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A brief historical overview
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This breed is a direct descendant of the alley cats brought back by European settlers to protect grain stocks from rodents. The first cats arrived in America as early as the 16th century, and have been abundant on farms since the early 18th century. A natural breed, these cats were selected for their ability to capture mice, rats and other rodents, as well as their resistance to American climatic conditions. Chance marriages with imported breeds (Persians and Siamese, for example) may have occurred over the years.
Cat breeding began in the late 19th century in the United States. As early as 1900, American Shorthair breeding began, as Americans wanted to preserve the morphological type of their alley cats. To improve the breed's physique, crosses were made with the British Shorthair. In 1904, the Cat Fanciers' Association registered Buster Brown as the first American Shorthair. The first litter was registered the same year, from a British Shorthair/American Shorthair cross. The breed is now called Domestic Shorthair and accepts many individuals, giving it a large gene pool. As with the European Shorthair, the breed suffered for many years from its resemblance to the alley cat. In 1966, it was finally recognized under the name American Shorthair. Its populations grew from year to year, until it became one of the most popular breeds in the USA and Canada.
Europe had a hard time accepting the breed, and some associations still refuse to recognize it, which explains the rarity of the breed on the continent. In the United States, it is very widespread, and is one of the 10 most common breeds.
The breed is also very popular in Japan. |
Behavior / characteristics
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Christiane Sacase describes the American Shorthair as a lively, active cat, built to live outdoors, but also adaptable to apartment living. It is sociable, loyal and tender with its owner. The LOOF describes the American Shorthair as a well-balanced cat, sociable with other cats and fond of children. Dr. Bruce Fogle, on the other hand, describes the breed as calm, not very talkative and relaxed.
The American Shorthair is said to be affectionate, moderately active and emotional, but not aggressive. They are said to be patient with children and to accept the presence of a dog. However, these character traits are entirely individual and depend on the history of each cat. |
Health
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| The American Shorthair is described as a cat of solid health, requiring very little care. Dr. Bruce Fogle attributes this robust health to the breed standard, which aims to avoid "any trait that might encourage weakness". Neutered cats have a tendency to obesity, so food intake needs to be monitored. |
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Ears long, pointed or too close together.
English (United Kingdom)