British Shorthair

In line with their British heritage, the breed is slightly reserved, but once they get to know someone they have no trouble showing affection. A descendent from the cats of ancient Rome, the BSH bears the proud distinction of being one of the world’s oldest cat breeds. Experts think that the breed came from cats imported to Rome from ancient Egypt. It is believed that when the Romans invaded Great Britain in 43 CE. They have changed little over the centuries but as the breed developed, crosses were made with the Persian between 1914 and 1918 introducing the longhair gene. Cats with short coats were part of the British Shorthair and cats without went into the Persian breeding programs. A British Shorthair once had the world’s loudest purr.