British Shorthair
Round through the head and dense through the coat, and heavier to lift than it looks. It likes company on the floor beside you rather than on your lap.
Photo by steviewonderous, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The British Shorthair is the oldest English breed and the one the Cheshire Cat was drawn from. It descends from the working cats of Britain, standardised in the late nineteenth century, and rebuilt after two World Wars with Persian and Russian Blue outcrosses that gave it the density it now has.
It is heavier than it looks. The bone is thick, the body is cobby, and a British Shorthair picked up for the first time is consistently a surprise.
Temperament
Reserved, steady and famously not a lap cat. They are affectionate on their own terms, which usually means sitting beside a person rather than on them, and they dislike being carried.
They are quiet, tolerant of children and other animals, and slow to be provoked. They are also slow to mature, taking up to five years to fill out fully.
Care and grooming
A weekly brush most of the year and more through the spring moult, because the undercoat is dense and it comes out in quantity.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the condition to ask about, and ALMS1 variants have been identified in the breed. Polycystic kidney disease also appears in lines carrying Persian ancestry, and it has a DNA test.
Living and exercise
An undemanding indoor cat that suits a calm household and copes well with being alone during the day.
Weight is the standing issue. This is a placid breed built to be heavy, and the line between substantial and overweight is easy to cross. Measured feeding from the start is far easier than a diet later.
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