The pedigree version of Britain's everyday cat: round, sturdy, plush-coated and wonderfully calm.
The British Shorthair started out as the cat of Britain's streets and farms. It was already at the very first big cat show, in 1871. It is round from head to tail, with full cheeks and a coat like plush. By nature it is calm and content: it likes to be near you, but asks for little.
Fond of its people in a quiet way, without asking for much attention.
Would rather sit next to you than on your lap, and often dislikes being picked up.
Plays happily on its own and enjoys short games every day.
One of the least active breeds. Kittens are lively, adults mostly take it easy.
A quiet cat with a soft meow and a loud purr.
Clever enough to learn a game of fetch, but not always in the mood.
Calm and rarely aggressive, but a little reserved with new people at first.
Patient and tolerant, so it suits families with children.
Usually gets along with dogs and other pets.
Gets along well with other cats, especially calm ones.
Copes well with time alone, though it still wants company regularly.
Does well indoors, also in a flat, given things to scratch, play with and hide in.
The Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland was a British Shorthair.
A lovely story, but unproven. The saying 'grin like a Cheshire cat' was around almost eighty years before the book.
A blue British Shorthair is really a Chartreux.
No. The Chartreux is a separate French breed. Only from 1970 to 1977 did FIFe class them as one.
It descends directly from the Romans' cats.
It is often said, but nobody has proven it. All we know is that there were cats in Britain from about Roman times.
The British Shorthair is Britain's ordinary street and farm cat, carefully bred for the show ring. In the late nineteenth century fans picked out the finest cats. After the two world wars the breed had almost vanished. Breeders then crossed in Persians and other breeds, which also brought in the gene for long hair.
British shorthaired cats take part in the first big cat show, at the Crystal Palace in London. Harrison Weir organises it.
The first British Shorthairs go to America, where they are registered as 'British Blues'.
Around the world wars the breed becomes very rare. Breeders cross in Persians, which brings in the gene for long hair.
The blue tom Brynbuboo Little Monarch becomes the very first Grand Champion of any breed in Britain's GCCF.
The European federation FIFe recognises the breed.
For a while FIFe classes the British Shorthair and the Chartreux as one breed. In 1977 they are split again.
The American registry TICA gives the breed championship status.
Around this time America's CFA recognises the breed too.
TICA also recognises the longhaired version, the British Longhair.
FIFe recognises the British Longhair, and Britain's GCCF accepts the name.
FIFe provisionally allows golden in many new colours, such as chocolate, lilac, red and cream.
Round and sturdy, from its full cheeks to its short legs. Its coat is so dense it feels like plush.
The same round, sturdy Brit, but with a semi-long coat and a frill. The gene for long hair came in with the Persians crossed in long ago.
Recognition: TICA recognises it since 2009, FIFe since 2017. In Britain's GCCF it can become a champion since 2021. America's CFA does not recognise it.
Cat registries write colours as an EMS code. The letter is the colour (n black, a blue, d red, f tortie), s means silver or smoke, y golden, and the numbers tell you about white (01–09), shading (11, 12), the tabby pattern (22–25) or colourpoint (33).
Black(n)
Blue(a)
Black classic(n 22)
Silver shaded(ns 11)
Silver tabby(ns 22)
Blue and white(a 03)America's CFA lists only classic, mackerel and spotted, not ticked.
FIFe fully recognises golden in black and blue; in the other colours it is provisional since October 2025. Britain's GCCF has golden only as tipped and pointed, with no golden tabby.
America's CFA rules out every colourpoint. WCF recognises colourpoints only without white.
FIFe does not recognise golden shaded or shell with white; WCF does. Nearly every other colour is fine for a British Shorthair.
British shorthaired cats were already at the very first big cat show, in London.
The blue tom Brynbuboo Little Monarch became the GCCF's first Grand Champion of any breed in the 1950s.
In America the first British Shorthairs were registered as 'British Blues'.
It comes in almost every colour, but blue is still the most popular.
A British Shorthair grows slowly and is sometimes only fully grown at 5 years.
Usually 10 to 14 years, and some cats reach 20 or more. In an English study half of the British Shorthairs had died by about 12.
The heart muscle grows too thick. In a Danish study about 1 in 12 screened cats had it, and as many as 1 in 5 males. Many cats notice little of it, but it can become serious.
How it is found: A heart scan by a specialist, every year for breeding cats. There is no DNA test for this breed.
Small cysts grow in the kidneys, so they work less well later in life. It came in with the Persians, but it is now rarely found in tested British Shorthairs.
How it is found: DNA test of the parents. It shows only late, so the test is the only way to know early.
About 1 in 5 British Shorthairs has blood type B. For the cat itself that is harmless. But if a type B mother has type A kittens, her first milk can make those kittens ill.
How it is found: A blood type test or DNA test of both parents before mating.
Brushing or combing once a week is enough, more often while it moults in spring and autumn.
It does not move much on its own. Play a little every day with a wand toy, a ball or a puzzle feeder.
It loves food and gains weight easily. In Australia almost half of the British Shorthairs seen by vets were overweight. Give measured meals.
A British Shorthair is not hypoallergenic. No study shows that it makes fewer allergens.
Many British Shorthairs do not like being picked up or carried. Sit down next to it instead.
Checked on 20 October 2026
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