The European Shorthair cat is not one of the most popular domestic cats in Europe for nothing. Due to her uncomplicated, eager to learn, and people-friendly nature, she is ideal for small and large cat lovers.
Size: medium – large (shoulder height between 30 and 35cm)
Weight: female/male cat: 4 – 6 kg / tomcat: 5 – 7 kg
Life expectancy: 15 – 20 years
Build: strong and muscular
Coat colors: all naturally occurring colors, also several colors possible
Special features in appearance: Typical house cat with short, dense fur
Breed type: shorthair breed
Country of origin: Europe
Recognized cat breed by FIFE, WCF, ACF
Typical breed diseases: The European Shorthair is a very robust breed that does not show any breed-specific diseases.
The nature of the European Shorthair
Due to their uncomplicated nature, the European Shorthair has made it into the hearts of many families. On the one hand she is people-oriented and affectionate, on the other hand she is adventurous and lively, which makes her ideal for almost everyone. If you offer her the space, she can easily occupy herself. Her hunting instinct is strong and she can entertain herself in the garden and live out her lively and active character.
She is unsuitable for being kept purely as an apartment, she needs variety and a lot of exercise. Despite her temperament, she is also very cuddly and loves contact with people. She learns quickly, is very clever and playful. Qualities that also benefit her as a family cat with small children. In addition, the European Shorthair is very robust and does not require much care, another plus point for the uncomplicated house cat.
History and origin
The European Shorthair originated from the common domestic and farm cat, which has evolved over the years without any intention of breeding. It was not until the 20th century that the robust cat began to be selectively bred, and from 1982 the European Shorthair was officially recognized as an independent breed. The breed characteristics were firmly defined by the WCF as Celtic Shorthair and FIFE as European.
The European Shorthair probably has its roots in the wild cat from Africa, which has a very similar physique, matching skull shape and tooth position. In Europe, the useful house and farm cat is believed to have spread when the Romans took them across Europe a good 2,000 years ago. At that time, the cat served them as a mouse hunter.
The cat continued to spread and quickly became a popular mouse catcher for farmers across Europe. The cat is particularly valued in Scandinavia, where most breeders of the breed can be found to this day.
The European Shorthair is also known as the European, Celtic Shorthair and Bondkatt, which means farm cat in Swedish. It is still often equated with the European house cat. However, this is not correct as it is a recognized breed in its own right as described above. Whereas the European domestic cat is a systematic classification of species.
Interesting and worth knowing
If your pet cat, which you may have found or found from an animal shelter, has the characteristics of a European Shorthair, then you can have it recognized as a European Shorthair. However, she must meet strict breed standards in order to compete in a show.
