European ShorthairCharacteristics, history, behaviour and care

Domestic cats come from the Fertile Crescent, where they were domesticated about 8,000 years ago. The FIFe breed profile says they reached Europe in two waves: from South-East Asia, as early as 4400 BC, and from Egypt, around 1500 BC.

The breed took shape in northern Europe in the early twentieth century. Long-haired cats were becoming fashionable, and some breeders wanted to keep the ordinary Nordic cat. Books about cats from the 1930s already include photographs and descriptions of the breed. In Sweden, from the 1940s, these cats could be registered as “Swedish house cats”.

For a long time, the European Shorthair and the British Shorthair were judged by the same standard. The British Shorthair, however, had been crossed with the Persian and had become stockier, with a shorter muzzle and a thicker coat. That is why FIFe gave the European Shorthair a separate standard in the early 1980s.

How the breed developed

• 1930s – the first descriptions of the breed appear in books about cats.
• 1940 – birth of the oldest European Shorthair registered with FIFe.
• 1949 – FIFe, founded that year, recognises the breed among its first eight.
• 1981 – its own standard, separate from the British Shorthair (the year given in the FIFe standard; Wikipedia gives 1982).
• Today – popular above all in Scandinavia and Germany; the national cat of Finland.

Based on the FIFe breed profile:

• Active families with children. It has a balanced character and copes well with change and a busy household.
• A home with a fenced garden or a balcony with a safety net: it likes catching insects outdoors.
• An apartment, with another pet. If it does not go outside, another cat or a dog keeps it company.
• Anyone who wants a cat that is easy to look after. The short coat needs little brushing.
• Less suited to someone who wants a show cat with an unusual look. It looks very much like a house cat.

The FIFe standard asks for a cat whose anatomy does not differ from that of the European house cat. The ideal cat has no blood from other breeds at all. It is sturdy, strong and muscular, with a rounded, well-developed chest. The body should be neither too stocky, like the British Shorthair, nor too slender.

General appearance

The head is fairly large. The face looks round but is slightly longer than it is wide, with well-developed cheeks. The nose is straight and of medium length, with a slight dip between the eyes. The ears are medium-sized and slightly rounded at the tips, sometimes with tufts of hair. The eyes are round, large and set wide apart, slightly slanted. The tail is of medium length, thick at the base, with a rounded tip.

The standard accepts the natural colours of European cats: black, blue (grey), red, cream, white and tortoiseshell (black and red patches). They can be tabby (striped, spotted or marbled), smoke or silver, and solid colours can also have white patches, up to an almost entirely white body. Colours that come from other breeds are not accepted, for example chocolate, lilac or the darker face and legs of the Siamese. The eyes are green or amber; blue or odd-coloured eyes are allowed only in white cats and cats with a lot of white.

Related breeds and how to tell them apart

The British Shorthair has a stockier body, a shorter muzzle and a thicker coat, because it was crossed with the Persian. The American Shorthair is its “cousin” from the United States. It is hardest to tell apart from an ordinary house cat: only the pedigree (the certificate of origin) shows that it is a pedigree European Shorthair.

FIFe describes it as intelligent, playful, adaptable and well balanced, with a steady temperament. It is moderately active and can play on its own with a toy without wrecking things around the house. It is curious, but would rather catch insects in the garden than open doors or knock everything off the shelves.

The breed descends from the mouse-hunting cats of Europe. Many European Shorthairs still keep the house and garden free of rodents.

Socialisation

Wikipedia says it is usually friendly with people of all ages, gets on well with other cats and tolerates dogs. A kitten gets used to new people, noises and other animals most easily in its first months of life.

Habits at home

Like all cats, it sleeps a lot: usually 12–16 hours a day. It is most active early in the morning and in the evening, but partly adapts to the family's routine.

Cats instinctively bury their droppings, so it quickly learns to use a litter tray. It scratches rough surfaces to shed the old outer layer of its claws, so it needs a scratching post or board.

The European Shorthair is moderately active. The FIFe profile says that if it has no access to a fenced garden, it benefits greatly from a companion: another cat or a dog that brings some movement into the home.

Tips for a balanced life

• Give it high places from which it can watch what is going on.
• Swap its toys from time to time so it does not get bored.
• If it goes outside, let it do so in a fenced area, safe from cars.

Coat care

It is a robust cat that needs little grooming. One brushing a week is enough for the short, dense coat. Cats groom themselves very carefully, so a bath is rarely needed.

Common health problems

German Wikipedia describes it as a very robust breed: it developed naturally and went through less selection than other breeds, so hereditary diseases are less common. It can still get illnesses found in many cats:

Recommended genetic tests

There is a DNA test for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but only for the mutation found in the Maine Coon. No breed-specific DNA test is used for the European Shorthair. Ask the breeder whether the parents have been checked by a vet, including their hearts.

Is it hypoallergenic?

Cat allergy is caused mainly by the Fel d 1 protein, found in saliva and skin glands; it is behind the allergy in 90% of people who are allergic to cats. Kittens, females and neutered males produce less of it, but still enough to trigger symptoms. No breed is completely hypoallergenic.

The European Shorthair is not among the breeds said to produce less Fel d 1.

Other care

• A check-up at the vet once a year.
• Vaccinations and parasite treatment on the schedule set by the vet.
• Trim the claws if they do not wear down on their own.
• Clean its teeth or give it food that helps keep them clean.

The cat is a carnivore: it needs animal protein. Unlike a dog, it must get vitamin A, arachidonic acid and taurine from its food, or it falls ill. Water is very important, especially because cats usually drink little. Several water bowls around the house encourage it to drink.

Tips for a healthy diet

The table gives a starting estimate, calculated with the formula from the Merck Veterinary Manual for a healthy adult cat. The last column shows what this means in dry food with 3,500–4,000 kcal per kilogram. If you also feed wet food, reduce the dry portion.

• Adjust the portion to its weight: neutered cats put on weight easily.
• Weigh it monthly and watch its waistline: the ribs should be easy to feel under your fingers.
• Kittens need more calories: Merck recommends 2.5 times the resting energy requirement.

Dangerous foods and substances

Some common household items are dangerous for cats:

• Lilies (and daylilies): they can destroy a cat's kidneys. Even the pollen or the water in the vase is dangerous.
• Paracetamol: extremely toxic to cats, which lack the enzyme that breaks it down. Never give it human medicines.
• Flea spot-ons and collars for dogs containing permethrin: the concentration meant for dogs is dangerous for cats.
• Foods: chocolate, coffee, alcohol, onions, garlic, grapes and raisins.

Maturity

Females usually reach sexual maturity at 5–10 months, and males at 5–7 months. The age varies from breed to breed.

Mating and pregnancy

Pregnancy in cats lasts 64–67 days, 65 on average. A first litter usually has fewer kittens than later ones. Only healthy cats that match the breed standard are used for breeding.

Blood type

Cats have blood type A, B or AB. Type A is the most common: in a study from England, 87.1% of non-pedigree cats and 54.6% of pedigree cats had type A. This matters for breeding: if the mother is type B and the kittens are type A, the antibodies in her first milk (colostrum) can destroy their red blood cells. The condition is called neonatal isoerythrolysis. That is why breeders test the blood type of both parents.

We found no published data on how common type B is in the European Shorthair; the test is done before mating anyway.

Caring for the kittens

Kittens are weaned at 6–7 weeks and are ready to go to their new home at about 12 weeks. French Wikipedia says the breed is easy to breed, because the mother takes good care of her kittens.

Neutering

Neutering used to be done at 6–9 months, but it is more and more often done before puberty, at around 3–6 months. It prevents unwanted kittens, urine marking in males and the loud “calling” of females in heat. A 2024 study found that neutered cats live one year longer on average. After the operation, the metabolism slows down and appetite increases, so the portion has to be reduced.

How to choose a kitten

• Ask for the pedigree from a recognised cat association (for example, a FIFe member). Without it, there is no proof that it is a pedigree European Shorthair.
• The kitten leaves its mother at about 12 weeks.
• Look at the mother and at the place where the kittens are raised: it should be clean, with kittens used to people.
• Ask about vaccinations, parasite treatment and the blood type of the parents.

• The national cat of Finland. In Finland it is one of the most popular shorthaired breeds, and the Finnish breed club has existed since 1987.
• An endangered breed in Sweden. Although it looks like millions of house cats, in Sweden it is on the list of endangered breeds.
• Among FIFe's first eight breeds. Together with the Abyssinian, Chartreux, Manx, Persian, Russian Blue, Sacred Birman and Siamese, it has been recognised by FIFe since 1949.
• A club more than 50 years old. In Sweden, the Européringen club was founded in 1967 and publishes a magazine four times a year.
• No “mixing”. The standard requires the ideal cat to have no blood from other breeds at all.
• Balanced scoring. At shows, the head and the body get 30 points each out of 100, the coat 35 and the general condition 5, so no single part counts for more.

On stamps

In 1966, Albania issued a stamp showing a tabby European Shorthair.

In painting

The FIFe profile notes that in the history of painting most cats are shown with short hair, harmonious and curious: exactly the type the breed aims to preserve.

How much does a European Shorthair weigh?

Usually 3.5–5 kg. The FIFe standard describes it as a medium to large cat, sturdy and muscular.

How is it different from an ordinary house cat?

In looks, hardly at all: the standard asks it to resemble the European house cat. The difference is the pedigree, which shows that both parents are pedigree European Shorthairs too.

Does it get on with children and other pets?

Yes. FIFe recommends it for families with children, and Wikipedia says it gets on well with other cats and tolerates dogs.

Can it live in an apartment?

Yes, especially if it has another cat or a dog for company, and toys. It also enjoys a fenced garden or a balcony with a safety net.

Is it hypoallergenic?

No. It produces the Fel d 1 protein, which causes most cat allergies.