What is an American Shorthair cat? Coat, size and history

What is an American Shorthair cat? It is a medium to large, short coated breed with a strong, muscular build, a thick coat and an even temperament. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), a cat breed registry, calls it "a working cat". This guide follows the CFA's own breed page, opened for this post, and then shows how Cat Go handles the question "Which breed is it?"

What is an American Shorthair cat?

The CFA lists the American Shorthair as a shorthair, a "stocky, working breed" that comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Its personality is listed as an even temperament.

The word "working" is the key. The CFA says these cats are frequently described as working cats, and that their history of doing battle with rodents gave them patience, intelligence and a strong hunting instinct. Its breed standard, the written description judges use, says the same: a true breed of working cat, strongly built and well balanced, with a shape that shows power, endurance and agility.

Where the breed comes from

The CFA's history starts on ships. Short-haired cats came to North America with the early settlers, on ships that kept cats aboard to control rodents. As pioneers moved west, their cats went with them, earning their keep by protecting farms and homes from vermin.

The first cat show in the United States, in 1895, featured American Shorthairs, with over 50 present. They were also one of the first five breeds the CFA recognized when it was founded in 1906. They were first shown as "Domestic Shorthairs" and received their current name in 1965.

That old name matters for searching. A "domestic shorthair" today usually means a short coated cat of no particular breed, which our post on the domestic shorthair cat explains. The American Shorthair is a registered breed with its own standard.

Build, coat and colors

The CFA describes a medium to large, muscular body that gives an impression of strength and power. The coat is thick and hard in texture, and the CFA says it can stand up to rough weather, bushes and brambles.

The head is oval, slightly longer than it is wide, with a powerful jaw. The eyes are the detail the CFA calls unique to the breed: a gentle oval curve above and a more rounded curve below.

Three checks that point to an American Shorthair, from the CFA's description.

Color is where people go wrong. The CFA says silver and brown classic tabbies are very popular, but the breed is found in over 100 different color combinations.

So color cannot tell you the breed. A silver tabby is a good guess for a picture book, but a cat of any color can be an American Shorthair, and a silver tabby can be a mixed breed cat. Our post on tabby patterns explains that a tabby is a coat pattern, not a breed.

Temperament

The CFA describes an affectionate cat that enjoys interactive play with its family. It is also independent enough to amuse itself while owners are at work.

• Play: American Shorthairs love hunting games, such as chasing a feather or a toy on a wand or string. If you play at about the same time each day, the CFA says, don't be surprised to find the cat "fairly dancing in anticipation".
• Company: the CFA calls them very tolerant of other animals and small children.
• Voice: they communicate without loud vocalizations. The CFA says the breed is known for a "silent meow", an open mouth that politely asks for attention with no sound.
• Brains: the CFA calls them highly intelligent and easily trainable: they can learn to stay off counters, use scratching posts and retrieve toys. They can also work out how to open cupboard drawers, and sometimes doors.

These are the CFA's words about the breed in general. Each cat is its own cat, and a rescued or mixed breed cat may act quite differently.

Grooming and health, as the CFA describes them

The CFA says this is not a breed that needs much grooming. Like all cats with hair, it sheds its undercoat in spring, and a lighter fall shed of guard hairs follows. The CFA recommends daily brushing, with a wire toothed slicker brush or a grooming mitt, which it says is generally all that is needed to keep shedding under control. Bathing is usually unnecessary unless the cat is being shown.

On health, the CFA says the American Shorthair is hardy and not currently known for any breed-specific health problems. It notes that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart condition, was found in some cats in the 1980s and 90s, but that preventive testing and selective breeding have largely made it disappear from the breed. For anything about your own cat, ask your vet.

How to check a short coated cat you meet

Here is a worked example. You see a stocky grey tabby on your walk, and you wonder whether it is an American Shorthair.

1. Look at the build. Is it medium to large and muscular, with an impression of strength? A slim, fine boned cat points away from the breed.
2. Look at the coat. From a distance you can only judge how it looks. A short, thick coat fits. A fine, silky or long coat does not.
3. Look at the face. An oval head with a strong jaw and eyes with a gentle curve above and a rounder curve below fit the CFA's description. You will rarely see the eye shape from far away.
4. Do not use color. The CFA says the breed comes in over 100 color combinations, so a tabby coat settles nothing.
5. Leave the cat alone. Look from a distance and let it go about its day. Our post on telling whether a cat is mixed breed gives the longer checklist.

At the end, you have a guess, not an answer. Many short coated, stocky cats are mixed breed, and only a pedigree can settle it. If you want to meet the breed for real, the CFA suggests attending a cat show to connect with a breeder, and says to consider adopting a "retired" adult, because there may be a long wait for kittens.

Cat Go and breeds

Cat Go is a game you play in your web browser. You walk anywhere, photograph a real cat, lure it with food and catch it. After a cat is spotted, the game asks "Which breed is it?" and gives you a list with a search box, so you can type something like "Siamese" or "curly".

The game also says "Most cats you meet are mixed breed" and "Mixed breed is always a safe pick." That fits what you just read. A short coated, stocky cat is often mixed breed, and you choose the breed yourself. The game counts 34 breeds in total, and every catch is saved to your Catdex with its breed and the place you found it.

Cat Go's map. The game needs your location to record where each cat was caught.

Cat Go needs the camera and location allowed in your browser. When you take the photo, the game says to fit the whole cat in the frame.

Frequently asked questions

Is an American Shorthair the same as a domestic shorthair?

No. The CFA says American Shorthairs were first shown as "Domestic Shorthairs" and took their current name in 1965. Today a domestic shorthair usually means a short coated cat of no particular breed.

Are American Shorthairs always tabbies?

No. The CFA says silver and brown classic tabbies are very popular, but the breed comes in over 100 different color combinations.

Do American Shorthairs need a lot of grooming?

The CFA says not much. It recommends daily brushing with a slicker brush or grooming mitt, with a heavier spring shed of the undercoat and a lighter fall shed.

Are they good with children?

The CFA calls them very tolerant of other animals and small children, and a perfect family cat. That is a description of the breed, so meet the individual cat first.

Get started

Ready to try the "Which breed is it?" question on a real cat? Play Cat Go in your browser: walk anywhere, photograph a real cat, lure it with food and catch it.