Abour british shorthair cats

The history of the origin of the British Shorthair cat is the symbol and pride of the UK.

These cats started to live there quite a long time ago, but reliable data on the development and establishment of the breed appeared only in the 19th century. Up to this time the history of the British cats is nothing like a beautiful legend, conjecture and assumptions. According to one version they were introduced by Roman Legionnaires 2000 years ago and under another version they arrived with the French sailors in the 14th and 15th centuries and slowly but surely began to populate the island.

The first British cats were very reminiscent of normal domestic cats and to a modern appearance of these cats the breeders came much later. In the middle ages in England a recognizable type of normal cats has been already formed. They had heavy backbone, powerful body, independent disposition and downed coat which allowed enduring adverse weather conditions: damp, wind and rain. In addition, a special type of coat made them look fancy regardless of the time of year. Strong British Shorthair cats were an essential part of many farms, because they possessed adroitness and strength and were the main protection of the barns and the crops from rodents. Over time, they had become the dwellers of the knights' castles, where played the same role and protected food from pests.

In the late 19th century purposeful breeding work on creation of aboriginal breed began. Father of British Shorthair is considered to be Harrison Weir, an activist, felinologist and passionate admirer of aboriginal cats. The first cat show where the British Shorthair cats were presented was held in 1871 in London. Cats became a sensation and as a consequence there were a plenty of people willing to purchase plush pets. The first pedigree dates back to 1898.

British Shorthair breed was formed by careful selection of representatives among ordinary domestic cats and mixing them with the Persians, Carthusian cat, better known as Chartreux, European and American Shorthair cats. After the Second World War the British cats has almost disappeared but the recovery attempts were successful. Breeding material was collected in the UK and outside the country. The breed has been brought back to life but previously the British cats were similar to the domestic cats of Europe and now the modern representatives clearly display Persian and American origin.