British Shorthair
After the Roman Empire invaded the Great Britain, now part of the United Kingdom, the breed developed its own distinctive characteristics on the island for nearly 2,000 years. Organized records of the British Shorthair can be found from the 19th century, including some of the world's first National Cat Club cat shows. The breed was popular in Britain and continental Europe until the early 20th century, when its population plummeted during World War I and II. However, thanks to the efforts of breeders, the current standard of the British Shorthair has been established. In the United Kingdom, entire Europe, and Oceania, it was one of the most popular breeds in the early days of cat shows and remains so today. In North America, on the other hand, the breed only began to gain traction with fanciers in the 1980s.