American Shorthair

The American Shorthair is the most popular breed of cat in the United States. The breed is believed to be descended from English cats (the forebears of today's British Shorthairs) brought to North America by early European settlers to protect valuable cargo from mice and rats.
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Red silver classic tabby American Shorthair
Photo: Chanan Photography

Weight: 9-12 lbs.
Overview
The American Shorthair is a robust, well-proportioned cat of fine intelligence and disposition--the quintessential American breed. Affectionate and sociable, the American Shorthair adapts well to children and other animals. It can be playful, romping with the kids, or it may be satisfied just to watch the action from a distance. American Shorthairs are the ideal hearth cats, happy to share a cozy spot (next to you, or at your feet perhaps, rather than on your lap) and communicate their contentment with loud purring.
Appearance
Shorthairs are medium to large in stature, powerfully built, and athletic. Their faces are wide and full-cheeked, with large, nearly round eyes. The ears are widely spaced and slightly rounded at the tips. The American Shorthair's coat is short and very dense. Breed associations recognize more than eighty colors and patterns; most common is the classic tabby pattern in silver, brown, or red.
Special Grooming Needs
Because of their dense coats, American Shorthairs need to be combed about two or three times a week to remove loose fur.
Origins
Domestic cats first arrived in America aboard the Pilgrims' boats early in the 17th century and quickly asserted their position as rodent destroyer in both rural areas and settlements. Over time, the American domestic cat developed characteristics of temperament, appearance, and constitution that were admired by fanciers. By the beginning of the 20th century, however, the unique qualities of these shorthaired American beauties were in danger of being lost due to breeding with popular longhaired and exotic cats from around the world. Hoping to rescue the breed, fanciers selected the best specimens for controlled breeding programs. The first American-bred Domestic Shorthair to be registered as a pedigreed cat was a blue smoke named Buster Brown, registered in 1904 by Jane Cathcart. Breed standards for the Domestic Shorthair were eventually developed and improved, and the finest qualities of the hardy, now pedigreed, cats were preserved. In order to better differentiate these cats from their nonpedigreed domestic cousins, the breed was renamed the American Shorthair in 1966.
Special Alerts
A vigorous cat with a hearty appetite, the American Shorthair should be encouraged to exercise daily, and its diet should be monitored to avoid obesity.