Silver British Shorthairs  

British Shorthair Cats have  plush, dense, teddybear-like coats.  Their bodies are large and muscular and  should be of a chunky build.  They have broad chests, shoulders and hips with  short legs, round well-built paws and a thick plush tail, which ends in a round  or blunt tip.  Their heads are round with full, chubby cheeks.

 British Shorthairs have large eyes which  should be round and widely set. Eyes come in a variety of colours - from green  to the most widely known copper / gold of the British Blue. 
The males of the breed are noticeably larger than the females.  The average weight of an adult male is 5 - 10 kg, whereas the females weigh in at an average  of 5 - 7 kg.  Males also tend to develop much chunkier cheek jowls than the females, though females can also have large cheek features. 

The typical lifespan of a British Shorthair  is between 14 and 20 years.

 The BSH is a very strong cat, with a "square" body shape.  It is nearly as long in length as it is broad. The legs are usually quite thick to   hold up their heavy, muscular body. Due to its bulk and muscle, this type of cat  is often regarded as the 'bulldog' of the cat world.

British Shorthairs have large,  broad heads. Their eyes stand out and tend to be large and round. Their relatively small ears with rounded tips are set far apart and they have pert  snub noses and slightly rounded chins which help emphasise the breed's powerful  jaw and round head.

British Shorthair Cats come in a large variety of different colours.  The most popular and widely known blue  even has a breed name of its own ~ the British Blue.  There are also black,  lilac, white, cream, red, chocolate, cinnamon, fawn and silvers.

BSH can be bred in one solid  colour ~ known as 'self' ~ as well as tabby, colourpoint, shaded and bi-colour.   All colours also come in the tortoiseshell pattern ~ 'tortie' ~ which is a  combination of red and cream with another colour.

British Shorthairs make  wonderful pets.  They have a very stable character, and are of a very easy-going  nature.  They love being indoors, and are perfect for people who have to go out  to work, the elderly, or people living in apartments.

They are not destructive or hyperactive, and do not demand lots  of attention.  They are usually very placid and happy to laze around while
their  owner is out.  They do love being petted and are generally very affectionate. They mostly prefer lying next to their owner rather than being a 'lap cat', and  even though some do not mind being cuddled, for the most part they prefer to  keep their four paws on the ground while being petted.

BSH also have a tendency of  following their owner from room to room, as they like being close to them and  being able to observe daily activities.  The breed is not very vocal, but will  meow when playing with a favourite toy, or when their food is being  prepared.

Due to its nature and intelligence the breed has become very popular with animal trainers and are increasingly used in films and tv adverts 
eg Whiskas, Sheba and Bacardi Breezer to name but a few.

Due to their short coats, British  Shorthair cats do not require a lot of grooming, and their fur does not  tangle or mat easily. It is, however,
recommended that the coat be brushed  occasionally, particularly during the shedding season, as this decreases the  chance of furballs.

 BSH can be prone to obesity due to their relaxed nature, especially if kept indoors, so care should be taken with their diet.

British Shorthairs have been  the most popular breed of cat registered with the GCCF since 2001, when it overtook the  Persian breed.

The British Shorthair is a descendant of  cats brought into Britain by the Romans, and then interbred with wild native  cats. Later they were