American Shorthair Cat: Description Of The Breed, Characteristics Of Character And Behavior, Rules Of Care And Feeding Of Cats, Photo

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

All about the independent beauty of the American Shorthair cat

Among pets, one of the leading positions is the cat. This freedom-loving and at the same time affectionate animal to its owner touches with grace, playfulness and beauty. For centuries of living together with people, many breeds of these four-legged beauties were bred. The American shorthair cat is very interesting.

Content

• 1 History of the origin of the breed

• 2 Description of the American Shorthair cat

  2.1 Photo gallery: colors of the American shorthair cat

• 3 Character of the cat
• 4 Health
• 5 How to choose an American Shorthair kitten

• 6 Care

  • 6.1 Video: how to brush your cat's teeth
  • 6.2 Nutrition
• 7 Breeding
• 8 Castration and sterilization
• 9 Video: characteristics of the American shorthair cat
• 10 Owner reviews about the breed

History of the origin of the breed

The origin of this species of cats, as the name implies, occurred in America. There, the American shorthair has been known for several centuries. Scientists suggest that her ancestors were European farm cats, which served people to catch rats on board. On ships that arrived in America, these cats got to the North American continent. Some of them stayed with their owners, who became the first settlers from Europe.

For the first time, the American Shorthair cat was shown in Europe at an exhibition in London in 1871. But at that moment little attention was paid to this breed. But in America in 1934 she took second place at the exhibition, receiving only a few points less than the Persian cat.

As excellent rat-catchers, American cat-haired cats became the favorites of the American population.

Gradually, various European breeds of cats were imported to the American continent, and the American Shorthair began to noticeably yield to the Persian and Angora tailed in popularity and even found itself on the verge of extinction. This variety has come to be called simply the domestic shorthair cat. But that all changed in 1965 when the breeders decided to call these cats American Shorthair. A program was developed to preserve the purity and further development of the breed, and in 1966 the breed standard was approved. The American shorthair came to Russia in 2007.

Description of the American shorthair cat

American Shorthair cats are quite large representatives of the feline family. Their weight can reach 8 kg in cats and 5 kg in cats. They have a strong physique, well-developed bones, broad shoulders and chest, powerful jaws.

American Shorthair cats have a well-developed muscular system.

The head of the "Americans" is large, rounded. The muzzle is wide, with outwardly well visible cheeks. The ears are medium in size, slightly rounded at the tips. By standard, they should be spaced twice as far as the inner corners of the eyes. The forehead is slightly convex. The color of the eyes in this breed of cats can be different, but for the purpose of breeding, individuals with green or orange eyes are selected. The back is wide, the neck is medium. The tail is thick at the base, slightly tapering towards the tip.

The coat, as the name implies, of these cats is short with a thick undercoat. The color can be different, but the most common and suitable for further breeding are:

• white;
• blue;
• cream;
• smoky;
• the black.

Photo gallery: colors of the American shorthair cat

The marbled coloration of the American Shorthair is very popular with breeders.

Black cats are more active than their counterparts of other colors

The color of the nose of American Shorthair cats is in harmony with the main color

In white cats, the iris of the eyes often differs in color (heterochromia)

The nature of the cat

Being independent and independent, but at the same time sociable and affectionate not only with the owner, but also with strangers, the American Shorthair cat is considered an animal with a pleasant and comfortable character. She adapts well to the living conditions in any family, does not require undue attention to herself and even dislikes when the owner behaves very intrusively towards her. If the cat does not want to be hugged at the moment, carried in her arms, put on her knees, then nothing will make her obey the owner.

This cat is very playful. She, unlike her relatives, loves to swim. Even after growing up, she loves to play, climb high and hunt. American shorthairs are very attached to their owners, but only with respect to them.

"Americans" are very playful cats, they remain active in adulthood

If the house in which a cat of this breed lives has access to the street, then the pet will certainly delight the owner with its hunting trophies: caught birds, mice and other small animals. Even living for many years with a person in apartment buildings could not kill their hunting instincts.

The American Shorthair gets along well with other pets, gets along well with young children, so it is often raised as a family pet.

Health

With a fairly good health, American Shorthair cats are susceptible to several diseases. These include:

• hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (hereditary heart disease);

• dysplasia of the hip joint;

  

  With dysplasia of the hip joint, friction and pressure on the articular elements, in particular on the cavity and head of the thigh, increase

• polycystic kidney disease (an irreversible hereditary disease, many cysts form in the kidneys);
• Nonsuppurative keratitis or chronic degenerative keratitis (an eye disease caused by inflammation of the lining of the eye).

With good care and timely vaccination, cats of this breed can live on average 15 years.

How to choose an American Shorthair kitten

The cost of a kitten of the American Shorthair breed depends on the cattery, the sex of the animal and the number of awards from the parents and ranges from 400 to 1 thousand dollars. Cats tend to be cheaper than cats.

When buying an “American”, there is a great risk of buying a fake pedigree animal. The fact is that small pedigree kittens are no different from an ordinary kitten. Therefore, when buying, you should be guided by the following rules:

1. A kitten should be purchased only from trusted breeders, be sure to demand from him the metric and veterinary passport of the animal.
2. You should examine the conditions in which the kittens are. Cleanliness, spaciousness and the availability of toys indicate that there are all conditions for the health and development of cats. Otherwise, there is a great risk of buying a sick and weak kitten.
3. It is necessary to pay attention to the appearance and behavior of the baby. Examine the animal's ears, eyes, and skin. They should be clean, without suppuration, the skin under the coat is a pale pink hue.
4. When choosing a pet, determine what kind of character it should have. Cats of the same breed can have very different temperaments. If you want an active pet, then choose the most daring and active of the litter.

5. If you plan to participate in exhibitions, you should pay attention to the parents: how much they meet the requirements and what awards they have.

   

   When choosing a kitten, you need to pay attention to his appearance and character, as well as his parents

6. When choosing a gender, consider whether you plan to breed and earn income from keeping a cat. If your answer is yes, then get a cat, not a cat. But keep in mind that they are somewhat more expensive.
7. Kittens should be 12-16 weeks old at the time of purchase. Previously, they should not be taken away from their mother, since they are still very dependent on mother's love and will adapt very poorly to a new place.

Care

Keeping the American Shorthair cat is generally not a big deal. Care involves:

• combing 1-2 times a week (with seasonal molting, this procedure should be done more often);
• cleaning the auricles 2-3 times a month;

• cleaning teeth from plaque at least 2 times a month;

  

  Cats need to brush their teeth regularly to prevent tartar.

• claw trimming should be done every 2 weeks.

American Shorthair cats do not need regular bathing, so wash them with shampoo as they get dirty.

There are no special recommendations for equipping a toilet for cats of this breed. General rules should be followed. The tray should be well away from the food bowls. You can use any filler. It is important to keep the toilet clean, as otherwise the cat can relieve itself elsewhere.

Video: how to brush your cat's teeth

Food

Cats of this breed are prone to obesity, as they often overeat. Therefore, the owners must monitor both the quality of food and its quantity. The frequency of feeding for very young kittens is 5 times a day, for babies from six months to a year - 3 times, and for adult cats - 2 times. It is better to feed it with professional food (premium and super premium class, for example, Pro Plan, Acana, Royal Canin). But while observing the rationality of nutrition, you can also use natural products (meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, cereals, vegetable oil, dairy products, including cottage cheese).

Prohibited foods in cat feeding include:

• fatty, fried food with spices and salt from the host's table;
• sausage and smoked products;
• canned food for humans;
• sweets;
• flour and rich products;
• cream;
• butter;
• potatoes;
• cabbage;
• tomatoes;
• onion and garlic;
• citrus fruits;
• grapes, raisins, apricots, dried apricots;
• legumes and soy;
• mushrooms.

Eggs and cheese can be given with care and in small quantities.

Breeding

There are no peculiarities of breeding "Americans". Pregnancy should be planned only after 3-4 estrus. A cat's first menstrual period occurs at four months of age. Accordingly, mating is possible at about one year of age.

It is recommended to carry it out on the territory of the cat.

Pregnancy in "Americans" is no different from the bearing of kittens by cats of other breeds

Castration and sterilization

In the understanding of ordinary people, the term "castration" refers only to cats, and "sterilization" - to cats. However, this use of these words is incorrect. Both castration and sterilization can be performed in animals of both sexes. The difference lies in the operation itself. Castration involves the complete removal of the genital glands: testes in males and ovaries in females. In this case, the production of sex hormones completely stops. Sterilization, however, refers to more gentle operations and involves the ligation of the vas deferens in cats and fallopian tubes in cats. The production of hormones does not stop, but pregnancy does not occur either.

The best age for neutering or neutering a cat is between 6 months and 1 year. Regarding the best age for such operations in cats, there are 2 opinions:

1. From 3 to 6 months, that is, before the onset of the first heat. Adherents of this approach argue that at such a young age, the cat tolerates any surgical intervention better, and the risk of breast tumors at an older age decreases.
2. About 10 months. Proponents of this approach say that an operation performed before puberty leads to negative hormonal disorders that have irreversible consequences. This can lead to behavioral changes for the worse.

Video: characteristics of the American shorthair cat

Reviews of the owners about the breed

American Shorthair cats are distinguished by their independent character and non-intrusiveness. Their peculiarity lies in a quiet, undemanding manner of communication. This breed is loved for its benevolent and playful disposition, good getting along with other animals and children. It is a great choice for families with a child.