The European Shorthair Cat

By Omer Ashraf

European Shorthair is a recently recognized breed of cats that was created to distinguish the Scandinavian cats of Europe from those of United Kingdom. A shorthair feline breed, it is distinct from the British and American Shorthairs. The cat's origin dates back centuries. It is said to have descended from Egyptian cats and then brought over to Europe. Since then it has been widespread in towns and villages of Europe. The point of origin here is believed to be Sweden. With time the European cat developed a physical structure somewhat different from its English cousin. Therefore after much deliberation it was given official recognition in the early eighties though it is still not recognized by most bodies around the world.

A sturdy and well built feline, European Shorthair is a muscular animal. Chest and shoulders are broad and strong. Coat is double layered and somewhat coarse and thick, in possible adaptation to the cold winters of Scandinavia. A number of colors occur though blue and black are most frequent. Head is rounded and so are the widely set eyes and ears. Eyes are also accepted in a variety of colors including blue, green or yellow. Jaws and neck are well developed. Tail and legs are relatively long.

European Shorthairs are quite similar to the average street cat in Europe and are thus often confused with alley cats. Theirs is a pure breed though that has been developed over the years and has established attributes. They are not all alike though in many ways since they have been developed from so many different individuals and often have varying personalities and behavior.

Temperament of European Shorthairs is thus somewhat unpredictable owing to their diverse ancestry. They are generally calm and easygoing cats overall. They are well behaved normally and go well with all members of the family, including children and other pets.

The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on European Shorthair cat.