General Information:
If you are looking for a cat that will be a gentle companion, a playmate for your children, and a full-fledged member of the family, look no further than the American Shorthair. This breed is known for its longevity, robust health, amiability with children and dogs, good looks and quiet disposition.

The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) chose to recognize this lovely breed of cat as one of its first five pedigreed breeds of cats. Originally known as the Domestic Shorthair, in 1966 the name American
Shorthair was chosen to better represent this “All American cat.” This name is consistent with the idea that our native North American breed of shorthaired cat is distinctly different from what may run in the streets, neighborhoods and barnyards of the country today. The new name also helped to end the confusion that some people had in differentiating the American Shorthair from any other shorthaired cat.

History:
The American Shorthair is America’s own breed, whose ancestors are the cats that came to North America with the early pioneers from Europe. There are records that indicate several cats arrived on the “Mayflower.” These first cats were brought along to hunt rats that ate the ship’s food supplies and spread diseases to humans. For centuries, these working cats flourished along with their pioneer owners and eventually established themselves as the native North American shorthaired cat. Over the years, these cats were further appreciated for their beauty and loving natures. One brown tabby American Shorthair, in 1896, commanded the price of $2500 at the Second Annual Cat Show at Madison Square Garden. Imagine what that sum of money would be in today’s dollars!

 With the introduction of foreign breeds to the United States during the early part of the 20th century, the naturally pure bloodlines of these “native” shorthairs began to be diluted.  Longhairs and Siamese were being allowed to run free, resulting in kittens with a variety of coat lengths, body types, colors and temperaments. Those who admired the qualities of the native shorthaired cats and wished to preserve them acquired the finest examples of the American Shorthair and began to selectively breed them. These pioneer breeders worked to perfect the patterns and colors, while retaining the strong conformation, beautiful face and sweet disposition of the breed.

Description:
You will find American Shorthairs to be low maintenance cats. These beautiful cats are not only lovely to look at, but are healthy, easy going and affectionate. On average, American Shorthairs live fifteen to twenty years with only annual veterinary checkups. They achieve full growth at approximately three to four years old.  Males are significantly larger than females with the mature males weighing eleven to fifteen pounds and the mature females weighing eight to twelve pounds.

Known as a cat of many colors, the American Shorthair comes in over eighty different colors and patterns ranging from the striking brown patched tabby to the glistening blue-eyed white, the beautiful shaded cameo to the flashy calico van, and many colors in between. The most common American Shorthair color is the silver tabby with dense black markings set on a sterling silver background. You may have seen this handsome cat featured in television and magazine advertising or in the latest feature at your local cinema. Always consistently in the top ten most popular breeds of cat, the American Shorthair is truly a star in the feline world.

HEAD: large, with full-cheeked face giving the impression of an oblong just slightly longer than wide.  Sweet, open expression. Viewed from front, head can be divided in two equal parts; from base of ears to middle of eyes and from middle of eyes to chin tip.

EARS: medium size, slightly rounded at tips and not unduly open at base. Distance between ears, measured from lower inner corners, twice distance between eyes.

EYES: large and wide with upper lid shaped like half an almond (cut lengthwise) and lower lid shaped in a fully rounded curve. At least width of one eye between eyes. Outer corners set very slightly higher than inner corners. Bright, clear and alert.

NOSE: medium length, same width for entire length. Viewed in profile, gentle concavely curved rise from bridge of nose to forehead.
 

BODY: solidly built, powerful, and muscular with well-developed shoulders, chest, and hindquarters. Back broad, straight and level. Viewed in profile, slight slope down from hip bone to base of tail. Viewed from above, outer lines of body parallel.

LEGS: medium in length and bone, heavily muscled. Viewed from rear, all four legs straight and parallel with paws facing forward.

COLORS: white, black, blue, red, cream, chinchilla silver, shaded silver, shell cameo, shaded cameo, black smoke, blue smoke, cameo smoke, tortoiseshell smoke, blue chinchilla silver, blue shaded silver, cream shell cameo, cream shaded cameo, blue cream smoke, blue silver tabby, blue silver patched tabby, cream cameo tabby, smoke and white, black smoke and white, blue smoke and white, tortoiseshell smoke and white, shell cameo and white, shaded cameo and white, smoked cameo and white.

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