American shorthair
The American shorthair descends from working cats carried on ships from Europe to North America, kept aboard and then on farms to control rodents.
It was bred deliberately from that stock in the early 1900s, and for a while was simply called the domestic shorthair.
It is a medium to large, solidly built cat with a dense coat that thickens in winter, and comes in a very wide range of colours — the silver tabby is the pattern most people picture. The temperament reflects the working history: undemanding, even-tempered, happy to be handled but not clingy, and generally healthy and long-lived.
- Origin
- North America, from European ship's cats
- Size
- 3.5–7 kg
- Lifespan
- 15–20 years
- Coat
- Short, thick and hard-textured
- Temperament
- Easygoing, adaptable, moderately playful
- Grooming
- Weekly
Related: Domestic shorthair · Tabby · American bobtail · American curl · American ringtail
3 american shorthair photos, newest first
Living with a american shorthair
A weekly comb is enough, a little more when the winter coat comes out.
The main risk with this breed is that it is easy. American shorthairs are relaxed and food-motivated and put on weight readily, which is the single most common health problem they have — measure meals and keep them playing.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy occurs in the breed and has some screening available. Otherwise they are notably robust, frequently living well into their late teens, and are one of the more sensible choices for a household that wants a cat rather than a project.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual cats vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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