Brought on board of the Mayflower by the first settlers, the American Shorthair was a useful enemy of the pests damaging food resources. It thrived on catching mice and developed as a breed, being one of the first acknowledged breeds at the dawn of the twentieth century. The American Shorthair was later bred with various other cats imported to the States and the result was a large variety of colors, patterns and combinations.

         American Shorthairs are low maintenance cats who will only require the usual once a week brushing to keep a healthy and good looking coat. If tenderly cared for and fed quality food they will be by your side for a long time, being famous for living well in their twenties. The short thick coat is made of a dense rich undercoat which stands a bit of from the body, creating a plush puffy look.

         The physical appearance of this cat is a healthy and robust one. American Shorthairs are large strong animals who like to hunt mice as much as they love to play outside or with the members of your family. They have strong, muscular bodies well anchored on their feet and display beautiful symmetry. The head is large, with almost square looking jaws and its eyes are wide and friendly. The ears are medium sized and slightly rounded at the top, covered with a very fine hair. Males are, as usual, larger than females and can reach up to fifteen pounds in their adulthood. Females are slightly smaller, with an average of eleven pounds.

         But how are American Shorthairs as pets? They are the perfect companion for your family. Calm and friendly, they will get along just fine with new people or any of your other pets. They adapt well and quickly to new situations and they will cope with being left alone while you are at work. It is always good to allow these cats some moving space if you can. Otherwise a scratching post should be available, to let out all that energy and satisfy its natural instincts of sharpening claws. These cats are surprisingly agile and will get rid of any mice trouble you could have. They are hard working and will do whatever they can to earn your affection and approval.

         American Shorthairs will not demand much of your attention and they will never bore you with their tedious meowing like other cats. They are warm and gentle creatures and they learn fast. You can teach them to stay off the table or fetch things. Event though they aren’t lap cats they will show love in their own ways. It’s just that these cats have been accustomed to being real workers and helpers instead of parading aroud the house like other breeds.

         Having been established as a robust and agile cat which was designed to terminate mice, the American Shorthair is not known to be predisposed to nay health problems. Like many other breeds, if kept mostly indoors, no exercise available, with as much food as they desire, they will have an obesity issue. Therefore it is recommended that you feed it no more than 70kcal/kg a day.

American Shorthair Cat Pictures Gallery