HISTORY

The British Shorthair is probably the oldest English breed of cat and can be traced back to the domestic cat of Rome thanks to the Roman Empire and it's soldiers many centuries ago. Recognized for it's calm demeanor and loyalty to man this breed was originally valued for it's great physical strength and hunting ability.

Appearing in large numbers in cat shows at London's Crystal Palace during the last quarter of the 19th century, British shorthairs were exhibited in classes for solid colors, tabbies, smokes, bicolors and tortoiseshells. The founder of the cat fancy Harrison Weir and who also wrote the first set of standards by which cats were judged, "deemed it advisable... to give special prizes" to blue British shorthairs because of their beauty and popularity.

"Fruit anyone?" CH. Guisachan Pandora finds a comfy spot for a nap.

Unfortunately as with everything popularity waned for British Shorthairs and indeed for most shorthairs with the introduction of the glamourous Longhairs-Persians and Angoras. The World Wars had a severe effect on the cat fancy and an almost fatal one on the British Shorthairs. Breeders found it impossible to find suitable studs for their queens and so the idea of outcrossing to save the breed from oblivion was conceived. The cat of choice was the Persian whose influence evolved the British shorthair into the stocky, shortfaced cat of today from the original cats of this breed being described as having slender necks and narrow and graceful bodies.

DESCRIPTION

The British shorthair has large, round eyes with a short nose and ample cheeks. He is a medium to large cat, well muscled with a well rounded head. The coat is short and dense yet plush and comes in a variety of colours.

Von Forst Buffy, a blue cream female seen here as a youngster lounging about the house with a friend.

TEMPERAMENT

Marina breeds mainly Blues and Blue-creams. The British Shorthair is easy to groom and is a playful no-nonsense cat. He tends to be reserved by nature, but once he becomes a part of the family he is a devoted cat and undemanding companion. They are suitable for any home situation (flat/townhouse/house) and cope well being on their own.

CH. Guisachan Pandora in typical British shorthair 'sitting up, letting it all hang out' position and of course her greedy kittens taking full advantage.

People who want a nice cat but respect that it does not want constant stroking and carrying around. They get along well with children and because they keep their urge for freedom in check they are the ideal apartment cats. Because of their even temperament you easily can keep this breed with other cats and house pets