The blue British Shorthair is the model to which all other colors of British Shorthairs strive. This color, already popular in the cat fancy at the turn of the century with the famous color bred blue Persians, was welcomed in a cat with a short easy care coat. This was way before cat fanciers thought of Exotic shorthairs, today's "Persians in pajamas", and even before the Russian Blue. Fanciers of the time knew what they wanted. That was a shorthaired cat of strong robust build derived from the beloved "moggies" of their streets and homes. To create this new breed and color, fanciers bred for the recessive color of blue with the dominant shorthaired trait. With the help of the blue Persian and the street cat the British Blue Shorthair was created. The type was similar to the Persian of the times; that is the turn of the century. The type stayed similar until about the late 1960s. At that time Persians became more extreme with the introduction of the "Peke-faced Persian". The British Shorthairs, now recognized in many other colors, stayed with the more moderate type. It's this moderate type that has drawn much attention and admiration at cat shows around the world.
The Blue British should have an overall rounded appearance. There should be no sharp angles anywhere on the cat. From the round eye to the round padded body the British Shorthair is the feline Teddy Bear. The coat is short,dense and firm to the touch, pushing against the hand as petted; caused by the density of the hairs. The body is semi cobby, being a "short rectangle" rather then a "long rectangle" as seen in the Maine Coon Cat. Both breeds are big; the British being more of a linebacker foot ball player style, built for strength and power rather then speed and agility. In fact, new owners of British Shorthairs will soon discover their lack of grace around the home.
Blue was the first color specifically bred and called British Shorthair. Though at the first cat shows there were shorthaired cats of varying colors. By the 1950s these colors too were incorporated into the name British Shorthair, but their type and coat qualities had hard models to work towards. The challenge of other colors then blue still remains today, the British Blue reigning supreme within the breed.
New blue Additions to Atocha British Shorthairs
Gch. Atocha's Sammy Singda Blues
This young male, pictured here above at approx 1 yr., is sired by Gch,RW Truebrit Samson. Their mother is Ch. Atocha's Merry Chase, a Tally Ho daughter.
TGFC Sweeney Todd of Atocha 
blue male pictured at about 1 year. This male we hoped was a B blood type, he and his litter mate having had no incompatibility problems with their B mom and sired by an A male. Thankfully he did indeed type out as B. He is now doubly welcome as more and more B females have entered the breeding program. Sweeney Todd was bred by Jan Buhler of California.
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