Once upon a time, American shorthair cats were no more valuable than curs. However, in spite of all the vicissitudes of fate, these animals remained faithful to man and now they are still his faithful companions. Now they are considered an indicator of the sophistication of taste and the high status of their owners.
So, let us further consider the description of the breed of the American Shorthair cat, the history of its appearance and care for the animal.
A bit of history
In the distant XVII century, Europeans began to colonize North America. However, there were not only people among the crew - then there was nothing strange about animals on ships. And along with the pilgrims cats arrived in the New World. They helped people during a long voyage to protect edible from annoying rodents. Then they did not call these animals. It was just a cat with short hair and excellent physical characteristics. And part of the traveling animals, of course, remained on the shore with the immigrants, continuing to carry out their service of the mousetraps. Local farmers quickly appreciated the excellent hunting qualities of these cats. So, although then there were no special breeding clubs, people began to specifically knit the best mousetraps in order to obtain the same kittens.
Quite an interesting fact: the price of these cats grew by leaps and bounds. In the period from 1850 to 1880, it grew from $ 50 to $ 100. And this despite the fact that the average salary at that time was about $ 5-10.
For a long time on the continent there were no new pets or rich people who were ready to engage in breeding the breed seriously, so the only thing that affected these cats was natural selection. Accordingly, only the strongest and fittest survived.
By the end of the XIX century, these beauties began to appear at exhibitions. However, despite the high awards for physical endurance, grace and external data, they could not compete with such recognized breeds as Persians or Siamese. Over time, there were more and more such “recognized” breeds on the continent, and it became obvious that American shorthair did not exist for society. As a result, the popularity of the New World played against this breed - it was valued no more than curs now. Yes, unfair. However, despite the rejection by the public, connoisseurs of these cats dubbed the breed "domestic shorthair" and zealously monitored its cleanliness. Remember how expensive these cats were in the mid-19th century? So, by the middle of the 20th century. a kitten of a domestic shorthair could easily be purchased for $ 5.
For 50 years, breeders - experts and just enthusiasts - have come together to resuscitate the breed and stop its degeneration. And although they have achieved great success in preserving the physical and internal qualities of these wonderful cats, lovers of “American women” for a long time did not find support from professional felinologists. But, apparently, this was not enough for the fans of thoroughbred cats - for many years the owners of the purr together with their pets had to endure a huge amount of various dirt and humiliations. For American shorthair cats, often there was no room for exhibitions, and breeders were often accused of fraud - they say, the pet was taken from the shelter for the purpose of enrichment, but in reality it was just a “mongrel”.
At the end of the 20th century, there was an “explosion” - the American Jimmy with the most delicate silver color won the hearts of visitors and the jury of the exhibition, took the “Best Cat of the Show” and received a prize of $ 10,000 (a huge fortune for that period). At the same time, a vote was taken, the breed was renamed from domestic shorthair to American shorthair and abruptly entered the top ten favorite cats of the New World. Few people realize that the "American" became the "base" for breeding such breeds as the Ocicat, May-kun, American Wirehair, etc.
Current situation
As already mentioned, lovers of American shorthair cats struggled for a long time to preserve the original phenotypic and physical characteristics of the breed and coped with it brilliantly. The breed has remained unchanged since the 1950s. And the most obvious thing that has been done through decades is the indescribable power, grace and proportionality of these creatures. It seems as if the ancestors of modern cats looked like in the harsh primitive world. For many years the breed American Shorthair was a real "hard worker" in comparison with its thoroughbred relatives. Perhaps it was thanks to them that the first settlers did not die of starvation. After all, these cats successfully hunt not only mice, but also larger rodents, such as rats. Apparently, they succeed because of a rather considerable size - males grow up to 8-9 kg, and females grow up to 4-5 kg. Since 1965, the standard of this breed has not changed much. Let us consider the description of the American Shorthair cat.
Body
As already mentioned, they are hunters, "workhorses." The physique is strong, muscular - the chest is fully developed, the back is smooth and strong. The neck and legs are very powerful, not too long. The tail is not long, elastic, gradually tapering towards the end.
Head
The width and length of the head of the American Shorthair cat (photos are placed in the article) are almost the same, therefore this shape is often called square or rectangular. The chin is rather heavy, slightly prominent. Ears slightly spaced, wide and rounded, very mobile. The slope from nose to forehead is smooth, sometimes with a small dimple. The forehead itself is expressive, wide.
Eyes
In the case of the American Shorthair, the eyes go as a separate item in the description of the breed. They, like ears, are widely spaced, have an almond-shaped shape, which is emphasized by outstanding eyebrows. In general, they have a very expressive tenacious look. The color of the iris most often varies from light orange to brown, in harmony with the main coat color. However, silvery green iris is allowed, while white is heterochromic.
Wool
She is very short with Americans, but incredibly thick. There is no standard for the color of the coat - it can be at least coal-black, even snow-white, like snow. However, crossbreeding is prohibited - colors of other breeds are a reason for disqualification (for example, faun, color point, chocolate, etc.), as well as any suspicions of hybridization, such as elongated wool, an elongated muzzle or a white medallion. Even obesity is a "breed marriage."
Color
Consider the features of the breed American Shorthair. Despite the fact that there are no clear restrictions on the color, there are the most common, and therefore considered classical. The main one is silver tabby (as in the Whiskas ad). Bearers of this color are about 80% of “native” Americans. The reason for the popularity of this color is very obvious - the black stripes on a silver background look very elegant, but simply fascinate in motion. Brown tabby is a little less popular - it's the same thing, but instead of black stripes, brown (or close to brown). In total, if you at least somehow classify the colors of American women, you get about 80 acceptable, which can be divided into 4 subgroups:
- Solid colors.
- Spotted (2 or more colors, including "tortie").
- Smoky.
- Tabby.
Let us further consider the character of the American Shorthair cat.
Character
From the history and phenotypic description, it was already possible to understand that “American women” are very versatile cats that can become both professional mousetrapists and faithful companions. And the character only adds points to them.
The American Shorthair cat, the description and character of which is presented in the article, always knows the “golden mean” in everything - it is naturally trusting enough, but not annoying. He loves to play and frolic both with relatives and with people, but he is unlikely to turn your home into shreds of wallpaper and furniture. Despite the “hunting blood”, the cat is very friendly - it gets along well with other animals (dogs, cats, ferrets), as well as with young children. This does not mean that she will be friends with everyone. Perhaps she will not be delighted with the same dog. But neutrality and the absence of fights are guaranteed. These aristocrats of simple origin differ in surprisingly balanced disposition and show aggression solely for the purpose of hunting or self-defense. These cats are American Shorthair - born hunters, so breeders do not recommend keeping rodents or birds in the same house - in the best case it will be constant entertainment for cats and constant stress for the rest. And at worst, you may at some point lose your little pets. Also, if you live in a private house, be prepared for regular offerings in the form of strangled mice or birds - for cats this is a natural manifestation of love and care.
Animals spend a lot of effort and energy on hunting, so if they live in an apartment, they will compensate for this with games. Considering the nature of the American Shorthair cat breed, it should be noted that animals will be happy to play with people, but they will not be offended if you leave them to yourself. It must be remembered that any cats are wonderful climbers. So if you have lost your favorite - do not forget to check all the upper shelves and mezzanines. It is also worth removing from the top various breaking objects such as vases or photo frames, otherwise you run the risk of collecting shards around the house at some point.
As already mentioned, the "Americans" will never bother you, moreover, they are very sensitive to their own independence, so many hours of hugs and eternal confusion under their feet - not about them. They will be more pleased to watch you from the house or from the closet. These cats are quite attentive to the owners and are happy to caress if they are called, but not for long. Compared to their other relatives, they are very "laconic": if the "American" needs to convey something to the owner, she will most likely come as close as possible and quietly meow one, maximum two times. In general, they simply do not need it - they have amazing facial expressions, so that all their emotions and desires are literally “read” on the face.
And although these are very independent creatures, they easily and quickly become attached to the person and the environment and very much need a host society. They will get used to daily leaving for work within a week and will not feel any discomfort about this, but frequent and lengthy business trips can become a serious stress for the animal and undermine its trust in people.
Training
In terms of training, American Shorthair cats learn quite easily and quickly, especially if you start doing this from childhood. However, pets don’t really like to train: don’t expect them, like dogs, to execute your commands at your first word. Unless they themselves want to play with you like that.
Cats life span
With proper feeding and good care, the American Shorthair cat breed can live up to 17-18 years, however, as a rule, this is a record. Most often, the average life expectancy of these cats is no more than 15 years. This is a pretty good indicator, which speaks of a strong and strong immunity among the "Americans." There were completely unique cases when cats of this breed reached a 20-year milestone, but this is, rather, an exception.
American Shorthair: maintenance and care
Unlike the time of the colonization of North America, it is now a very exclusive and expensive breed. All breeding breeding is strictly accounted for and recorded in a single database of breeders of this breed. So if you decide to take an American kitten and its pedigree is important to you, it is better to take it in a proven and well-known nursery so as not to doubt the veracity of the breeder's words.
The content of the American Shorthair is quite simple. Consider the features of pet care.
Food
As for nutrition, the American Shorthair cat has an appetite that is absolutely not proportional to its size. Therefore, the pet's nutrition must be strictly controlled and in no case give in to provocations! At the same time, nutrition should be balanced: for normal activity, animals need calories, and their thick and silky coat needs vitamins. Cats have a very powerful skeleton, so that a sufficient amount of calcium should be available in the diet. And all this should be in moderation. Ideal - weigh the cat daily. And if you notice a sharp increase in weight, it is worth adjusting the diet and adding physical activity. Obesity for this breed can be fatal.
Hair care
For the hair of an American Shorthair cat, careful care is required, despite the fact that the cat is short-haired. After all, her coat and undercoat are incredibly thick, which means that they need to be thoroughly combed out, especially during molting. Also, several times a month you need to wipe the eyes and ears of the pet with a warm, moist cotton pad. If the cat walks, you need to inspect the coat, eyes and ears every day!
Claw and Teeth Care
Like any cat, an "American" needs to sharpen its claws. These cats are easily accustomed to the scratching post, the main thing is to get it and show the kitten what it is. Then the furniture with wallpaper will be safe, and the claws of your pet will be sharpened. With teeth, too, everything is standard: they need to be cleaned when plaque appears, you can use special cat snacks.
Health
And now a small bonus: since the American Shorthair cat (photo of the kitten is presented below) is an indigenous breed, its qualities were polished by severe natural selection. So many can envy her health. Moreover, when breeding new breeds, breeders use the “Americans” gene pool to “strengthen” newcomers. However, these “astronauts” of the feline world can get sick with classic feline viral diseases, such as leukemia, feline immunodeficiency or rabies. All these diseases are transmitted sexually or through a bite, or through any direct contact with a sick animal. If your pet lives only in the house - you have nothing to fear. But if you let the cat go for a walk, you should be vigilant and checked regularly by your veterinarian.
I want a kitten!
So, when is the best time to get a kitten? If the breeder is competent and responsible, then the kittens will be offered for sale no earlier than they turn twelve weeks old. However, kittens can be booked at any time, even before breeding - this is not very important. For example, when buying show class kittens, they can be booked even before the birth of their parents or while their parents are still kittens themselves. Until the indicated age, babies still need their mother very much - she feeds them, gives them warmth and necessary care. In the company of mother and brothers / sisters, the kitten is socialized for the first time, and the mother teaches him the primary rules of behavior in human society. But after reaching three months, the kittens are already strong and independent enough to move to a new house.
Price issue
In terms of cost - depending on the class and pedigree of the kitten, its price can vary from five to twenty thousand rubles ($ 70-300). And the cost of further maintenance is difficult to determine exactly - a kitten will need food, a claw point, a tray and filler for the tray. You also need to remember that sometimes with a cat you will need to visit a veterinary clinic (at least for vaccinations). The schedule of vaccinations and deworming can be checked with the veterinarian.