British Shorthair.

British Shorthair. British Shorthair, breed of shorthaired cat, the oldest domestic breed in Great Britain. The British shorthair descended from cats brought to Northern Europe by Roman soldiers more than 2000 years ago. Until the 19th century, the British shorthair lived in the wild and was considered a mongrel. Harrison Weir, a British author and artist, began breeding the healthiest of these cats. Breeders later crossed the British shorthair with the Persian cat to develop a somewhat heavier cat with a rounder head. This cat is the one now recognized as the British shorthair. The British shorthair is medium to large in size, with a powerful, compact body and strong bones. It weighs about 5 to 8 kg (about 11 to 17 lb), and the male is typically larger than the female. The short, thick neck is muscular, and the head is broad and well rounded, with full cheeks and a short, wide nose. Large eyes, which may be of any color, are wide-set and level. Small- to medium-sized rounded ears are set wide apart and have broad bases. The tail is slightly short, with a rounded tip. The British blue is the most common variety of the British shorthair. Although some American breeders refer to it as a separate breed, this blue-gray cat is only one of many colors of British shorthairs. Other colors include solid black, cream, white, black and white, blue and white, red and white, and multicolored. The coat of fine but dense fur sometimes is compared to a plush teddy bear, and the fur is slightly longer than that of other shorthaired cats. The British shorthair is a good hunter. Although the breed appeared in cat shows at London's Crystal Palace in the mid-19th century, North American cat associations did not recognize the British shorthair until 1970. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.