 In today's video, we are going to talk about some interesting facts and myths about British Shorthairs. As its name suggests, the British Shorthair cat is as traditionally English as tea and scones. Here are 9 facts about the stocky feline, whose chubby face, easy going demeanor, and short, plush firmated America's fifth most popular pedigreed cat in 2014. 1. They're descended from the cats of ancient Rome. The British Shorthair bears the proud distinction of being one of the world's oldest cat breeds. Experts think that the feline is descended from cats imported to Rome from ancient Egypt. When the Romans invaded Great Britain in 43 CE, they took the cats with them. 2. The father of cat fancy, loved British Shorthairs. British Shorthairs existed as street cats and barn mousers until Harrison Weir, a 19th century animal lover known as the father of cat fancy, began breeding exemplary examples of the country's native cats. He showcased the breed at London's Crystal Palace in 1871, in an event that's considered by many to be the world's first cat show. The show was filled with exotic imported cats, including Persians and Siamese like cats. However, we're preferred his country's native breed. My first love will always be for the short-haired domestic cat, where Rodin his book about various cat breeds, are cats and all about them, 1889. 3. The British Shorthair nearly one extinct. By the early 20th century, long-haired breeds had eclipsed the British Shorthair in popularity. Adding injury to insult, cat fanciers stopped breeding the British Shorthair during World Wars I and II, and it nearly one extinct. To ensure the breed's survival, British Shorthair aficionados crossbred their cats with Persians and other felines. The British Shorthair stuck around, and in 1980, the Cat Fanciers Association recognized the feline as an official breed in America. 4. The British Shorthair may have inspired Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat. Historians think that Lewis Carroll may have based his Cheshire Cat illustrations and Alice's adventures in Wonderland off a tabby British Shorthair. Who could forget that creepy feline grin? 5. A British Shorthair helped spawn the Akanes cheeseburger. Meme Empire. A British Shorthair was featured in the original Akanes cheeseburger. The viral internet phenomenon can be traced back to 2007, when a Hawaiian blogger named Eric Nakagawa saw a picture of a happy-looking British Shorthair on online message board. It was captioned with the now-famous Akanes cheeseburger. Line, inspiring Nakagawa to register a website with the same name and share the image. Nakagawa began posting more cat pictures, and he eventually turned his blog into a monetized website. It was acquired for $2 million in 2007, and became the basis for the cheeseburger network, a network of social humor websites. 6. Not all British Shorthairs are grey. Speaking of Akanes cheeseburger. Some people think that all British Shorthairs are silvery grey with copper eyes, like the cat in the meme. That particular type of cat is called the British Blue. While the British Blue is a popular variation of the breed, it's not the only one. British Shorthair cats come in white, black, red, gold, and silver, among other fur colors. You'll also spot British Shorthairs with color point, tortoise shell, bicolor, and tabby patterns. As for their eye colors, they range from gold to copper to blue-green. Hello. This video is sponsored by Beemix Pets. Are you looking for high-quality cat collars at an affordable cost? Check out beemixpets.com. Use coupon code Kittenlife to get 20% off. 7. They can get chunky and strong. Mature British Shorthairs tend to weigh 9-17 lbs, and mature females average 7-12 lbs. However, the solid-framed breed has a tendency toward obesity, and can easily tip the scales at a higher weight, pet-n-d recently listed the British Shorthair as one of its top 10 fat cats. British Shorthair owners are advised to provide their kitties with healthy food and plenty of exercise, since overweight kitties face an increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and other conditions. As a powerful cat, all components of this breed should be well-developed. The British Shorthair has a broad chest, muscular neck, strong jaws and a well-developed muzzle. The legs are thick and strong. The breed looks like what she originally was, a cat that was to keep rodents out of the barn and the house. The coat of the British is thick and dense. It becomes much longer and thicker during the winter. The texture of the coat is relatively hard, as it is meant as protection for the cat. When you pick up a British, you should always support her back end. British should not have their hind end drag down their abdomen, as this can make them uncomfortable and insecure. 8. British Shorthairs Are Magnets For Weird News British Shorthair cats have appeared in several bizarre international news stories. In late 2014, state debt collectors in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, tried to force a man to pay 12,000 rubles in unpaid taxes. Since the debtor didn't own any valuable material possessions, the collectors threatened to confiscate his British Shorthair cat and its three kittens. Because the animals are pedigree and expensive, the representative of the law decided to place the cat brood under arrest, the region's court-martial service said in a statement. Needless to say, the man ended up paying his taxes, and he got to keep his cats. Also in Russia, an easily-trained British Shorthair cat named Duceus Skyrocketed to fame and fortune by starring in photoshoots, TV productions, and a commercial for a Russian telephone operator. As of March 2015, Duceus had earned around 2,000 pounds, more than what most Russians make in a year, according to AOL Money. In 2015, an Eastern European gang catnapped Maggie, a one-year-old British Shorthair that lived with her wealthy owners in a London mansion. The thieves demanded a ransom of 5,000 pounds. Maggie's owners agreed to shell out the cash, and they participated in an exchange in a public park to get their beloved cat back. 9. A British Shorthair once had the world's loudest per. In 2011, a 12-year-old British Shorthair cat named Smoky was declared to have the world's loudest per. His vocal rumblings measured 67.7 dB, and were reportedly as noisy as a lawnmower. Sadly, Smoky died from kidney failure in 2014. He was immortalized in the Guinness World Records until another cat, Merlin, broke his ear-splitting record in 2015 with a 67.8 dB per. 10. British Shorthairs are the perfect indoor cats. The British Shorthair is a very pleasant cat to have as a companion. She is easy-going and placid. The British is a fiercely loyal, loving cat and will attach herself to every one of her family members. While the British loves to play, she doesn't need hourly attention. If she is in the mood to play, she will find someone and bring a toy to that person. The British also plays well by herself, and thus is a good companion for single people. If you enjoyed this video, kindly press the like button. Also don't forget to subscribe with notifications on, so that you don't miss out on videos like this. Thank you for watching.