The British Shorthair was the inspiration for John Tenniel's illustration of the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland.

The British Shorthair became so popular thanks to the "father" of the cat fancy, Harrison Weir, who in the mid-1800s made grand gestures to render this a well-respected breed.

After World War II, the British Shorthair was nearly extinct, and was revitalized thanks to cross-breeding with Persian and Russian Blues, which is what led to blue becoming the dominant color of this breed.