The British Shorthair is possibly one of the oldest of the natural English Breeds.  The Romans are said to have introduced the domestic cat to Northern Europe nearly 2000 years ago, so not surprisingly when cat breeding and exhibiting became popular in the second half of last century, many breeder concentrated their attention on these native cats.

Their stockiness tells of their humble origins, as they were developed mainly from non-pedigree breeds and working cats of Europe.  They signify the opposite of the oriental Breeds with their cobby body, deep chest, massive shoulders and round head.

In the early days the solid colours were the favorites, possibly because they were less commonly seen in non-pedigree cats and the most highly prized was the Blue.

British cat lovers were the first to standardize their cats and many European Shorthairs were imported from Britain or have British ancestors.

The British Shorthair suffered during World War II.  In the immediate post war period there were very few pedigree stud males left and as a result some breeders mated their cats to shorthairs of foreign type, which resulted in the loss of the heavy confirmation.

During the 1950's efforts were made to reverse the trend by mating out to massively built Persians.  This restored many of the breed qualities, but tended to produce kittens with longer softer coats and a more Persian head shape.  This in turn created controversy over breeding practices and standards.

The British Shorthair is typically British by nature.  The will display an initial reserve towards invading human visitors but once accepted as a true cat worshipper, the British rewards admirers with the grand honour of stroking their very resilient coats.

Devoted in nature, the British Shorthair is an ideal companion.  They are a placid no nonsense cat, loving and affectionate yet rarely over demanding.