Most of us know little about the British Shorthair breed. Although it is one of the oldest breeds, it was registered in England in the 19th century. In other countries, the first elite cats came from nurseries in Germany and the Netherlands. What are cats of this amazing breed? The most famous and popular variety of color is blue. Until the mid-forties, such cats were known under different names: in America they were called exotic blue, in other countries as British blue (British Blue). In France, for many years there has been a breed of blue short-haired cats, which are called Cartesian or chartreuse. Legend has it that they were bred by monks. Powerful, with a wide chest and a large head, they were very similar to the British blue, but differed in shade of coat color. Over the years, these differences have erased and almost the same standards have been adopted for chartreuse and the British. A slight difference between these breeds in the shape of a head, but for an ignorant person it is almost imperceptible. By the time of separation of these breeds (mid 60-ies), it was possible to trace the differences also in wool. To date, the British have a well-developed undercoat is almost equal in length to the outer coat, that is, the coat is double, which is a hallmark of the British shorthair breed.

The results of crosses between the British and the Cartesians could not but affect the characteristics of the breed. Until now, the most popular color for British Shorthair cats remains blue. In addition, blue wool itself predisposes to silkiness, softness and “double texture”.

Today, more than 100 color variations of British cats are recognized. Their coat should be thick, similar to plush. The body, for the most part, is large, with a wide chest and a thick strong neck. The head is round and massive, with a wide skull and strong chin. The eyes are round, large, expressive, copper, orange or saturated yellow. The legs are thick, strong. The tail is short, thick. In general, the cat resembles a large teddy bear.

Most British cats are very calm. They are patient and unobtrusive, never annoyed over trifles.

The character of a cat and its behavior are influenced to a certain extent by the lifestyle of its owner. All feline independence is characteristic, which does not allow you to completely become its owner, rather the opposite. And the British are no exception. They more than cats of other breeds do not tolerate familiarity and are full of self-esteem and significance. Even referring to the British cat by name, you catch yourself thinking that this is not entirely convenient and you must certainly add “sir” and “pliz”. Therefore, it is not recommended to take animals of this breed to a house where there are small children.

British kittens are well brought up and from a very early age are well accustomed to the toilet and are very clean.

British cats are easy to maintain, as they are unpretentious in care and feeding. It is enough to comb the hair for several minutes a day and bring it into proper shape before the exhibition.

With feeding, too, no special problems arise. These cats are unpretentious in food, the main thing is that the diet is well balanced. I. Then your pet will always be healthy and cheerful. And the club will always give you a qualified consultation and will certainly help with the choice of a kitten, and with its correct content.