British & American Shorthairs

British

Supreme Champion Jasharvin's Kendrick Jonah Lomu

History

The British Shorthair has been around, in one form or another, for hundreds of years. Domestic cats first came to Northern Europe, and subsequently Great Britain, with the Romans about 2,000 years ago. As the Romans con quered and colonized other lands, their cats joined them as companions and rodent control experts.

Unlike todays British Shorthairs, the cats that travelled with the Romans were more Abyssinian in design: reddish or yellowish in color with vestigial tabby markings or spotting, and lithe and muscular with long elegant bones. They were probably members of, or closely related to, the progenitor of all domestic cat breeds, the African wildcat. When they arrived in Europe, however, they dallied with the European wildcat, which sported a short, plush coat in a mackeral tabby pattern and had a substantial muscular body, broad head, wide skull and smaller, wide- set ears. With the European wildcat influence and the climatic conditions that necessitate a heavier body and thicker fur, the offspring developed the stockier, rounder, more muscular body type.

Although blue is the most common coat color, 14 British Shorthair color combinations are accepted by American cat associations. The collection of colors comes with a coat that feels like firm, warm velvet to the touch, prompting fanciers to call them the teddy bears of the cat kingdom. The coat density changes according to the season.

The breed has gone through many ups and downs, but thanks to breeder perseverance the Brit maintains a form very close to its original. Its a large, compact, powerful cat with a broad, strong chest and short, strong legs, a working class cat who can fend for itself. The head is large and set on a short, sturdy neck. The face is round with round underlying bone structure and the muzzle is well-developed. The broad nose has a gentle dip in profile, and the eyes are large and round. Full cheeks and large, well-rounded whisker pads give the cat a perpetual smile.

The medium-size ears of a show-quality Brit are broad at the base and rounded at the tips. They're set well apart and should fit into the rounded contour of the head. The overall impression of the cat is one of roundness.

Both male and female cats are slow to mature and can take 3 to 4 years to reach full size and coat density. Males generally weigh between 16 - 20 lbs (+- 8kgs), while females generally range between 10 -15 lbs (5 -7 kgs)

April 1998 Cats

                 

 

  

                         American Shorthairs

Supreme Grand Platinum Silver Mr. Hitzenbits.