American shorthair

El American shorthair It is one of those cats that we could label as "wild", but which in turn is very affectionate. He can become an excellent friend and companion, as long as he is properly socialized from a young age, that is, at 2 months of age. This is because it is a cat that comes from the cats that the first colonizers brought to the United States, in the XNUMXth century, some felines that were still used as rodent hunters, and not so much as companion animals.

Despite this, the American shorthair cat has adapted very well to living in a human family. Something that is not surprising since it has everything you need at your fingertips. Do you want to know it more in depth? Let's know more about this peculiar and beautiful furry.

History of the American Shorthair

Since its ancestors came to the USA until the beginning of the 1966th century, this cat was not considered a breed. However, things changed in the early nineteenth century, when a reddish tabby male cat named Belle was brought from England to the United States under the name "short hair." He liked it so much that it was crossed with cats that already lived in America, and later, in XNUMX, it was officially recognized as a breed, giving it the official name of American shorthair or American Shorthair.

Physical characteristics of the American Shorthair

The American shorthair cat is a medium to large sized domestic feline, with a maximum weight of 6kg. It has a slower growth than other breeds, such as the Common European, reaching maturity at 3 years of age. In addition, he is robust and muscular, so every time he walks on your back, it will be as if he was giving you a massage 🙂.

The legs are long, and the tail tapers towards the end, with an abrupt end. Their fur is hard to the touch and short, and presents a great variety of colors, which are:

Tabby
Brindle and white
Toasted
Café
Black
Silver
BLUE
Blanco
Crema

Its head is large, somewhat longer than it is broad, with a few big wide eyes, green or hazelnut in color.

Behavior of the American Shorthair

The behavior or "felinity" (cat personality) of the American Shorthair is the one that can best be combined with that of those people who like to spend time with their cat, playing with him and teaching him things. The American shorthair cat is very intelligent and curious, and enjoy learning. Of course, you have to be a little careful and teach him not to scratch and not bite from the first day he gets home, since it is very fast and could cause damage in less time than we imagine.

It is also an animal that likes to give and receive affection. It must also be said that it is very calm, as long as time is dedicated to it, since a bored cat, although it belongs to a breed with a calm nature, is a cat that will do anything to entertain itself, even if it means doing things that it should not, such as scratching the furniture. For this reason, it is extremely important to make him see and feel every day that he is truly part of the family, and that he is loved.

American Shorthair health

Having been living abroad for so long is in very good health. It can have illnesses, of course, but they are the same as any other cat could suffer from, such as colds, the flu, or conjunctivitis.

American Shorthair care

For your American shorthair cat to live happily, neither more nor less, than 20 years of life, it is highly recommended that you give it some basic care, which is:

Food

Being a carnivorous animal, it is important give you high-quality food that is high in animal protein, either I think or natural food. In the event that you choose to give him feed, it is advisable to give him one that does not contain cereals of any kind or derivatives -flour-.

It is also advisable give cat malt regularly so that she can expel the hair It is swallowed without problem, avoiding the formation of hairballs.

Relaxing

Whenever you can, that is, if you live in a rural area or in a quiet neighborhood, it is advisable that you teach him to walk with a harness from a very young age. Why? Well, it turns out that having ancestors who lived abroad, the American Shorthair will want to go out for a walk whenever it can. So an effective way to reassure him is to take him for a walk.

In the event that you cannot, make sure you have the doors and windows always closed, and play with him several times a day so that you get tired and, incidentally, forget a bit about the streets.

Veterinary care

While in excellent health, It is important to take him to the vet to get the necessary vaccinations and the microchip. In addition, if you do not intend to make it breed, it is advisable, if they did not give it to you already like that, castrate it with a minimum age of 6-7 months for the females and 8 months for the males.

Wire Brushed

Once a day it will be necessary to brush your hairThis is how we remove the dead fur, and we keep it looking very, very beautiful.

Buy American Shorthair cat

Would you like to live with one of these magnificent animals? If so, We give you the keys so that you know how to choose the best one:

Buy in hatchery

Finding a kennel of this breed is not easy, unless you live in the United States, of course 🙂. In the rest of the world it has not yet become a particularly popular breed, and you often have to go to another country to find your new feline companion. But how do you know if the hatchery is really serious?

You will know that you have reached the ideal place if you see that the facilities are clean and the animals are healthy.
The manager must answer all your questions, and also let you be with the kitten's parents.
In addition, you must know the breed.
The puppy will not be delivered to you with less than two months of age.
And once the day comes, He will give it to you along with all his documentation in order (passport and pedigree).

Buy in pet store

Unfortunately, if it is difficult to find a cattery, it is much more difficult to find it in a pet store. Still, that doesn't mean we can't try our luck and ask. The only "problem" is that They will not give it to you with a pedigree and you will not be able to meet the parents either.

Buy from an individual

You can often find ads for people who sell cats of all breeds, but how to avoid being scammed?

The first and most important thing is to make sure you have put your Contact information and that you have written the ad in only one language, without using incoherent words.
You should be able to meet that person and see the kittens, which will not deliver them with less than 2 months of age.
Kittens must be healthy, active, and curious.

American Shorthair Price

The price varies depending on where you buy it, for example, if it is from a farm, it can cost you about $1000, while if it is in store or to a private person it will cost about 400-500 euros.