adding yet another variety to the already staggering range of possibilities. The topcoat can be seal, any kind of tortie, or one of the previously listed self-colours. BSH smokes are characterised by an undercoat of silver that peeks through the topcoat, especially as the cat moves, creating an eye-catching smoke effect. The smoke variant has caused something of a stir in the cat fancy. ![]()
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