According to legend, British cat was brought to England by the Roman Britain invaders more than 2 millennia ago. The ancestors of the cats roamed the the streets of British cities.
For a long time, these animals existed as a simple domestic cats as breeders did not set a goal to bring native British breed.
Thus, in the late XIX century. initiated the formation of the modern type British Shorthair, as in the registration books of the English Club cat lovers was made a corresponding entry, dated 1898 Breeding of the best-known instances of British interest English breeder Garrisson Weir, founder of the movement of fans cats. He himself was an admirer of this breed, which he wrote: "Normal yard cat, able to survive in the toughest circumstances. The fact that it exists - the best proof of the strength and endurance of nature".
BRITISH CAT
In 1870, Weir offered to arrange the exhibition of cats of different breeds, colors, that owners can compare their pets with other individuals of the same breed. In addition, many visitors could admire the beauty of exhibitions top cats of the genus.
Weir met with his friend Wilkinson, who was the managing Crystal Palace. He liked the idea. Floor Plan developed for just a few days, the prizes were established, prices, and Terry Cree-evaluation of the various color, body type, size and gender.
In 1871 at the Crystal Palace hosted the first cat show. One of the judges it was Jung who also shared the admiration of the British Weir shorthair cats.
The first exhibition took place on the 14-year-old British Shorthair cat color blue tabby, the only representative of a certain breed. The other cats were exposed as a long-haired or short-haired and differed in color.
It should be noted that the breed was originally called the "British Blue", as cats were bred only a blue color. Over the years, there were British cats and other colors.
By the beginning of the XX century. identified the following classes of British cats: one color (black, white, blue), tab.bi (brown, red, silver), smoke tabby, mackerel tabby, smoke (black, blue, black and white, white with black tabby with white , tortoiseshell, and tortoiseshell and white).
Each color was extracted into a separate class that is defined own standard. But common type is consistent with contemporary standards: powerful compact body, large head, large eyes, short and very dense hair smooth texture with the same dense undercoat. The dimensions of animals were much smaller than today: cats weighing 4-5.5 kg, and cats - 3-4 kg. Exhibitions at the Crystal Palace conducted annually until 1936 Strongest fire destroyed the building of the palace, who was considered a miracle of engineering of art.
In the United States until 1968 to breed British Shorthair cats have continued to refer only to those animals whose wool was dyed blue. Only after one of the show won a black cat, brought from UK cat lovers in America have learned that the British are also other colors.
In the first cat shows British Shorthair Cats a great success. They were rewarded with many, medals and awards.
The First World War led to a decline in the movement of cat lovers. After her the end of the interest was revived, and breeders continue to work with British shorthair cats. Breeders of purebred cats mated with the necessary features, with the British, thus trying to restore the breed.
In order to achieve a more rapid recovery of the type of British shorthair cats, they were crossed with long-haired Persians. Since Britons have been approved by the rock, the resulting progeny from this cross not registered as a British Shorthair. For this purpose it was necessary presence in the pedigree of at least three generations of Britons.
These difficulties, as well as the increase in popularity of Persian and other new species led to a decrease in the number of British Shorthair cats. To improve the genetics of breeders began again to connect to their breeding purebred short-haired cats and dogs of breeds such as chartreuse and Russian blue. Such interbreeding contributed to improving the health of animals, but led to some deviations from the established standard of the breed.
Again, had to resort to working with the descendants of British and mating Persian cats, which, contrary to expectations, the breeders are moved slowly and was fraught with difficulties. Therefore, at a dilution of British breeders often use cat Persian breed, selecting animals with not too long hair and a pronounced kurno.sostyu inherent to the Persians.
Such interbreeding contributed to the emergence of a powerful body of cats, with more rounded shapes. The main purpose of breeding was the achievement of that line could be supported without the involvement of cats other breeds.
Shorthaired domestic cats have long been exported from the UK United States, but only in 1900 they began to register as a British Shorthair. Color silver tabby cats have played a major role in the development of the breed American Shorthair.
Before the 1910 record of winning show was a British silver tabby cat coat color named Jimmy, and the title of the cats belonged to his sister, Laurel.
As a result, there are many who want to buy British Shorthair cats of this particular color. Many animals were evacuated to the United States, which also began breeding work aimed at removing the cats clearly expressed by the type and pure colors.
In 1930, the British Shorthair cat breed became interested in American Keith Wilson. Through her work and the assistance of experienced breeders Failed to save the breed during the Second World War, although by the end of the war vysokoporodistyh left very little Brits.
Until 1950 imported from the UK to the U.S. as the animals were recorded domestic shorthair, and then they were split into a separate breed, dubbed "the British Blue." The first American association gave the cat of this breed championship, was ASA.
By the 1970's. there was a set of massive short-haired Britons, according to its appearance resembling Cartesian, French blue cats or, as they are called chartreuse. The breed has been bred in the Cartesian Monastery, located near the French city of Chartres, in the XV-XVI centuries. The ancestors of these animals were imported from Africa returned to the Motherland members of the monastic order. In addition, monahi.karteziantsy famous by created liqueur called "Chartreuse." Translated from the French Chartres means "blue." Also known as a soft woolen cloth sero.golubogo color. This explains the origin of the name of French blue cat - "Chartreuse" or "Cartesian».
In our time in the UK is prohibited to cross the British shorthair cats with Persians, but in many countries it is quite acceptable. In addition, the U.S. allowed to cross with Shorthair, Russian blue, chartreuse, and European Shorthair.
In these circumstances, there is a real threat to the existence British Shorthair cats as a separate breed. In order to prevent the transformation of Britain in the European short-haired cats were decided to standardize the breed in the form in which it was formed to early 1980s.
In 1982, two short-haired breeds were separated from each other and divided into British Shorthair, and European korotkosherst.nuyu. Carthusian cat, as before, have an independent status. What are the main differences between the Cartesian and British shorthair cats? The head is chartreuse in its form resembles inverted trapezoid, the British head shape is nearly spherical. They have small, rounded ears, a small incision, and a chartreuse middle ear size, are quite high. In addition, the Cartesian cat fur longer and darker in color than the British.
Used material books O.A. Puhovoy, "British Shorthair Cat"
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