British Shorthair

Among pedigreed domestic cats, the British Shorthair descends from sturdy working cats in Britain and was refined through early cat-fancy breeding. It has a broad chest, short strong legs, round paws, a dense plush coat, and a round face with full cheeks. Blue remains the best-known color, but registries accept many solids, tabbies, smokes, tortoiseshells, and bicolors. Eye color is specified by coat color in show standards, adding to the round, soft expression.

In homes, British Shorthairs are usually calm, steady cats that enjoy routine and moderate affection without needing constant handling. Their coat is short but thick, so a weekly comb and extra grooming during seasonal shedding help remove dead hair. The breed can gain weight easily if free-fed, making portion control and play important. Buyers should look for breeders who screen breeding cats for common inherited concerns such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and who keep the heavy body type from becoming oversized.

Colors: Bi-Color, Bicolor, Black, Black Smoke, Blue, Blue-Cream, Blue Patched Tabby, Blue Point, Blue Smoke, Blue Tabby, Blue Torbie, Brown, Brown Patched Tabby, Brown Tabby, Brown Torbie, Calico, Chinchilla Silver, Chocolate, Chocolate Point, Cinnamon, Classic Tabby, Cream, Cream Point, Cream Smoke, Cream Tabby, Dilute Calico, Dilute Tortoiseshell, Fawn, Flame Point, Golden, Golden Tabby, Harlequin, Lilac, Lilac Point, Lynx Point, Mackerel Tabby, Mink, Pointed, Red, Red Smoke, Red Tabby, Seal Point, Sepia, Shaded, Shaded Golden, Shaded Silver, Shell, Shell Golden, Silver, Silver Tabby, Smoke, Spotted Tabby, Tabby, Ticked Tabby, Torbie, Tortie Smoke, Tortoiseshell, Van, White