The British Shorthair Colours And PatternsBreed standard.
Described by the GCCF in its General Type Standards as compact, muscular, well-balanced and powerful, the British Shorthair has a deep body, full, broad chest and short legs. Paws are rounded and the tail should be round-tipped thick at the base. The head has a good width between small ears, cheeks and big expressive eyes. These facial features are completed by a firm chin and short, broad nose. The overall appearance should be one of alertness and perfect physical condition.
The self or single colours of the British Shorthair are found in blue, black, white, chocolate, red, cream, lilac, cinnamon and fawn. Added to this are the many non-self colours (more than one colour), such as tortoiseshells, tabbies and spotties, bi-colours, tri-colours, colourpointeds, smokes and tipped series.
In the Self British Shorthair the coat is of a single colour, sound to the roots, with no tabby markings and, with the exception of the Self White BSH, no white hairs anywhere. Eye colour should be copper, orange or deep gold, with the exception of the blue-eyed White (both eyes blue) or odd-eyed White (one copper, orange or deep gold eye, one blue eye)
The best known of all colours is the British Blue, being light to medium blue-grey with contrasting copper, orange or deep gold eyes. It has attracted admirers for more than a century and proved to be one of the most popular British colours of all time.
Add red, cream or white to any of the self colours and you have an attractive mix. These are known as Non-Self. Perhaps most popular is the Blue Cream or Dilute Tortie, while the Black Tortie is a longtime favourite. The newer colours are also producing chocolate-torties, lilac-torties, cinnamon-torties and fawn torties) Adding white will produce the bi-colours and tri-colours.
Smokes
This colour is becoming more popular as they are a very attractive cat. The top coat is any of the Self or Tortoiseshell colours but has a contrasting undercoat of silver which is often only apparent when the coat is parted through movement.
Tipped
This is a genetically silver variety of British Shorthair in which the colour is restricted to the ends of the fur in the form of tipping and the undercoat is so pale as to appear white. Tipping should be evenly distributed, and can look like a ‘frosting’ of colour on the coat. The Golden Tipped is the non-silver version of the British Tipped in which the coat is a rich golden apricot colour, sound to the roots, with black/dark-brown tipping. The Black and Golden Tipped cats have green eyes, with all other colours of tipped having copper, orange or deep gold. ‘Tippies’, as they are affectionately known, have outlining to their eyes known as mascara lines, and their brick-red noses are also outlined in colour appropriate to the colour of the coat tipping. Several new variations of colour are currently appearing on the show-bench and are proving to be popular.
Tabby and Spotted
The British Shorthair cat has three main patterns defined under the ‘Tabby’ heading. The Classic Tabby, The Mackeral Tabby and the Spotted. The Classic and Mackeral patterns differ only in the body markings. The Classic Tabby has a black line running down the spine with another black line running parallel on each side. Each flank should have an ‘oyster-shaped’ patch which should be surrounded by one or more unbroken rings. ‘Butterfly wing’ markings appear on the shoulders. The Mackeral Tabby should have a narrow unbroken spine line, on either side of which is a broken spine line from which the narrow lines which form the Mackeral pattern run vertically down the body. These lines should be as narrow and numerous as possible. The Spotted has the same head pattern as the Classic and Mackeral tabbies but the pattern on the body should consist of numerous, well-defined oval, round or rosette-shaped spots.
The Tabby and Spotted patterned British Shorthair is available in all colours, both Silver and Non-Silver, although the Black Silver Tabby and Black Silver Spotted are the most well-known and sought after.
One of the oldest pattern colours, the British Red Tabby, has deep mahogany red markings on a red ground colour whilst the Brown Tabby has dense black markings on a copper-brown colour. Other colours to have been added include the ,Blue Tabby, with deep blue markings on a biscuit ground, Chocolate Tabby with deep chocolate markings on a bronze ground and the more dilute Lilac Tabby with lilac markings on a beige ground.
Bi-Colours and Tri-Colours
Short haired cats with white markings have been around for a very long time. The tri-coloured tortoiseshell and white, with its patched black, red and white coat, has the longest history and for many years was the only recognised British Shorthair breed with white markings. They appeared at the earliest cat shows and were a great favourite on the British show scene. Bi-colours were a later development ‘with patches of one self colour and white. Symmetry of design is desirable with the colour/white ratio paramount for showing.’ The Tri-colours have patches of two self colours with white.
Vans
Are a predominantly white cat with patches of colour on the head and a fully coloured tail.
British Colourpointed
It is getting on for 40 years now since the Himalayan gene was introduced from longhaired lines, creating a blue-eyed British with contrasting points and lighter coloured bodies that is now well established. All self points colours are possible, as well as tortie points and a wide variety of tabby pointed colours.
Described by the GCCF in its General Type Standards as compact, muscular, well-balanced and powerful, the British Shorthair has a deep body, full, broad chest and short legs. Paws are rounded and the tail should be round-tipped thick at the base. The head has a good width between small ears, cheeks and big expressive eyes. These facial features are completed by a firm chin and short, broad nose. The overall appearance should be one of alertness and perfect physical condition.
The self or single colours of the British Shorthair are found in blue, black, white, chocolate, red, cream, lilac, cinnamon and fawn. Added to this are the many non-self colours (more than one colour), such as tortoiseshells, tabbies and spotties, bi-colours, tri-colours, colourpointeds, smokes and tipped series.
In the Self British Shorthair the coat is of a single colour, sound to the roots, with no tabby markings and, with the exception of the Self White BSH, no white hairs anywhere. Eye colour should be copper, orange or deep gold, with the exception of the blue-eyed White (both eyes blue) or odd-eyed White (one copper, orange or deep gold eye, one blue eye)
The best known of all colours is the British Blue, being light to medium blue-grey with contrasting copper, orange or deep gold eyes. It has attracted admirers for more than a century and proved to be one of the most popular British colours of all time.
Add red, cream or white to any of the self colours and you have an attractive mix. These are known as Non-Self. Perhaps most popular is the Blue Cream or Dilute Tortie, while the Black Tortie is a longtime favourite. The newer colours are also producing chocolate-torties, lilac-torties, cinnamon-torties and fawn torties) Adding white will produce the bi-colours and tri-colours.
Smokes
This colour is becoming more popular as they are a very attractive cat. The top coat is any of the Self or Tortoiseshell colours but has a contrasting undercoat of silver which is often only apparent when the coat is parted through movement.
Tipped
This is a genetically silver variety of British Shorthair in which the colour is restricted to the ends of the fur in the form of tipping and the undercoat is so pale as to appear white. Tipping should be evenly distributed, and can look like a ‘frosting’ of colour on the coat. The Golden Tipped is the non-silver version of the British Tipped in which the coat is a rich golden apricot colour, sound to the roots, with black/dark-brown tipping. The Black and Golden Tipped cats have green eyes, with all other colours of tipped having copper, orange or deep gold. ‘Tippies’, as they are affectionately known, have outlining to their eyes known as mascara lines, and their brick-red noses are also outlined in colour appropriate to the colour of the coat tipping. Several new variations of colour are currently appearing on the show-bench and are proving to be popular.
Tabby and Spotted
The British Shorthair cat has three main patterns defined under the ‘Tabby’ heading. The Classic Tabby, The Mackeral Tabby and the Spotted. The Classic and Mackeral patterns differ only in the body markings. The Classic Tabby has a black line running down the spine with another black line running parallel on each side. Each flank should have an ‘oyster-shaped’ patch which should be surrounded by one or more unbroken rings. ‘Butterfly wing’ markings appear on the shoulders. The Mackeral Tabby should have a narrow unbroken spine line, on either side of which is a broken spine line from which the narrow lines which form the Mackeral pattern run vertically down the body. These lines should be as narrow and numerous as possible. The Spotted has the same head pattern as the Classic and Mackeral tabbies but the pattern on the body should consist of numerous, well-defined oval, round or rosette-shaped spots.
The Tabby and Spotted patterned British Shorthair is available in all colours, both Silver and Non-Silver, although the Black Silver Tabby and Black Silver Spotted are the most well-known and sought after.
One of the oldest pattern colours, the British Red Tabby, has deep mahogany red markings on a red ground colour whilst the Brown Tabby has dense black markings on a copper-brown colour. Other colours to have been added include the ,Blue Tabby, with deep blue markings on a biscuit ground, Chocolate Tabby with deep chocolate markings on a bronze ground and the more dilute Lilac Tabby with lilac markings on a beige ground.
Bi-Colours and Tri-Colours
Short haired cats with white markings have been around for a very long time. The tri-coloured tortoiseshell and white, with its patched black, red and white coat, has the longest history and for many years was the only recognised British Shorthair breed with white markings. They appeared at the earliest cat shows and were a great favourite on the British show scene. Bi-colours were a later development ‘with patches of one self colour and white. Symmetry of design is desirable with the colour/white ratio paramount for showing.’ The Tri-colours have patches of two self colours with white.
Vans
Are a predominantly white cat with patches of colour on the head and a fully coloured tail.
British Colourpointed
It is getting on for 40 years now since the Himalayan gene was introduced from longhaired lines, creating a blue-eyed British with contrasting points and lighter coloured bodies that is now well established. All self points colours are possible, as well as tortie points and a wide variety of tabby pointed colours.
- Welcome to the World of the Wonderful British Shorthair.
TEMPERAMENT
British Shorthair cats make excellent pets, but like most things in life you only get out what you put in. Lots of love and attention will be repaid one-hundred fold from these lovely animals. Although cats are regarded as independent creatures and spend a large amount of their time asleep or merely resting, they do appreciate company.
. ‘British’ are a joy to own (if ever one can own a cat!) and repay love and affection without question. Anyone wanting a cat with looks, temperament and presence would be well advised to consider a British Shorthair.
APPEARANCE
The modern standard calls for a compact, well balanced and powerful cat, showing good depth of body, full broad chest, short strong legs, rounded paws, thick tail with rounded tip. Small ears, round cheeks, firm chin, large round and well-opened eyes and a short broad nose. The coat to be short and dense. All in all a strong, muscular cat, with an alert appearance.
The rainbow of colours and patterns in which this breed is now produced is most impressive considering the humble beginnings. Colours as diverse as white, black, blue, red, cream, chocolate, lilac, tortoiseshell, blue-cream, and the latest cinnamon and fawn. All these are possible with the addition of white, resulting in bi and tri-colours. Patterned cats include the tabby, spotted, colour-pointed and tipped. Eye colour varies from gold or copper in the self and bi and tri-colours, to green in the tipped, blue in the colour-pointed, and hazel or green in the black version of the silver tabby and silver spotted, the rest having gold eyes as their self counterparts. The British blue is still the most popular choice, closely followed by the Silver Tabby, although at long last the diversity of colour and pattern, which exists in the British Shorthair breed, is being recognised. This is due in no small part to the fact that breeders are now showing many different colours and patterns, and bringing these to the attention of prospective kitten owners.
LIFESTYLE
The British Shorthair will quite happily live indoors, a much safer environment for it, or any cat, when one considers the dangers of traffic, the evil intent of some people, and the diseases which can be transmitted from one outside cat to another. Where there is no human company during the day, due to owners working etc., then it is kinder to have two cats as company for each other. This will apply to any breed – cats are generally social animals and appreciate companionship.
The character of the British Shorthair cat is generally one of a gentle, willing to please, playful and affectionate nature. They are a quiet cat, happy to be with you at all times. Some are willing lap-cats, but there is the occasional one who deems itself ‘too grand’ to sit on a mere mortal’s knee but none the less will still want to be as close to its owner as possible. They enjoy games with a small toy or ball, as long as they are getting the owner’s attention. They can be lazy at times and love nothing more than snoozing in front of the fire in Winter, or in a sunny spot in Summer watching the World go by.
HEALTH & MAINTENCE
The general health of the British Shorthair is good, with no apparent weaknesses and they have an average life span into their late teens. The care of these cats, as with all cats, is just general common sense. They need good quality food supplied at regular times, a bowl of fresh water to be available at all times. Cats are extremely clean, fastidious animals and under normal circumstances the most attention that a British Shorthair cat requires is love - and plenty of it.
Due to the short coat of this cat hand-grooming and a gentle brush once a week is all that is needed to keep it in good condition. A rub over with damp hands will help to remove any of the dead hair from the coat. When the cat starts to moult, as it will possibly once or twice a year, then a daily grooming is necessary to alleviate the threat of the fur-ball.
For further cat-related information please visit the official web-site of the FELINE ADVISORY BUREAU - www.fabcats.org