Breed Standards: BRITISH SHORT HAIR
General Type Standard

The British cat is compact, well balanced and powerful, showing good depth of body, a full broad chest, short strong legs, rounded paws, tail thick at base with rounded tip. The head is round with a good width between small ears, round cheeks, firm chin, large round and well-opened eyes and a short broad nose. The coat is short and dense. A muscular cat with an alert appearance and in perfect physical condition.
Head - Round face with full cheeks and good breadth of skull with round underlying bone structure. The head should be set on a short thick neck.
Nose - The nose itself should be short, broad and straight. In profile, a rounded forehead should lead to a short, straight nose with a nose break which is neither too pronounced nor too shallow.
Chin - A strong, firm and deep chin is essential. The bite MUST be level, the tip of the chin to line up with the tip of the nose in the same vertical plane.
Ears - Small, rounded at the tips. Set far apart fitting into (without distorting) the rounded contour of the head. External ear to be well covered with fur, internal furnishings not to be excessive.
Eyes - Large, round and well-opened. Set wide apart with no tendency to Oriental shape. No squint.
Body - Cobby type with short level back. Low on legs with deep chest. Equally massive across the shoulders and the rump. Medium to large, but not rangy.
Legs and Paws - Short, strong legs. Paws round and firm. Toes carried close, five on each forefoot (including dew claw) and four on each back foot.
Tail - Should be thick and of medium length, thicker at the base with rounded tip.
Coat - Must be short, dense and crisp. A soft and/or overlong and fluffy coat is incorrect.

SCALE OF POINTS for British Short Hair except Colourpointed BSH
Self Coloured  
Head and Ears 20
Eyes 10
Body, Legs and Paws 25
Tail 10
Coat: Texture and Length 20
Colour 15
Total 100
Non-Self Coloured (patterned)  
Head and Ears 25
Eyes 10
Body, Legs and Paws 20
Tail 5
Coat: Texture, Length, Colour and Pattern 40
Total 100

Withhold Certificates or First Prizes in Kitten Open Classes for

  1. Uneven bite
  2. Over-long or fluffy coat (in adults)
  3. Pronounced nose stop, flat face or snub nose
  4. Any other defect as listed in the preface to this SOP booklet.

Faults:

  1. Over-long, soft or fluffy coat. Fluffy tail
  2. Nose stop
  3. Weak chin
  4. Pronounced whisker pads
SELF COLOURS

Coat Colour - The coat is of a single colour, sound to the roots, with no tabby markings and, with the exception of the Self White BSH, no white hairs anywhere.

Eye Colour - Copper, orange or deep gold (with the exception of the blue-eyed and odd-eyed White BSH).

Nose Leather and Paw Pads - Appropriate to coat colour.

Withhold Certificates or First Prizes in Kitten Open Classes for

  1. Unsound coat colour
  2. Coloured mark on head in Whites (adults only)
  3. Heavy silver tipping in Blues (adults only)
  4. Heavy tabby markings
  5. Incorrect eye colour or rims or flecks of contrasting colours (in adults)
  6. All other withholding faults as in the BSH General Type Standard

Faults: as in the BSH General Type Standard.

RED SELF BSH (15d)

Coat Colour - Deep rich red.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads - Brick red.

Faults:

  1. Tabby markings which should be as few as possible
  2. ‘Freckles’ may occur on nose, paw pads, lips, eyelids or ears. Slight freckling in a mature cat should not be penalised.
CREAM BSH (17)

Coat Colour - Pale-toned cream, neither red nor fawn.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads - Pink.

Faults:

  1. Tabby markings which should be as few as possible
  2. 'Freckles’ may occur on nose, paw pads, lips, eyelids or ears. Slight freckling in a mature cat should not be penalised.
TORTOISESHELL BRITISH SHORT HAIR

Coat Colour - A mixture of the base colour with red or cream as appropriate, evenly intermingled, with both colours clearly defined over the whole animal but without any obvious patches of any colour, with the exception of a short narrow blaze on the face, which is permissible.
Eye Colour - Copper, orange or deep gold, with no trace of green.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads - Pink and/or the colour corresponding with the coat colour

Withhold Certificates or First Prizes in Kitten Open Classes for

  1. Unsound coat
  2. White anywhere
  3. Incorrect eye colour or rims or flecks of contrasting colour (in adults)
  4. All other withholding faults as in the BSH General Type Standard.

Faults:

  1. Uneven balance of colour
  2. Colour unbroken on legs and paws
  3. Brindling
  4. Tabby markings
  5. All other faults as in the BSH General Type Standard.
TORTOISESHELL BSH (21)

Coat Colour - A mixture of black and rich red, and pale red.

BLUE-CREAM BSH (28)

Coat Colour - A mixture of medium blue and pale cream.

Fault: Tabby markings and silver tipping, permissible in kittens only.

CHOCOLATE TORTIE BSH (21 b)

Coat Colour - A mixture of chocolate and rich red.

LILAC TORTIE BSH (21c)

Coat Colour - A mixture of lilac and cream.