British Shorthair
Also called British Blue.
The grey cat people mean when they say Russian Blue or Chartreux. The coat is the test — it is dense enough to stand up rather than lie flat, and it feels like plush rather than fur.
- Coat
- Short
- Build
- Compact and heavy
- Head
- Round
- Weight
- 4–8 kg
- Origin
- United Kingdom
What it looks like
Compact and powerfully built with a very dense plush coat that stands away from the body, a broad round head, full cheeks, round copper eyes and short thick legs.
The characters that confirm it
- A dense, crisp coat that stands away from the body and springs back when stroked.
- A broad round head with very full cheeks, more pronounced in males.
- Round copper or gold eyes.
- Short, thick, straight legs on a compact heavy body.
Temperament
Calm, undemanding and notably tolerant. Not a lap cat by preference.
Health
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and polycystic kidney disease occur; both have genetic tests. Prone to obesity given the build.
Confused with
Russian Blues are slimmer and fine-boned with green eyes and a shimmering silver-tipped coat. A British Shorthair is cobby with copper eyes.
A grey moggy is not a British Shorthair. Without the plush coat and the heavy cobby build, it is a domestic shorthair.
Questions about this breed
How do you recognise a British Shorthair?
A dense, crisp coat that stands away from the body and springs back when stroked. A broad round head with very full cheeks, more pronounced in males.
What is a British Shorthair like to live with?
Calm, undemanding and notably tolerant. Not a lap cat by preference.
What health problems do British Shorthairs have?
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and polycystic kidney disease occur; both have genetic tests. Prone to obesity given the build.