Classical British shorthair
The British cat is an aristocrat in the feline family. One of the few breeds that is not demanding of human attention. Her wayward disposition makes you treat her as an equal. These calm, independent and luxurious pets will gladly decorate your home comfort. So, who is she - British cat?
As always in the world of scientists, there are several opinions about the emergence of the British cat breed. One of the camps claims that the history of the Briton relates to the chartreuse short-haired and semi-long-haired cat who came from the Middle East and were especially loved by the French clergy.
The second version says that the British cat came to the European continent from Africa. In the beginning, they were divorced exclusively by the clergy of France and were inaccessible to other strata of society. Later, the breed was brought to the UK on merchant ships.
Here's another option. These unusual and incredibly beautiful animals were brought to the territory of Britain by warriors from Ancient Rome, since during the period of the Roman Empire cats were constant companions of people. Evidence of this version can be considered some old paintings and a few engravings, in which the image of short-haired British people is quite often found. Also, references to the British are kept in ancient Roman literature, in which such animals are described as very powerful, well-developed, characteristic gray cats with relatively large, rounded eyes and sharp fangs.
American history
According to most scientists, smart and hardy animals were brought to America during the mass migration of settlers from the inhabited territory of the Old World. It was in 1607 that English emigrants in large numbers arrived with cats in North America, where they founded the first colony of Gemstown.
Golden British shorthair
Golden chinchilla cats were bred by crossing with other breeds. Such breeding work was carried out directly by British researchers. It is assumed that the chinchilla owes its thick coat of a beautiful shade to the crossing of smoky British and Persian cats.
It is interesting. Due to the fact that the British chinchilla was obtained by crossing short-haired and Persian cats, you can find long-haired kittens in the litter. In this case, the British Longhair cat must meet the same standards as the British Chinchilla.
Gradually, breeders continued crossing, diluting the new breed with the blood of Tabby cats. The specialists managed to get a golden color using the above method. But the basis for the genetic experiment was no longer Tabby, but a new breed - a magnificent silver chinchilla.
The expectations of the specialists came true, and at the end of the 19th century, an animal that corresponded to the breed standard, the golden chinchilla, was obtained. Officially, these animals were recognized only at the end of the 20th century.