American Shorthair cat or shorthaired shorthair, a breed that is considered the symbol of the United States, along with baseball and apple pie. These cats have lived in America for over 400 years, they arrived with the first settlers. They were used as rat-catchers, to reduce the colonies of rodents that accompanied the ship at that time. This cat has a muscular body and strong legs designed for hunting. In terms of content, they are simple, inexpensive, friendly, and unpretentious.
History of the breed
Obviously, the American cat breed came to the United States from Europe, since there are no species in either North or South America from which they could have originated. The American shorthaired pointer hails from Europe, but they have lived in America for over 400 years.
Who knows, maybe for the first time these cats landed with Christopher Columbus? But, they certainly were in Jamestown, the first British settlement in the New World, and we know this from journal entries dating back to 1609.
Back then, it was a rule to take cats on board. It is believed that she arrived in America on the Mayflower, which was carrying pilgrims to found the colony.
The function on this journey was purely practical, catching rats and mice that were destroying food supplies on the ships.
Over time, she was crossed with other breeds: Persian, British Shorthair, Burmese, and acquired the species by which we know her today.
It doesn't matter where they came from and when, but they became full members of society, serving it as defenders of barns, houses, and fields from hordes of rodents who also sailed on ships.
From this point of view, functionality was more important than beauty, and the early colonists paid little attention to the color, body shape, and coloration of American Shorthair cats.
And, although natural selection is harsh on both humans and cats, they have managed to adapt and develop strong muscles, jaws, and quick reactions. But, popularity came to the breed in the mid-1960s, when it began to participate in exhibitions and win prizes.
At the beginning of the century, these cats were secretly crossed with Persians, to improve the exterior and give a silvery color.
As a result, they changed and acquired the features characteristic of Persian cats. Since the Persians were very successful, such hybrids became popular.
But, as time went on, new breeds supplanted the American Shorthair. The kennels were interested in such breeds as Persian, Siamese, Angora and forgot about Kurzhaars, who served them faithfully for years.
A group of enthusiasts who loved the classic look of the American Shorthair began a conservation program, although they kept the silver color as it became popular.
At first, things went hard, since they did not receive any support from other breeders. In those days, they could not win in the show rings against new breeds, they could not even be represented in them, since there was no standard.
And this continued until the 1940s, when slowly and with a creak, but the popularity of the breed began to grow.
In September 1965, breeders voted to rename the breed. Today it is called the American Shorthair cat, or the shorthaired pointer (not to be confused with the breed of dog), previously called the domestic shorthair.
But kennels were afraid that under this name they would not find demand in the market, and they renamed the breed.
Today they are officially recognized, ranked in popularity in the United States, the fourth among all cat breeds.
Description
Real hard workers, hardened by years of a hard life, cats are muscular, densely built. Large or medium in size.
Sexually mature cats weigh from 5 to 7.5 kg, cats from 3.5 to 5 kg. They grow slowly and grow up to the third-fourth year of life.
Life expectancy is 15-20 years.
The head is small, round, with widely spaced eyes. The head itself is large, with a wide muzzle, strong jaws capable of holding prey.
The ears are of medium size, slightly rounded at the tip, and set fairly wide on the head. The eyes are large, the corner of the outer side of the eye is located slightly higher than the inner one. Eye color depends on color and color.
Paws are of medium length, with powerful muscles, ending in a dense, rounded pad. The tail is thick, of medium length, wider at the base, and tapering at the end, the tip of the tail is blunt.
The coat is short, dense, hard to the touch. It can change its texture depending on the season; it becomes denser in winter.
But, in any weather, it is dense enough to protect the cat from cold, insects, and injuries.
More than 80 different colors and colors are recognized for the American Shorthair cat. Ranging from tabby with brown spots, to blue-eyed cats with white fur or smoky. Some may even be black or dark gray. The classic tabby color can be considered, it is the most popular at exhibitions. Only cats are not allowed to compete, in which signs of hybridization are clearly visible, as a result of which signs of other breeds predominate. For example, colors: chocolate, lilac, fawn, sable.
Any sign of a hybrid breed, including long fur, plumes on the tail and neck, protruding eyes and browbones, kinked tail, or point color are grounds for disqualification.
Character
The expression "in moderation" comes to mind when you need to describe the character of the American Shorthair cat. This is not a couch slicker, but also not a bouncing fluffy ball.
If you want a cat that is happy to lie on your lap, not on your head, it will suit you, and will not go crazy while you are at work.
Like the colonists who brought her, the shorthaired pointer loves independence. They prefer to walk on their paws and do not like being picked up if this is not their idea. Otherwise, they are smart, affectionate, loving people.
They also love to play, and they remain playful even in old age. And the hunting instincts are still with them, do not forget. In the absence of rats and mice, they catch flies and other insects, realizing them in this way. They also like to look at birds and other activities outside the window.
If you let out into the street, then get ready for gifts in the form of mice and birds that she will bring. Well, in the apartment, keep the parrot away from her. They also love high places, such as the top shelves or tops of trees for cats, but they can be weaned from climbing on the furniture.
They will adapt to any situation, and to other animals. Kurzhaars are calm in nature, good-natured cats, popular among families, as they are patient with the mischief of children. They are smart and curious buildings that are interested in everything that happens around them.
They love the company of people, but at the same time they are independent, many of them are tame, but some prefer to be around. Better to avoid constant attention, and leave the cat to herself.
If you want a calm and quiet breed when you come home from a hard day at work, this is the breed for you. Unlike other breeds, she rarely requires anything, unless you forget to feed. And even then he does it with the help of a melodic, quiet voice, and not a nasty siren.
Maintenance and care
No special care is required. Like the British Shorthair, they tend to overeat and gain weight, so they shouldn't be overfed.
To avoid these problems, do not overfeed and play with your cat to keep it physically active.
By the way, these are born hunters, and if you have the opportunity, let them out into the yard, let them implement their instincts.
Caring for them is simple. Since the coat is short, it is enough to comb it out once a week and regularly clean the ears, trim the nails. Not superfluous and a scratching post, to which the kitten needs to be accustomed.
Choosing a kitten
Buying an undocumented kitten is a pretty big risk. In addition, in the cattery, kittens are vaccinated, toilet trained and tested for diseases. Contact experienced breeders, good nurseries.
Due to their endurance and unpretentiousness, they live up to 15 years or more. Some of them suffer from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a progressive heart disease that leads to death.
The symptoms are so blurred that sometimes the cat dies suddenly and for no apparent reason. Since it is one of the most common feline diseases, there are laboratories in the United States that can detect a predilection for HCM at the genetic level.
In our countries, such achievements are not yet possible. The disease cannot be cured, but treatment can slow it down.
Another disease, although not fatal, but painful and worsening the life of a cat is hip dysplasia.
With a mild course of the disease, its signs are almost invisible, but in severe cases, it leads to severe pain, limb stiffness, arthritis.
These diseases, although they are found in the American Shorthair, are much less common than in other breeds.
Do not forget, these are not just cats, they are discoverers and pilgrims who conquered America and exterminated the army of rodents.