The History of the British Shorthair Cat

The oldest pedigree breed in England and once known as the British Blue as that was their only coat color, they are thought to have descended from domestic cats imported from Egypt. They became extremely popular in the Victorian era and were the only breed to be shown at some of the earliest cat shows. They almost became extinct after the World wars but were revitalised in the ensuing years, with the American Cat Association accepting the breed in 1967 followed by the International Cat Association and Cat Fanciers Association in 1979 and 1980 respectively. Since then the breed has only grown further in popularity and can be seen in almost every coat color – the most popular is still Blue (grey).british shorthair kittens, British shorthair kittens for sale, British shorthair kittens near me, British shorthair kittens for sale uk, British shorthair kittens for sale London, maine coon kittens for sale

British Shorthair Colours

When many people picture a British Shorthair, the image that springs to mind is the classic British Blue: a handsome kitty with solid blue-grey fur and amber eyes. In actual fact, though, British Shorthairs exist in a range of amazing colours and patterns.

Many of these have been formally recognised by the various cat registries. Besides completely solid colourings (what are called “self” colours in cat fancier parlance), many patterns are recognised including points, calicos, tortoiseshells and many kinds of tabby.

While some colourations are not recognised and would disqualify the cat as a show animal, they are often beautiful and endearing in their own way. In this article, we’ll discuss the breed in general before taking an in-depth look at all the gorgeous colours that a British Shorthair can manifest. uk, British shorthair kitten for sale near me, British shorthair breeders uk