When you breed two mixed breed cats together there are no guarantees that any of the offspring will appear or act like an American Shorthair. The American Shorthair is the perfect breed for those who want a cat that enjoys being in your lap but not in your face. Early in the 1900s, fanciers became more interested in the imported breeds like the Persian and Angora than in the familiar ASH that had warmed their laps and served them faithfully for so many years.
When settlers sailed from Europe to North America, they carried cats on board (ships' cats) to protect the stores from mice[3]—for instance, the cats that came over on the Mayflower with the Pilgrims to hunt rats on the ship and in the colony. and females up to 12 lbs.
Some even come in deep tones of black, brown, or other blends and combinations. Obese cats are much more likely to develop diabetes which requires careful medical management and possibly insulin injections on a daily basis. 22 Apr 2014. brought to North America by early settlers, "Breed profile: About the American Shorthair", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_Shorthair&oldid=967980913, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 16 July 2020, at 13:42. Males are significantly larger than females, weighing eleven to fifteen pounds when fully grown.
Nose leather and Paw pads: pink. They enjoy lounging as much as the next cat but will not spend the whole day sleeping. The first American Shorthair to be registered in this country was an orange tabby male named Belle that ironically was imported from England in the early 1900s. In the early 1900s, a group of fanciers who loved the sturdy look of their proud all-American cats began a selective breeding program to preserve the natural beauty, mild temperament, and hardiness of the American Shorthair. They will watch the people and animals outside the window and then move into high gear and catch a few insects mid-flight. [1] According to the Cat Fanciers' Association, in 2012, it was the seventh most popular pedigreed cat in the United States.[2]. One of the best things about a cat that was bred for a function rather than just a phenotypic appearance is that unhealthy specimens and those with health issues that interfered with work or shortened the lifespan of the cat were eliminated from the gene pool. Forehead forms smooth, moderately convex continuous curve flowing over top of head into neck. Toes five in front, four behind. The American Shorthair is highly adaptable to most living situations and enjoys interacting with his family but is just as content to be on his own. The American Shorthair (ASH) is a breed of domestic cat believed to be descended from European cats brought to North America by early settlers to protect valuable cargo from mice and rats. The American Shorthair standard was subsequently amended to disqualify any cat showing evidence of hybridization. AMERICAN SHORTHAIR COLORS WHITE: pure glistening white. The American Shorthair’s coat is short and straight, coming in a bevy of colors, such as white, blue, black, cream, red, silver, gold, brown and cameo. The American Shorthair is recognized in more than eighty different colors and patterns ranging from the brown-patched tabby to the blue-eyed white, the shaded silvers, smokes and cameos to the calico van, and many colors in between. Keep a close eye on the weight of the American Shorthair and do not hesitate to cut back on the amount fed if they are gaining excessive amounts of weight. Paws firm, full and rounded, with heavy pads.