European shorthair
The origin of the European domesticated cat is still veiled in obscurity. It is often presumed to be directly descendent from the egyptian domestic, which supposedly, was brought to Greece as early as 500 BCE. If this was the actual situation, the cat must have spread very rapidly towards the north since it already existed in mid Sweden during the Time of the Great Migration (370-600 CE).
Judging from early reproductions from several earlier ages as well as the later Middle Ages, the body type of the european domestic was already sturdier than the Egyptian cat.
In 1946 it became possible to register swedish shorthaired cats. At first under the name of "swedish housecat" which was later converted to European Shorthair. Unfortunately, the early Europeans were judged by the standard of the British Shorthair. This was a great disadvantage since many typical Europeans failed due to some detail, often the eyecolour, not beeing in accordance with the British Shorthair standard.
In 1981 FIFe finally ruled that the two breeds should be judged by separate standards and thereby acknowledged the European Shorthair.
The body should be rectangular in shape with substantial bone structure and good muscular development. The neck should be of medium length and muscular. Chest welldeveloped and rounded. Legs should be of medium length, sturdy and muscular, tapering towards round feet.
The head should be quite large in proportion to the body. From a front view it should give the impression of being rounded but is actually somewhat longer than wide. The forehead and skull should be slightly rounded. The transition between the forehead and the nose is marked by a shallow indentation between the eyes. Nose of medium length, straight and uniformly broad. Cheeks should be welldeveloped with strong chin.
The eyes should be of medium size, rounded and slightly oblique in setting, somewhat more than one eyes width apart. Colour clear and pure. Open expression.
The ears should be medium size and slightly rounded at tips. Approximately as wide at base as tall. Setting rather high and fairly upright on the head so that the beginning of the ears is in line with the pupils. May be tufted.
The tail should be medium long, rather thick at base and gradually tapering towards a rounded tip. Coat structure short and dense.
The coat should be short and dense, firm and glossy. Of evenly cover-, mid- and under hair. Coverhair should be fiarly coarse and approximately 3-5 mm longer than underhair. Characteristic that coat does not get soaked when put through normal wetness like rain, wetness stays in hairtips and is easily shaken off.
In general the European Shorthair is a vivid, playfull and good-natured creature. It is very affectionate.