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Addictional informatio
n (Wiki):
The British Shorthair is the descendant
of cats brought to Britain by the Romans,
which were interbred with wild native
cats. Later they were crossbred with
Persian cats to improve the thickness of
their coat. The breed was defined in the
19th century and British Shorthairs were
shown at the 1871 Crystal Palace cat
show. The popularity of the breed had
declined by the 1940s, but since the end
of the Second World War, breeding
programs have intensified and the
breed's popularity is high once again
British Shorthairs have dense, plush
coats that are often described as crisp
or cracking, which refers to the way the
coat breaks over the cat's body contours.
Eyes are large, round and widely set.
They can be a variety of colours, though
the copper or gold eyes of the British
blue are the best known. They have round
heads with full, chubby cheeks and a
body that is rounded and sturdy. British
Shorthairs are large and muscular, and
are described as having a cobby build.
The breed has a broad chest, shoulders
and hips with short legs, round paws and
a plush but not fluffy tail that ends in
a round or blunt tip. These are the
characteristics listed in most governing
bodies breeds standards to which show
cats must conform.
The males of this breed are larger than
the females, and the size difference
between them is more easily noticed
compared to other breeds. The males'
average weight is 5-10 kilograms,
whereas a female would weigh up to 5-7.
As with many breeds, the adult males may
also develop prominent cheek jowls that
distinguish them from their female
counterparts. The typical lifespan of
this breed is 14 to 20 years. |
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