The British Shorthair may be the oldest purebred cat from England. They were originally known as the British Blue.

While the British Shorthair might be seen as being rather reserved, this cat is rather easygoing and is known to get along well with children as well as dogs. It should be noted that the British Shorthair is not "hyper" or boisterous and is not usually destructive. The British Shorthair, while often quite affectionate is not horribly demanding and will seek attention at the owner's convenience. However, the British Shorthair is not really a "lap cat". Additionally, the British Short hair is, in many cases, a very loyal cat and makes a wonderful family pet.

The British Shorthair can be fairly large and is a pretty solid cat, weighing in around nine to 12 pounds and has strong, powerful legs. This is a "round" looking cat with a large, round head and well placed ears, round, intelligent eyes and solid, round paws. While the British Shorthair can be seen in any color, the most popular and "favored" color is blue (in the United States blue is the same thing as gray). The coat of the British Shorthair is plush and short and "crisp." The coat cannot be considered soft and can best be likened to deep pile carpet. Perhaps one of the most attractive qualities that the British Shorthair cat possesses, is its "smile" that is a result of round, prominent whisker pads. The eyes of the British Shorthair are usually gold or copper colored, although depending upon the coloring of the cat, this can vary. Additionally, the British Shorthair is not an extremely vocal cat and doesn't meow a great deal.

Although the British Shorthair was originally valued for its abilities as an excellent hunter, it did not take long for people to realize that the British Shorthair would also make a wonderful housecat, due to the cat's wonderful personality. It is interesting to note that the British Shorthair may be descended from the cats of Rome. The British Shorthair became really popular in England for a few reasons. One is that in the 1800's, it became trendy to own a cat in England. As a result, there were many oriental cats imported into the county and it is thought that a backlash to this may have resulted in more breeding of the native British Shorthair. The British Shorthair became quite popular in the United States in the 1980's, after being recognized for competition in the CFA. Since then, the British Shorthair has been imported fairly steadily into the United States for breeding.

The British Shorthair should be groomed at least two or three times a week in order to keep shedding to a minimum and reduce the amount of cat hair around the house. The health concerns of this breed are certain heart problems, and some dental issues, as well.

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