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American Shorthair Breed Summary

Good-natured, Calm, Intelligent

A purr-leasant companion, the American Shorthair is adaptable and good-natured, making them a furbulous addition to the family. While these kitties adore attention from their loved ones, they don’t like to be carried and are fairly independent by nature; will your ASH sit on your lap or beside you on the sofa? The choice is theirs!

As American Shorthairs were formerly used to keep rodents away from food stores, they still enjoy exercising their hunting skills (mainly on unsuspecting insects and small rodents), however these kitties aren’t aggressive towards their humans, quite the opposite.

An intelligent and pretty active feline, the ASH enjoys learning tricks and testing their wits with puzzles and interactive toys. Because these cats are affectionate yet unneedy, playful yet docile, it’s no wonder they’re popular!

Fun Fact: While they may look fur-miliar to the relatives across the pond, the American Shorthair is larger, slimmer and stronger than the British Shorthair.

Lifespan	15 – 20 Years
Height (at the withers)	Males and Females: 7.9in – 9.8in
Weight	Males: 11lb – 15lb, Females: 7.9lb – 11.9lb
Coat	Short and straight
Color	White, blue, black, cream, red, silver, golden, brown, cameo, bluecream, tortoiseshell, chinchilla
Eye color	Blue, copper, green, gold, hazel, odd-eyed
Common health issues	Hip dysplasia, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

The American Shorthair is quite the cat-ch! Easy-going by nature, these kitties are undemanding and a pleasure to have in the home. While ASHs like to play, they don’t need constant attention and they’re quite happy to play by themselves independently. However, if they’re in the mood for a good play session then they might just drop a toy by your feet as a subtle hint! Being calm without being comatose, American Shorthairs tend to have a relaxed, middle-of-the-road temperament that suit most individuals and families. As moderately active kitties, American Shorthairs enjoy a mixture of playtime and sitting beside their loved ones on the sofa or bed – just don’t expect your ASH to jump up on your lap for a cuddle, while these kitties are sociable, they prefer to play it cool and aren’t guaranteed lap-cats.

The American Shorthair is considered to be the shorthaired cat that’s native to the US – as their name would suggest! However, this breed was bred from cats that probably originated in Europe. Cats fitting the description of ASHs were probably not native to the US at the time of Columbus. It’s likely that European sailors started importing these cats into North America on their ships. Due to the cats’ claw-ver hunting abilities, they were an impawtent part of the crew, keeping the cargo safe from rodents.

In the early 1900s, American breeders began to breed American Shorthairs in an attempt to home in on qualities that define them today, such as their large head, full cheeks, sweet expression, powerful jaw and a coat of many colors. In 1966, these cats were given the name American Shorthair to help differentiate them from random-bred felines. Now a fully recognized pedigree breed, these kitties are currently the eight most popular breed registered by the Cat Fanciers Association.