American shorthair | Cat Breed Information & Facts – Pictures

The American Shorthair cat is rightfully considered the purring symbol of the United States. It is difficult to resist this graceful beauty and her feminine sly look!

The intelligent and aristocratic American Shorthair cat captivates many with its impeccable behavior and unpretentious care.

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The American Shorthair is a rough-looking animal – kind of a workhorse, but in a cat’s body. However, this does not detract from the grace of his movements. The breed is characterized by sexual dimorphism: males are much larger than females – 7-8 kg and 4-5 kg, respectively.

The coat of cats is short with a thick undercoat that protects against various weather conditions and the teeth of predators. The color is very varied, but the most common is the tabby.

• Oval wide head of large size. The corners of the square muzzle are smooth, there are cheeks;
• Medium ears with rounded tips, tassels allowed;
• Wide-set almond eyes, outer corners higher than inner ones. The cat’s gaze is alert and clear;
• Strong legs with velvet compact feet. Heavy paw pads;
• Short, soft coat with a dense undercoat. Such a coat protects well from rain and cold;
• Wide tail tapering to a blunt tip.

These cats are lazy and independent, so more often than not you will see a pet lying on the bed. American shorthair cats are calm and do not want to look for dubious adventures, which means they will not knock over grandma’s precious vase from the sideboard.

Moreover, such cats are friendly, and more than anything else they like to receive guests. Your pet will get to know everyone who comes and will definitely let itself be stroked. But dosed: the spirit of American freedom does not allow people to sit on their laps for hours.

In the first place in the life of an American cat is its owner. This is a very loyal and loving cat who will always be there. Even in moments of bouts of “independence” the cat will walk somewhere nearby.

The favorite toy of the American Shorthair is the teaser. A candy wrapper on a string or a fishing rod from a pet store will do. The breed loves to hunt and play, so it’s important to keep your cat busy with new activities on a regular basis.

These cats inherited heightened hunting instincts from their distant ancestors. Living in a private house, American Shorthairs often present their owners with a pleasant – from their point of view – surprise in the form of an unwary mouse or a sparrow. This is how the animal takes care of the members of its “flock”, so in no case scold the pet, and in his absence, get rid of the prey caught by him.

Thanks to their calm and friendly nature, American shorthair cats perfectly take root in families with children. These cats are condescending to the pranks of a child and will never use their claws with an incautious and painful poke. If the American shorthair gets bored with childish attention, he will hide on the highest shelf of the closet and hold her breath. For this reason, many cat owners “lose” their pets and do not even think to look in search of them on the mezzanine.

Nature has endowed these fluffy creatures with good health and excellent immunity. Although this fact in no way cancels planned vaccinations and sanitization against parasites.

Animals are prone to two serious diseases:

• Cardiomyopathy.
• Dysplasia of the hip joint.

Compared to long-haired cat breeds, American Shorthair cats don’t need to take care of their adorable fur coat. They just need to brush the coat every week with a rubber brush or gloves with silicone growths. During seasonal shedding, you should repeat the procedure daily to keep your pet tidy. American Shorthair cats don’t like to take baths and are also quite clean, so avoid frequent bathing. You can use a damp cloth to remove small dust spots. A piece of suede will help give a healthy and beautiful shine to the coat.

Pay attention to the animal’s eyes and ears every two to three weeks. Remove foreign bodies with a damp cotton. If your cat regularly walks outside, check it daily to avoid possible infections.

It is also important to take care of the American Shorthair cat’s “battle arsenal” – teeth and claws. In the first case, the rules are quite simple: the plaque is removed with a paste. Do not use your own hygiene product: it foams a lot and has a strong minty taste for the animal. Use an old paintbrush or fingertip as a tool. For prophylactic cleaning of teeth, special treats are often used.

Shorten the claws with a claw clipper. It will not be superfluous to buy a scratching post. This will help keep the interior of the apartment intact.

The story of this cat begins with the fact that many sailors took cats with them on board to hunt rodents. Since the beginning of the settlement of New England, cats began to live together with the first settlements, also helping humans to fight rodents.

Living conditions hardened American shorthair cats, they had truly excellent health, perfectly adapted to the most difficult conditions, had a powerful muscular body, a lot of strength and energy to survive in any conditions. Despite the ordinary appearance, it may seem that these are ordinary street cats, but this is not so, many specialists took part in the breeding of this breed, years of selective practice and experiments allowed us to bring out a truly exclusive breed with excellent characteristics of health and appearance, as well as kind and docile character.

The first participation of the cat breeds in exhibitions at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries showed how highly their energy, strength, beauty and grace, as well as high endurance and vitality were appreciated. Unfortunately, with the emergence of new cat breeds, such as the Persian or Angora, the popularity of the American Shorthair began to decline, moreover, cats began to be treated as outbred, street cats.

The emerging new cats mated with the American Shorthair, gradually blurring the genotype of the breed. But, thanks to the desire of some experts to preserve the breed of the American Shorthair cat in its original form, breeding programs have been developed to prevent the extinction of this wonderful breed.

Despite the fact that in the 1960s the American shorthair cats were still treated as ordinary street cats, in 1965 breeders registered the breed “American Shorthair”. More than one century of the development of this breed has formed these cats as they are, strong, downed, muscular, hardy, healthy, with strong immunity.