What colour are British Shorthair cats?

by Michael Broad · June 23, 2022

British Shorthair cats are shown in all colours and all divisions of the traditional category. The traditional colours are black, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lilac, fawn, red, cream and white. In the pointed category there is seal, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lilac, fawn, red and cream pointing and under the sepia and mink colour banner there is seal, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lilac, fawn, red and cream. The patterns that you will see for the British Shorthair cat will be: solid colour tortoiseshell, agouti tabby, mackerel tabby, spotted tabby, classic tabby, silver, tipped colour and parti-color (more than one colour present).

Blue British Shorthair TYBA. Photo copyright Helmi Flick

The original British Shorthair was called a British Blue. This was because it was the only colour the cat was shown in. Some organisations still recognise the blue is the only acceptable colour although, as you can see, the British Shorthair comes in a very wide range of colours and patterns.

The eye colour should conform to coat colour and will be either copper, gold, yellow, hazel, green, blue or odd eyes.

The British Blue with copper eyes is one of the classic purebred cat appearances. There is a lovely contrast between the copper colour and the bluish gray in the coat. The picture on this page illustrates that appearance.

Three British Shorthair kittens Suckle Their Mother's Breast

Charming color chart of British SH kittens. Photo in the public domain.

The British Shorthair has a “cobby” appearance meaning compact and stocky. They appear sturdy and they are a medium-to-large cat with a broad and round head and a well-developed muzzle. The nose should be short but not snubbed. I understand that to mean that this cat should not be bred to extreme like the Persian. The nose should not be foreshortened to that extent. You will sometimes see them with a chipmunk-like appearance. This is particularly prevalent, I believe, in Russian-bred British Shorthair cats where they like to breed cats to extreme (see below). They have an independent yet affectionate relaxed and curious temperament.