Shorthair cats: breeds and species

Short hair for wild cats - the most suitable. It is easier to keep clean, easier to get rid of parasites and prevent the appearance of coils. Long fur appeared on the wild ancestors of our pets only in cold climates, when the animal had to live at very low temperatures. Short fur is a genetically dominant cat feature, so cats with short hair will always exist.

There are quite a few types of short fur: soft and fine wool of rex, smooth, shiny hair of Siamese, tight coat of Mencks. But in general, whatever we consider the breeds of shorthair cats, there are only three main categories: American, British, Eastern. We are most known for British and European shorthair.

Shorthair British

Shorthair cats of British breed are the favorites of all the cats . The breed was first bred in Great Britain at the end of the 18th century. For the new breed were crossed the English domestic cat and Persian. But that long-withdrawn breed has nothing to do with the current British cats.

The modern breed of British Shorthair cats has a fairly large body size, massive paws, a large and round head with a large leather fold. Low ears, wide, short nose, short plush fur and thick straight tail - these are the external features that in general terms can characterize this breed.

But the more rich this breed, so it's a great choice of color. Shorthair cats of British breed have more than 200 different variants of it! This solid color of white, blue, red and even lilac color without any stains and drawings. For female cats, a tortoise mixture of colored spots is characteristic. There are smoky British and with a distinctive coloring of the protruding parts of the body (ears, muzzle, paws, tail). Some species clearly highlight the combination of white with the main, and funny, but one ear of the animal is always painted in a different color. There are cats with a tiger pattern, with a chinchilla color and many others.

Shorthair cats of British breed are perfect for living in a city apartment. They are beautiful, effective, smart, calm, clean. You can endlessly wonder what they are affectionate and sociable, kind and understanding. The British do not require complex care, they do not need to be combed. But although they are selective towards food, they still like to eat! Therefore, if they are not restrained, then very soon they will turn into fat and lazy.

European Shorthair

Shorthair cats of the European breed were bred in the middle of the XX century. At first glance, it seems that this is an entirely ordinary domestic cat. But she has an amazing ability - she is a very good hunter. The qualities of an excellent Pied Piper were obtained as a result of selection. And outwardly it does not represent anything special: a strong, muscular body of medium size, a rounded head with round cheeks, medium sized ears and a wide variety of colors: from the most banal black and white to cream or silver.

The breed of cats European shorthair differs from others in its balanced nature. They are handsome and beautiful, affectionate and faithful, playful and independent animals. European cats are not prone to vagrancy, are very attached to the owners and can perfectly live in a city apartment and in an agricultural house.

It is said that the wild African cat was the ancestress of the modern European Shorthair. Since the breeding of the breed, a lot of water has flowed, but neither in appearance nor in the peculiarities of the structure of these animals has there been any change. They are still graceful and beautiful.