Tristan and Isolde were madly in love,
While Merlin brewed potions with witches thereof;
Prince Iron Heart forged his own heart from steel,
But a cat like the Celtic? The world had no deal!
Does the European Shorthair have anything to do with the legendary Prince Iron Heart and the wizard Merlin? Does the image of a rough, cheerful, carefree Celtic warrior fit this breed’s personality? And if this cat is Celtic, why is it also called the European Shorthair? Make yourself comfortable and listen to a sean-nós (an old Celtic song) about a cat who once upon a time…
History of the Breed
So, once upon a time there was a cat. Neither Celtic nor English, just a citizen of the world. Nothing special about her; she never made it into the pictures in history books. She fought hard to survive, and that forged a tough, independent character. She was an excellent hunter and nothing like her pampered domestic cousins who depended completely on people. These cats lived mostly in northern Europe.
Generation after generation, these cats kept something in common in their looks and temperament. Breeders couldn’t help but notice! They took note of this tough cat and started working with her from different directions at once. The English turned the native cat into the British Shorthair, the Swedes into the Swedish house cat, and others into the Celtic Shorthair. But since the homeland of these cats is still good old Europe, fans of the breed mostly know it as the European Shorthair.
To be fair, Great Britain doesn’t recognize this “Europeanization” and doesn’t accept the cat as a breed. It is, however, recognized and respected in Europe and Australia. In the US, the breed is rare: the CFA doesn’t recognize it, and TICA allows registration only.
That ends our sean-nós, and the next song is called The Breed Standard.
Breed Description
Unless it’s had a glass of barley sowans, a European Shorthair kitten looks like a British Shorthair that’s lost a little weight. But there are special features and differences that fans use to recognize the European Shorthair.
- The head is medium-sized, broad and rounded:
- the nose is straight and even, but the profile has a noticeable break;
- the ears are medium-sized and may have tufts at the tips. They’re set wide and upright. Ear width equals ear height;
- the eyes are set wide apart and slightly slanted. Eye color matches the coat color: red coats come with honey or amber eyes, black coats with green eyes, and gray coats with gray or blue eyes.
- These cats are small only when young. As adults, they usually become large, muscular animals. Natural flexibility and agility are typical of the breed.
The European Shorthair’s legs are strong and not short. The paws are firm and round. The tail is broad at the base and tapers toward the tip, of medium length. Males can weigh up to about 17 lb.
- The European Shorthair’s coat, as the name suggests, is short and, well, European: glossy, dense and very beautiful.
- As for coat colors, it’s easier to say which ones are NOT accepted than to list all the ones the standard allows. Chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, fawn and pointed (acromelanic) colors are not allowed in any combination.
You could sum up the permitted colors like this: “What isn’t forbidden is allowed,” and the European Shorthair will happily try on every other combination.
Personality
Whatever its coat color, this cat has a soft and fuzzy personality. The European Shorthair is proud and will only be friends with people who treat it as an equal.
Owners’ enthusiastic reviews keep repeating that these cats are not clingy and are very independent. If you forget to feed your cat, it’ll storm the fridge itself. And if you let it, it might even make breakfast for the whole family. At least, it would certainly be smart enough to.
If you decide to share your life with a European Shorthair, keep in mind that centuries of free living have only strengthened its hunting instincts, and this lady will hunt at night. If not mice (since you don’t have any), then bugs or stray night shadows.
These cats are quiet and speak up only in extreme cases: serious hunger or a pinched tail.
The European Shorthair doesn’t care much for other cats or pets, so it’s best if it’s the only four-legged member of the family.
These cats truly have a unique character. The European Shorthair is great at adapting. Once it chooses a pack leader, it starts copying that person’s habits. If you’re the lucky leader, don’t be surprised when your cat becomes an early bird like you or starts demanding shrimp during the football game.
Health
European Shorthairs have no known hereditary genetic diseases! To protect them from other cat illnesses, they need their vaccinations. Even if your cat never leaves your home, it’s still exposed to germs we bring in on our shoes or hands.
IMPORTANT! In the US, kittens usually start their core vaccine series (FVRCP) at 6–8 weeks of age, with boosters every 3–4 weeks until about 16 weeks. A rabies vaccine is given according to your vet’s advice and your state’s law. Your vet will keep a vaccination record for your cat.
Don’t forget to deworm your kitten and get rid of fleas about 10 days before its first shots.
After a vaccination, keep an eye on your cat. How can you tell something’s wrong? Lethargy, refusing food or sensitivity to light are symptoms that call for an urgent trip to the vet. Vaccinating your pet is a must today, because the price of doubt could be your cat’s life.
The European Shorthair lives 15–17 years.
Care and Living Conditions
European Shorthairs don’t need special care. What’s more, they may act as if they don’t need people at all, but that’s not true. They can’t trim their own nails or clean their own ears. And they’re hardly going to give themselves a bath.
Experts say these cats shouldn’t be bathed often, though. A bath every six months is plenty, since more frequent bathing strips the coat’s oils and makes it dry and brittle. Regular brushing is all you need instead. More care tips here.
Feeding
Archaeologists consider the Celts a mysterious people. Their food habits are puzzling. The Celts of Ireland didn’t cook crane, and the British Celts refused to eat chicken and hare. But our Celtic cat is European, which means it has no strange food taboos.
You can feed a European Shorthair either a homemade diet or commercial cat food. The main thing is not to skimp on portions and to remember that pure muscle meat (not organ meat) should make up at least 30% of the menu! Milk, raw fish and sweets are foods cats shouldn’t get at all!
Photos
Sadly, no photo can fully capture the European Shorthair’s grace. Like all cats, it moves both left legs and then both right legs, which makes it a graceful, silent companion.
Where to Buy a Kitten
Breeders in the US almost never work with the European Shorthair, and you’re unlikely to find a US cattery for this breed. So where can you buy one?
You may see “European Shorthair” kittens in classified ads, but there’s a very high chance you’ll get a kitten that only vaguely resembles one. Reserving and buying from a specialized cattery, even one abroad, is the only way to get a purebred kitten, backed by a set of documents.
There’s no established US price for the breed. In Europe, a pedigreed kitten from a FIFe-registered cattery typically costs about $500–1,000, plus the cost of importing it (a flight nanny or pet shipping, a vet health certificate and a rabies vaccination). Look for breeders through the Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) and its member clubs.
If you want a similar sturdy, easygoing shorthair that’s easy to find in the US, the closest equivalent is the American Shorthair, which you can find through the CFA breeder directory.
The European Shorthair: an Isolde who’s sure to find her Tristan.
