European Shorthair
The ordinary cat of continental Europe, standardised rather than constructed. Hardy, self sufficient, and it will hunt whether or not it has been fed.
Overview
The European Shorthair is the ordinary cat of continental Europe, standardised. It is not a new construction and it is not a British Shorthair: it is the native domestic cat of the region, given a written standard in the 1980s so it could be shown as itself.
It is medium sized, muscular and moderate in every respect, and it comes in essentially every colour and pattern the domestic cat produces.
Temperament
Balanced, adaptable and undemanding, which is what a few thousand years of living alongside people without being bred for a look tends to produce.
They are affectionate, sociable and good with children, and they retain a strong hunting drive. They are neither clingy nor aloof, which is the entire appeal.
Care and grooming
A weekly brush and more through the moult. That is the whole coat programme.
The wide natural gene pool means no documented breed specific disorder, and European Shorthairs are among the healthiest and longest lived cats available, with fifteen to twenty years entirely realistic.
Living and exercise
They fit almost any household. Indoors with enrichment or with safe outdoor access, flat or house, quiet or busy.
If someone wants a cat rather than a project, this is the honest recommendation on this shelf, and it costs a fraction of what the engineered breeds do.
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