The American Shorthair is an even-tempered, easygoing family cat known for its good health, friendliness, and adaptability.
How the American Shorthair coat is built, and what that means when you groom it.
Critical: A American Shorthair should not be shaved.
The undercoat keeps heat out as well as in, and the outer coat shields the skin from sun and insect bites. Clipping the whole coat off removes both. It often grows back patchy, soft or a different colour, and in some animals the guard hairs never return properly. Brush the undercoat out instead of cutting it off.
Information: A American Shorthair drops its undercoat in heavy bursts.
The undercoat comes out in heavy bursts over a few weeks. An undercoat rake, or a bath followed by a proper blow-dry, clears it far faster than daily brushing. Clipping the coat down is not a shortcut for this.
The American Shorthair is an easygoing, even-tempered family cat from the United States, valued for its good health, friendly nature and adaptability.
The American Shorthair is a medium-sized domestic cat that was developed in the United States. It comes from working cats that kept rodents in check on farms, aboard ships and around the home, and it has held onto the sturdy, balanced frame that this background produced. The breed has a reputation for an even temperament, a friendly manner and a body that copes well with a busy household.
Substance matters more than extremes in this cat. Toms usually weigh between 5 and 6.8 kg and queens between 3.6 and 5.4 kg, with a broad chest, a rounded head and full cheeks. Because the coat is short, thick and simple to look after, the breed suits owners who would rather not spend much time grooming.
American Shorthairs are generally calm and good-natured. They play willingly, fit into the rhythm of family life and get on with children and other animals. Many reach 15 to 20 years, a good innings for a cat and a sign of the breed's hardiness.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | United States |
| Size | Medium (3.6 to 6.8 kg) |
| Lifespan | 15 to 20 years |
| Group/role | Working and companion shorthair |
| Good with | Children, other cats, dogs |
The breed works for families, for people bringing home their first cat and for households that already keep other pets. A calm temperament and a short coat keep the daily routine easy, and a tolerance for handling makes it a sensible pick where there are children about. Anyone after a quiet, undemanding cat that still likes a play session will find the American Shorthair a good fit.
The American Shorthair descends from European working cats brought to North America by early settlers and was later refined into a recognised breed in the United States.
The breed goes back to short-haired cats carried across the Atlantic by European settlers. These cats paid their way by killing rats and mice aboard ships and in colonial settlements. Both records and tradition place working cats of this kind in North America from the early colonial era, among them animals tied to ships that arrived in the 1600s.
For generation after generation these cats bred freely, prized for how well they hunted and endured rather than for any fixed look. The population that came out of this was hardy, adaptable and mixed in colour and pattern.
Deliberate breeding started in the early twentieth century, when fanciers set out to keep the traits of the native working cat and to mark it apart from imported and random-bred animals. The Cat Fanciers' Association recognised the breed among its first registered breeds, and at that stage it went by the name Domestic Shorthair.
The name changed to American Shorthair in 1966, both to reflect where it came from and to separate the pedigreed breed from ordinary moggie shorthairs. Since then the breed standard has kept its focus on the natural, balanced build of the original working stock.
The American Shorthair is a medium to large, solidly built cat with a short, dense coat, a broad face and a wide span of colours and patterns.
The American Shorthair has a powerful, symmetrical body, a broad chest, well-developed shoulders and strong legs. The head is large with full cheeks, which gives toms in particular a square, jowly look as they mature. The overall picture is a working cat: muscular, balanced and built for stamina rather than fine bone.
| Trait | Standard |
|---|---|
| Height | 20 to 25 cm at the shoulder |
| Weight | Toms 5 to 6.8 kg, queens 3.6 to 5.4 kg |
| Coat | Short, dense, hard in texture |
| Colours | Over 80 colours and patterns, including silver tabby |
| Eyes | Large and round, colour varying with coat |
The coat is short and thick, with a slightly hard texture that guards against weather and rough handling. It thickens over winter and sheds back in the warmer months. The breed turns up in a broad range of colours and patterns, from solids and tortoiseshells through to tabby variants. The silver tabby, with its black markings on a pale silver ground, is the pattern most people link with the breed. Eye colour tends to track coat colour, running from gold and copper through to green and blue.
The American Shorthair is calm, friendly and even-tempered, at ease with children and other pets and happy to balance play with quiet time.
The American Shorthair is known for a steady, good-natured personality. It shows affection without being pushy about it and meets activity with curiosity rather than nerves. Most cats of the breed like being near their people yet are content to keep themselves occupied when left alone for a reasonable stretch.
Around the family the breed is gentle and forgiving, which is why it turns up so often in homes with children. As a rule it accepts strangers calmly once a brief wary period has passed. It also tends to live happily alongside other cats and with dogs that are used to feline company.
A moderate prey drive carries over from the breed's working past, so these cats enjoy interactive play, climbing and the odd chase. Energy sits at a moderate level overall, with active bursts followed by long naps. Vocalisation runs low to moderate, and most American Shorthairs talk quietly rather than calling constantly.
| Trait | Rating |
|---|---|
| Affection | 4 |
| Energy | 3 |
| Trainability | 3 |
| Vocalness | 2 |
| Shedding | 3 |
The American Shorthair needs only weekly brushing, regular play and a settled indoor home to stay healthy and content.
A short, dense coat keeps daily care simple. Steady attention to grooming, play and a calm setting keeps the breed in good nick across its long life.
The breed settles into flats and houses alike. A safe indoor space with high perches, a quiet resting spot and a view through the windows suits it well. Since the breed can put on weight easily, controlled feeding and daily activity count for more than a large amount of floor space.
The American Shorthair does well on a complete, protein-led cat diet fed in measured meals, with portion control to guard against weight gain.
As an obligate carnivore, the American Shorthair needs a diet built on animal protein. A complete and balanced commercial food that meets recognised nutritional standards covers its core needs. Because the breed puts on weight easily, measured portions count for more than free feeding. Fresh water should always be on hand, and wet food can help keep the cat hydrated.
| Life stage | Amount per day | Meals |
|---|---|---|
| Kitten (2 to 12 months) | Per package, fed to appetite | 3 to 4 |
| Adult (1 to 7 years) | About 200 to 280 kcal | 2 |
| Senior (7 years and older) | Adjusted to activity and weight | 2 |
Keep treats to no more than 10 percent of daily kilojoules to protect the cat's weight. A cat on a complete commercial diet usually needs no extra supplements. Talk to a vet about joint, skin or omega supplements before adding them, especially for older cats.
The American Shorthair is a generally hardy breed living 15 to 20 years, with a few inherited and weight-related conditions worth keeping an eye on.
The American Shorthair is reckoned one of the more robust cat breeds, a trait handed down from its working ancestry. With good care many cats reach 15 to 20 years. The main health risks come from a small set of inherited conditions and from obesity, which the breed slips into readily without portion control and exercise.
| Condition | Signs | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy | Lethargy, rapid breathing, weakness | Thickening of the heart muscle; screening helps |
| Obesity | Weight gain, reduced activity | Manage with measured meals and play |
| Dental disease | Bad breath, drooling, eating less | Prevented with regular dental care |
| Polycystic kidney disease | Increased thirst, weight loss | Reputable breeders screen breeding cats |
The American Shorthair is moderately trainable and responds well to short, reward-based sessions that build on its calm, food-motivated nature.
The American Shorthair picks up household routines readily and can learn simple cues, recall and harness use given patience. Being calm and food-motivated, it takes well to reward-based training. Sessions go best when they stay short and consistent, since cats lose interest in long drills. Litter training is usually quick, as the breed takes to a clean tray with little prompting.
American Shorthairs mature slowly, carry the usual feline gestation of about nine weeks, and produce average-sized litters raised with the queen.
The American Shorthair is a slow-maturing breed, and many cats do not reach full physical development until three or four years of age. Responsible breeders hold off until a queen is physically mature and health-screened before breeding from her. Mating follows the normal feline pattern, with the queen coming into season seasonally and ovulating in response to mating.
Gestation runs about 63 to 67 days. Litters average four kittens, though sizes vary. In most cases the queen raises the kittens with little intervention, nursing them for the first weeks before weaning starts around four weeks of age.
Kittens stay with the mother and litter until at least 12 weeks, which supports socialisation and immunity. Breeders screen parent cats for cardiac and kidney conditions and follow recognised standards to keep the breed's health and balanced build.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Sexual maturity | Around 8 to 12 months |
| Full maturity | 3 to 4 years |
| Gestation | 63 to 67 days |
| Average litter | 4 kittens |
| Weaning | Around 4 to 8 weeks |
| Recommended rehoming age | 12 weeks or older |
Free lifetime registration for your American Shorthair, chip record included, searchable wherever in the country she wanders.
Torn flyscreens and doors left ajar send indoor cats to the pound every week, and a fair few states expect pet cats chipped and on the register anyway. A free United Pet Club profile means the scan pulls up your number wherever your American Shorthair turns up. Register your cat in a couple of minutes, free for her whole life.
If she's already chipped, the register entry is the missing half; the vet's part ended with the needle. Register the microchip free for life with United Pet Club: any brand qualifies, address changes cost nothing, and the record answers scans from any clinic or shelter in the country. Create your free account and knock both jobs over tonight.
Free with United Pet Club: set up an account, add her name, colouring, and a photo, and the profile's live for her whole life. A chip isn't required to start.
Enter the 15-digit number into your free account with your current details. Registration and updates never cost anything, whatever brand of chip your vet used.
Several states and territories require it, and shelters chip before rehoming as standard. Requirement or not, the register entry with your current number is what actually brings an American Shorthair home.
Nothing at all. United Pet Club's lifetime plan covers her profile, the chip record, and every update, with no annual renewal.
Common questions about the American Shorthair's size, temperament, care needs, lifespan, suitability and availability.
It is a medium-sized cat. Toms usually weigh 5 to 6.8 kg and queens 3.6 to 5.4 kg, with toms looking larger and more square-faced once fully grown.
American Shorthairs are calm, friendly and even-tempered. They are affectionate without being clingy, get on with children and other pets, and balance play with quiet time.
No. The short coat needs only weekly brushing, and the breed settles into most homes. The main effort is portion control and daily play, since the breed can gain weight easily.
They are a long-lived, hardy breed. Many reach 15 to 20 years with good nutrition, weight management and routine veterinary care.
Yes. Its tolerant nature, easy grooming and steady temperament make it a strong choice for families with children and for people new to cats.
The breed is well established overseas and available here through registered breeders. Shorthaired cats of similar type also turn up often in shelters, though pedigreed kittens come from dedicated breeders.
