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Home » Blog » Cat Breeds » European Shorthair Cat - Breed Information & Characteristics
The European Shorthair is mainly described as the pedigree version of Europe’s mixed-breed domestic shorthair cats. It is a friendly and fun-loving cat that is a favorite of families living throughout Europe and beyond.
Unlike other cat breeds, she is extremely docile and has a variety of personality traits. Moreover, they are fond of sleeping. If you are planning to bring these felines home, you will have to find them a cozy place that makes them comfortable.
Sometimes, they also make their way onto a human companion’s warm lap. Thus, this breed is considered perfect for anyone who wants to relax with a furry friend. Have a look at the following guide to get a detailed idea of the European Shorthair and its personality traits.
European shorthair cats can trace their ancestry back to ancient Rome. It was when Romans came to the European continent; they bought cats with them. These cats were responsible for keeping the Roman camps clear of rodents and other pests.
As people created settlements and developed farms, the cats act as reliable mousers. At that time, they were thought to be Europe’s original house cats.
Since then, European Shorthair cats were known by different names, including Celtic Shorthair cats. However, today, it is a breed of its own. On the other hand, Pedigree European Shorthair cats were created in Sweden.
It is developed to create a domestic cat with a slightly wild appearance. These features make it just like its Roman ancestors. Moreover, they are stockier than their close cousins, the British Shorthair and American Shorthair.
Even though this cat breed is different from British Shorthair cats, cat-fancy associations judged it by the same breed standards. It was until they were granted their own category in 1982.
Lastly, this breed is extremely popular throughout Scandinavia, and it is now considered one of the rarest cat breeds in Sweden.
European shorthair is quite similar to American Shorthair cat, but they do have a few differences. Check out the following table to understand the difference between American and European shorthair.
American Shorthair
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European Shorthair
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Native to America | Native to Italy |
Thicker coats, longer hair, and comes in 80 different colors | Thinner, sleek, shiny coat and short hair |
Long face with medium-sized eyes | Round faces with bright eyes |
Affectionate, independent, and excellent companions | Tolerant, friendly, and intelligent |
Low-maintenance cat | Low-maintenance cat |
Requires little grooming | Requires little grooming |
Requires 20-30 minutes of physical activity per day | Requires 20-30 minutes of physical activity per day |
Here are some distinctive physical attributes of the European Shorthair cat breed.
European Shorthair cats have a medium to large size muscular body with a rounded muscular chest. Male cats weigh about 15 pounds, while females are an average of 12 pounds.
The head is rounded in shape and should be in proportion to the body. Moreover, the nose is firm and straight, and the chin should also be firm with no evidence of an overbite or an underbite. Male European Shorthairs have prominent jowls.
The rounded eyes of this breed of cat have different colors, including blue, green, amber gold, and brown. However, some cats have eyes in two different colors. The odd-eyed European shorthairs are generally of one blue eye and one amber eye.
The ears are of medium size with rounded tips and should appear well-balanced on the head. Nevertheless, there must not be any streamers or long tufts.
The legs are strong, medium-long, and well proportioned. Similarly, the paws are rounded with a strong appearance.
The tail is of medium-long length with a slight taper towards the end.
The coat is sleek, dense, short, shiny, and finely textured. It has a single upper layer and no undercoat.
The cats of Europe have coats with different colors and patterns. The paw pad and nose leather color usually complement the coat colour. Furthermore, the coat colors include red, black, cream, blue, pure white, orange, and tortoiseshell with white spots.
Below are the different personality traits of the European Shorthair cats.
If you give enough time and attention to these cats, they will be affectionate and cuddly with their humans. Otherwise, they will stay independent and keep their distance. Moreover, they are curious, intelligent and amuse themselves with different types of toys and objects. They love to enjoy daily play sessions with their pet owners.
European Shorthairs enjoy long lap sessions with their owners and are considered well-balanced. However, like other cats, they also have their moment of madness when they jump and run all over the place.
They have a very good relationship with humans. Similarly, they can get attached to their humans and the place they live in easily.
These cats like to have independence when they need it. They also appreciate having access to the outdoors to satisfy their hunting skills.
Due to all these qualities, such a cat makes a great emotional support cat and support animal.
European Shorthairs are great self-groomers, but they do need weekly combing and occasional bathing. It will help to remove dead hairs from the coat while giving it a beautiful shine. Similarly, other maintenance includes teeth brushing, claw trimming, and cleaning the ears every few weeks. For this, you can also seek the help of a veterinarian.
Regular medical checkups are also very important to detect health concerns early. You can also keep their nails in good condition by providing them with multiple scratching posts in different locations around the home.