The American Shorthair is a robust and adaptable breed, originally developed as a working cat for pest control. This breed standard outlines the key characteristics that define its conformation, coat, colors, and patterns, emphasizing a strong, well-balanced physique that embodies power, endurance, and agility. The breed’s general appearance should reflect its working heritage, with no exaggerated features that could compromise its health or functionality.
Physical Characteristics
Size and Proportions: American Shorthairs are medium to large cats, with quality prioritized over sheer size. Females may be less massive than males but should still possess correct overall balance. The body is typically slightly longer than it is tall, with its length divisible into three equal parts from sternum to elbow, elbow to hindleg, and hindleg to the rump. The tail length should be equivalent to the distance from the shoulder blades to the base of the tail.
Head and Facial Features: The head is large with full cheeks, giving an impression of an oblong shape that is only slightly longer than it is wide. A sweet, open expression is characteristic. When viewed from the front, the head can be divided into two equal halves: from the base of the ears to the middle of the eyes, and from the middle of the eyes to the chin. The ears are medium-sized with slightly rounded tips and are not excessively open at the base. The forehead forms a smooth, moderately convex curve, flowing into the neck without a domed appearance between the ears. Eyes are large and wide-set, with the upper lid shaped like a half-almond and the lower lid fully rounded. The distance between the eyes should be at least the width of one eye, with the outer corners set slightly higher than the inner corners. The eyes should appear bright, clear, and alert. The nose is medium in length and consistent in width, featuring a gentle, concave rise from the bridge to the forehead. Mature males typically exhibit definite jowls, and the muzzle is squared.
Body and Structure: The body is solidly built, powerful, and muscular, featuring well-developed shoulders, chest, and hindquarters. The back is broad, straight, and level, with a slight downward slope from the hip bone to the base of the tail when viewed in profile. From above, the outer lines of the body should appear parallel.
Legs and Paws: Legs are medium in length with substantial bone and heavy musculature. When viewed from the rear, all four legs should appear straight and parallel, with paws facing forward. Paws are firm, full, and rounded, supported by heavy pads. They have five toes in the front and four in the back.
Tail: The tail is medium in length, heavy at the base, and tapers to an abrupt, blunt appearance, although the underlying vertebrae taper normally.
Coat and Color
Coat Texture: The coat is short, thick, even, and has a hard texture. Regional and seasonal variations in coat thickness are permissible, as long as the coat remains dense enough to provide protection against moisture, cold, and superficial skin injuries.
Color and Pattern Classifications: The American Shorthair boasts a wide array of recognized colors and patterns, including solid colors, bi-colors, calicos, smoke variations, shaded patterns, and various tabby patterns.
- Solid Colors: These include White (pure glistening white), Black (dense coal black), Blue (a lighter shade preferred), Red (deep, rich, clear red), and Cream (a level shade of buff cream).
- Parti-Colors: This category encompasses Tortoiseshell (black with patches of red), Blue-Cream (blue with patches of cream), Bi-Color (white with unbrindled portions of other colors), Van Bi-Color (color confined to extremities), and Calico (white with distinct patches of black and red, or blue and cream).
- Smoke Variations: These have a white undercoat that is deeply tipped with color, giving a distinct appearance when the cat is at rest versus in motion. Examples include Black Smoke, Blue Smoke, Cameo Smoke, and Tortoiseshell Smoke.
- Shaded Patterns: These feature an undercoat of pure white or white with a mantle of color tipping that shades from dark on the back to lighter on the underside. Examples include Chinchilla Silver, Shaded Silver, Blue Chinchilla Silver, Blue Shaded Silver, and various cameo and tortoiseshell variations.
- Tabby Patterns: American Shorthairs come in Classic, Mackerel, and Ticked tabby patterns, with specific color variations such as Silver Tabby, Blue Silver Tabby, Brown Tabby, Blue Tabby, Red Tabby, Cream Tabby, Cameo Tabby, and their respective patched variations.
- Tabby & White and Smoke & White: These combinations feature white areas along with the specified tabby or smoke patterns.
Eye Color: Eye color varies depending on the coat color, with gold and green being common. Odd-eyed whites (one blue and one gold eye) are also recognized.
Penalties and Disqualifications
Certain features can result in penalties or disqualifications from show standards. Penalties are given for excessive cobbiness or ranginess, and very short tails. Disqualifications are reserved for cats showing evidence of hybridization, such as specific colors (chocolate, sable, lavender, lilac, point-restricted), long or fluffy fur, a nose break, bulging eye set, brow ridge, kinked or abnormal tail, locket or button markings (white spots not specified in color descriptions), incorrect number of toes, undershot or overshot bite, persistently protruding tongue, obesity or emaciation, or any feature so exaggerated as to foster weakness. Cats showing evidence of hybridization with other breeds, including those with long or fluffy fur, are also disqualified.
Breed Recognition
The American Shorthair is a well-established breed with recognized color class numbers used for official purposes. The breed standard emphasizes maintaining the integrity of the working cat heritage, ensuring that the breed remains healthy, functional, and representative of its distinguished lineage.
