The British Blue Cat
(British Shorthair Cat)

The British Blue cat (aka the British Shorthair cat) is a beautiful breed with a characteristic round face and classic "Cheshire Cat" grin!

This page tells you the some of the most interesting facts about the breed (useful if you're thinking of adopting one or already own one and want to know more about them!)

Before we get into any details, here's a quick overview:

Personality: Clever, trusting, loyal, quite shy

Suits: Singles, quieter homes, first time cat owners

Other: Loves curling up on your lap, hardy, sometimes frightened of young children and often avoid them

Breed Information

1) What are they like as pets?

These cats have lovely personalities. They love to sit on your lap and have very thick fur, so they're a bit like purring hot water bottles!

They're generally fine living indoors, even in small homes, especially if brought up that way from kittens. In fact, they are generally better kept as house cats - they have a very trusting disposition, so should preferably only go outside under supervision.

Their lovely, thick coat is easy to keep in great condition with just a couple of quick brushing / combing sessions per week.

2) Looks, build, colors and markings

The British Blue cat got its name, not surprisingly, from it's gorgeous blue-grey coat. However, there are now about 40 colors for this breed accepted by cat fanciers associations - so the name of British Shorthair cat is probably more applicable today. However, a lot of people still think of this breed as being the classic "blue" color.

The breed has a gorgeous characteristic round face, big eyes, a stocky body and round paws.

These cats can take up to 5 years to reach their full adult size, so don't worry if they don't seem to have the hallmark looks of the breed when they're younger - those looks will develop with age.

They are medium sized - females weigh around 7 pounds and males up to about 12 pounds.

3) History

The British Blue cat originated in Britain (not a huge surprise given the name!), but no-one is sure exactly where or when. It's thought this cat breed has been around since at least the 1800s - and it's also thought that it was the inspiration for the Cheshire Cat in the Lewis Carroll classic Alice in Wonderland.



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