Brazilian shorthair

The Brazilian Shorthair is a relatively recent cat breed and its development is not very advanced. It is said to be descended from cats brought to Brazil by European colonists. In 1985, and for experimental purposes, they began selecting and breeding Brazilian street cats. The Brazilian cat federation had indeed noticed that Brazilian feral cats were particular: throughout the country, their physical appearance was very similar to each other but different from what is seen elsewhere in the world. It is Paulo Ruschi, a feline judge working for the WCF, who is at the origin of this and who worked on the standard of this breed. The first cats selected came from Rio de Janeiro, Ceará and Porto Alegre.

The Brazilian Shorthair is generally described as an affectionate, intelligent and active cat. They would, however, be quite sensitive. These character traits remain nonetheless perfectly individual and are a function of each cat's history.

The current standard published by the WCF must be revised. The Brazilian Shorthair is generally described as a middle ground between the European or American Shorthair and the Oriental. It describes a medium-sized cat with a muscular but finer body than an American Shorthair. It should be elegant with medium-length legs, round feet and a tail of medium to long length. The tail should not be too wide at the base and taper slightly towards a rounded end. It is primarily the head of the Brazilian Shorthair that characterizes the breed. It is small to medium and longer than it is wide. The profile is slightly curved, the chin and lower jaw are strong. The ears are large and high on the head with the inside well-furnished. The eyes are large and rounded and positioned in a slightly curved fashion and far apart on the head (count the size of one and a half eyes between them). They are very expressive and their color should match the coat. The coat is short, without undercoat and with a silky texture. The coat should be shiny and close to the body. All colors and patterns are accepted except colorpoint.