🐾 American Shorthair Cat

American Shorthair Cat

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Scientific name: Felis catus
Family & relatives: A domestic cat breed like all house cats; its wild ancestor is the African wildcat, and it is cousin to breeds such as the British Shorthair and the Abyssinian.
How to spot it: A sturdy, round-faced cat with a broad chest and a thick short coat that comes in many colors, most famously silver tabby.

Size: A medium to large cat about 20 to 30 cm tall at the shoulder with a solid, muscular build.
Weight: Usually about 4 to 7 kg (8 to 15 lb), with males larger than females.
Body & adaptations: A strong, well-balanced body with dense fur that once kept working farm cats warm and dry.
Top speed: Quick and nimble when it wants to be, able to dash and pounce with a burst of speed.
Strength: A powerfully built, hardy cat, prized long ago as a strong and tireless mouse-catcher.
Senses: Sharp night vision, keen hearing, and a good sense of smell, like all cats.
Growing up: Kittens are born tiny with closed eyes, open them in about a week, and grow slowly into big adults over two to three years.

Habitat: A house pet that lives happily indoors with families, comfortable in any cozy home.
Where in the world: Kept as a pet worldwide; the breed grew from cats that sailed to America with early settlers.
Territory: Like most cats it treats its home and yard as its own patch and likes to keep watch over it.

Diet: A carnivore fed proper cat food; it needs meat-based meals and fresh water every day.
Favorite foods: Balanced cat food, both wet and dry, that gives the protein a cat needs to stay healthy.
How it hunts: It keeps the famous farm-cat mousing instinct, happily stalking and pouncing on toys around the house.

How it moves: Walks, trots, and jumps with steady, confident movement and climbs well.
When it is active: Easygoing and playful by day, happy to nap in a sunny spot and then join the family's activities.
Family life: Calm, friendly, and gentle; it gets along well with children and other pets.
How it talks: 'Talks' with soft meows, purring, and clear body language like tail position and ear signals.
Babies: A mother cat carries her kittens about nine weeks and then gives birth to a litter she nurses and cleans.

Role in nature: A beloved family companion and one of America's most popular cats.
Conservation: Domestic breed, not a wild species, so it is not tracked on wildlife conservation lists.
Dangers: Stays healthiest with vet checkups, a good diet, and safe indoor living away from cars and dangers.

How long it lives: Often lives about 15 to 20 years, one of the longer-lived cat breeds with good care.
In our culture: A true American classic, celebrated as the hardworking barn cat that became a gentle family favorite.
Where to see it: In homes across America and beyond, and at cat shows where its silver tabby coat is a star.
Fun fact: The American Shorthair is one of the oldest cat breeds in the United States and came over on ships to catch mice.

Video: Pixabay · Photos: Wikimedia Commons & Pixabay