Standards

General  

The British Shorthair are powerful cats; wide and firm in body. Their round face has a sweet, open expression. 

Points 

Head:  

25 

Shape  

Top of head 

The head is rounded, massive and broad. Cheeks are full and pronounced.
Top of head is slightly rounded. 

10 

Muzzle and chin 

The large round whisker pads lend a distinct outline to the short and full muzzle. Firm chin 

9 

Profile  

The profile is curved (without any stop), with a slightly rounded forehead. The straight nose is short and broad, of even width. 

6 

Eyes 

Large and rounded, set wide apart. Eye colour corresponds with coat colour (see table below), and should be intense and brilliant. 

10 

Ears 

Medium to relatively small in size, broad at the base, with rounded tips. They are set wide apart, the outer edge slightly further behind. 

5 

Body: 

20 

Size and boning 

Medium to large sized cat, muscular and semi-cobby, but not square. Strong heavy boning. 

7 

Torso 

Short rectangular format. Chest and back are broad and massive, flanks deep, shoulders and hips of the same width. 

6 

Neck 

Short and strong. 

2 

Legs and paws 

Legs are medium to short, muscular; paws thick and round. 

5 

Tail 

The tail is medium long and thick with a rounded tip and can reach to the shoulder blade. 

5 

Coat: 

30 

Length 

Short  

10 

Texture  

Very dense, with thick undercoat. Rather coarse and crisp, with elastic guard hairs It stands away from the body like plush due to the sufficient undercoat. The texture is not woolly. Ideal coat texture us usually seen in blue/black/lilac/white/cream; other colours might very slightly differ in texture but should not lose the plush quality. 

10 

Colour 

Ideally, every hair should be uniform in colour down to the roots, except in tabby, smoke, silver and golden varieties: the cats with more uniformity are strongly preferred. For colour varieties refer to the table below. Shadow tabby markings in phaeomelanistic solid color, smoke, shaded, shaded golden, bi-color, or calico kittens are not a fault. 

10 

Condition  

See general part 

5 

Total  

100 

Special breed faults 

Outer eye corners clearly higher than inner corners.
Heavy eyebrow ridge.
Cheeks not pronounced enough. 
Narrow ear base, totally straight set.
Flat forehead.
Nose too long.
Lack of density in the coat texture.
Ghost tabby markings in eumelanistic solid colour cats. 

Without certificates 

Fine boning.
Narrow wedge shape head.
A profile with a strong stop.
Too round and protruding eyes.
Incorrect eye color, green rims in adults.
Lack of/or poor undercoat, coat not standing away from body.
Cow hocks. 

Disqualify 

White lockets.
Mosaic eye colour. 

Remarks 

Outcross with other breeds 

Non