American Shorthair Kittens for sale
“Classic Charm, Timeless Love – American Shorthair Kittens Are All-American Sweethearts!”
🐾🇺🇸 With their easygoing nature and adorable looks, they’re the purr-fect addition to any home.
“American Shorthair Kittens: Playful, Loyal, and Forever Your Furry Best Friend!”
🐱✨ Adopt a kitten that’s as dependable as they are delightful – your new family favorite is waiting.
ADOPT HEALTHY AMERICAN SHORTHAIR KITTENS FROM REGISTERED BREEDERS
Let these sturdy, affectionate companions bring joy, love, and a touch of nostalgia to your life! 💖🐾
Maggie Purebred American Shorthair Female Kitten
Meeko, Purebred American Shorthair Male Kitten
Teddy, Purebred American Shorthair Male Kitten
Rubio, Purebred American Shorthair Male Kitten
Malia, Purebred American Shorthair Female Kitten
Shipping and Delivery - We ship throughout the United States and Canada
When you express interest in adopting or purchasing a kitten by reaching out to us, our dedicated team will promptly get in touch with you within 6 hours or less. During this initial contact, we will provide you with comprehensive information about the kitten you’re interested in, including its breed, age, health status, and personality traits. Additionally, we’ll share up-to-date, high-quality photos so you can see the kitten’s current appearance and condition.
Along with this, we’ll send you a detailed sales contract that clearly outlines all the terms and conditions of the purchase. This document will cover important aspects such as pricing, payment methods, health guarantees, return policies, and any other relevant details. We encourage you to take your time to carefully review the contract, ensuring you fully understand and agree to all the terms before proceeding.
Once you’ve reviewed the contract and are satisfied with the terms, you can sign it and send us a copy. Upon receiving the signed contract, we’ll move forward to finalize the purchase. Our team will then coordinate the logistics of shipping and delivery, ensuring your new kitten is safely and comfortably transported to your specified location. We’ll keep you updated throughout the entire process, providing tracking information and delivery estimates so you know exactly when to expect your new furry family member.
Our goal is to make the entire process as smooth, transparent, and stress-free as possible, ensuring both you and your new kitten have a positive experience from start to finish.
American Shorthair Cat Breed Profile, Characteristics and Care
Appearance, Personality, History, Care, and Helpful Information for Pet Owners
The American shorthair cat is a medium sized cat with a gentle nature, making them a great companion for families with children and or other domestic pets.
While they are not quite known for their athleticism, American shorthair cats are surprisingly well muscled and powerful, a trait established from all those years of hunting rodents on shipping boats.
These gorgeous cats tend to be happy and playful pets but also have an independent streak, which means they are not quite as needy as some other breeds.
Learn more about the American shorthair, including the breed’s characteristics, history, and care needs.
- Breed Overview
Personality: Gentle, affectionate, playful, easygoing, and curious
Weight: 11 to 15 pounds (males); 6 to 12 pounds (females)
Length: 12 to 15 inches
Coat Length: Short hair
Coat Color: Many colors, including white, silver, black, cream, blue, brown, and red
Coat Patterns: Tabby is the most common, although calico, tortoiseshell, bi-color, and solid are also acceptable
Eye Color: Hazel, gold, blue, copper, or green
Lifespan: 15 to 20 years
Hypoallergenic: No
Origin: United States
Characteristics of American Shorthair
Often silver with black tabby markings, American shorthair cats are strikingly attractive cats. Their round face gives them a sweet look that correctly conveys their temperament. However, don’t think that these are dull cats that laze around all day long; as descendants of hard working mousers, American shorthair cats are still playful and curious felines that like to explore or bat around a crinkle ball or catnip mouse.
They are known for their easygoing, amiable personalities. They get along very well in homes with children, other cats, or cat-friendly dogs, but they don’t demand constant attention. Your American shorthair cat can entertain themselves with toys, spend time gazing out the window, clamber up and down a cat tree, or enjoy a good catnap when not spending time cuddling or interacting with you.
History of the American Shorthair Cat
European settlers to North America brought a lot with them, including the ancestors of what we now refer to as the American shorthair cats. This breed’s European forebears snagged a trip to the New World thanks to their affinity for hunting and catching rodents a quality that was as prized on rat and mice-laden shipping vessels as it was in the homes and barns of the country’s newest residents. It is believed that the ancestors of the American shorthair cat came over on the Mayflower, and that they may have made the trip even earlier than that.
Once in America, these cats began to multiply, over time developing the traits that distinguish them as a unique breed. Due to their prized personality, American shorthair cats were and continue to be selectively bred in an effort to maintain and propagate their many likable qualities. Many of their physical traits can be traced to their early days in the country, including a dense coat that was ideal for withstanding cold winters while working and hunting outdoors, a moderately large size, and a muscular body.
| Affection Level | High |
| Friendliness | High |
| Kid-Friendly | High |
| Pet-Friendly | High |
| Exercise Needs | Medium |
| Playfulness | Medium |
| Energy Level | Medium |
| Intelligence | Medium |
| Tendency to Vocalize | Medium |
| Amount of Shedding | Medium |
The name American shorthair cat was given to the breed in 1966 to distinguish them from the domestic shorthair cat, which is randomly bred and does not carry such specific traits. The American shorthair cat has also ranked among the top 10 most popular pedigreed cat breeds, according to the Cat Fanciers’ Association.
Caring for American Shorthair cat
The American shorthair cats are easy to care for. They do require your time and attention, as they want to know that they’re loved and a part of the family, but when it comes to exercise and grooming requirements, the breed isn’t high maintenance.
American Shorthair Cat Exercise
The American shorthair cats loves to play and will happily do so, provided they’re in the mood. This breed enjoys socializing with their humans, though they have enough of an independent streak to entertain themselves as well, meaning you don’t usually have to worry about separation anxiety.
Leaving interactive toys around the home will help ensure an American shorthair cat gets enough exercise, as will setting aside one-on-one playtime. Since this breed does well with other cats, getting a kitty companion is another way to keep your American shorthair active.
Shedding
You can expect your American shorthair to shed throughout the year, with peaks during the spring and fall.
Grooming
These cats may have short hair, but they do require regular brushing due to the thick nature of their coat. Weekly brushing is ideal for optimal coat health.
Other standard grooming practices should be followed as well, including regular dental care, ear cleanings, and nail trims.
Common Health Problems
American shorthair cats are robust, long-lived felines not genetically prone to any particular health issues. Like any cat, however, they can develop chronic or acute diseases, particularly if allowed to roam freely outdoors, where they are likelier to pick up parasites or come in contact with viruses and bacteria. Free-roaming cats are also likelier to be injured in accidents or ingest toxic substances.
Some of the health problems that can affect American shorthair cats include:
- Obesity: Feeding your cat a high-quality diet, and making sure you avoid overfeeding, can help them maintain a healthy weight. Obesity can increase the risk of various diseases, such as diabetes and arthritis.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: This hereditary form of heart disease is also the most common form in cats. Symptoms include labored breathing, irregular heartbeat, and weakness.
- Tooth and gum problems: Over 50% of cats over 3 years of age have dental disease, such as tooth resorption and periodontal disease. Brushing your cat’s teeth often may help prevent problems.
- Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD): Urinary tract infections, urinary stones, cystitis, and urethral obstruction are some of the causes of FLUTD. Symptoms include blood in the urine, urinating outside the litter box, straining to urinate, and urinating small amounts.
- Diabetes: This condition causes high blood sugar because the body doesn’t make or use insulin properly. Symptoms include increased thirst, increased urination, and weight loss.
- Respiratory issues: Bacteria and viruses can cause upper respiratory infections in cats. Allergies can also be to blame for respiratory issues. Symptoms include sneezing, trouble breathing, and coughing.
- Eye problems: Various eye ailments, such as conjunctivitis and cherry eye, can cause symptoms like redness, discharge, and irritation and affect a cat’s ability to see.
Appearance
A full-grown American shorthair cat is a fairly large cat, but generally does not reach mature size until the age of 3 or 4 years. The body of an American shorthair cat is muscular, with a powerful and sturdy appearance. The head is round, with widespread ears and large eyes. Male American shorthair cats tend to be larger than females—males weigh up to 15 pounds, while females weigh up to 12 pounds.
These beautiful cats have thick, short fur that can be a wide range of colors and patterns, but the overwhelming majority—75%, according to the Cat Fanciers’ Association—are tabbies, with silver tabbies being especially popular. They can have a variety of eye colors as well, although green and gold are quite common.
These cats are moderate shedders, and they are not a hypoallergenic breed.
Diet and Nutrition
American shorthairs are powerful cats who require strict nutritional oversight to ensure they do not get overweight—a trait to which this this breed is prone. While they are disposed to long life spans and can live for up to 20 years in good health, this is dependent on a high-quality diet that provides enough fuel for their muscular stature without leading to excessive weight gain.
As a general rule, your cat should eat a diet that is high in protein, moderate in fat, and low in carbohydrates. The food should be species-appropriate, as cats are obligate carnivores. Whether the diet is all kibble, all wet food, or a mix of each is up to you, but remember that most cats, like most people, enjoy some variety in their meals, and cats get a lot of their moisture from food, which kibble lacks.
If you’re concerned about how to properly feed your American shorthair, or if your American shorthair is overweight, talk to your veterinarian about proper feeding guidelines.
Do American shorthair cats like to be held?
This is a very affectionate and easygoing breed of cat, so you can expect your American shorthair to enjoy cuddling, stroking, and being held. But, as with any cat, your pet prefers affection on their own terms, so if your cat begins to wiggle, sets their ears back, or shows other signs of annoyance, it’s time to set them down.
What's the difference between an American shorthair and a domestic shorthair?
While the names are similar, they are not interchangeable. American shorthairs are a recognized breed of cat with breed standards set by various cat registries. By contrast, domestic shorthair is a generic term used to indicate a mixed breed cat of indeterminate parentage. Basically, domestic shorthair cats are the feline equivalent of a mutt; however, that doesn’t mean they can’t be wonderful pets.
How much do American shorthair cats cost?
The cost of a purebred American shorthair depends greatly on the cat’s parentage, appearance, and breeder, but as a general rule, these cats cost several hundred dollars, with particularly desirable, show-ring quality cats selling for $1,000 or more. Some breeders sell “pet quality” purebreds for considerably less, though.
American Shorthair Overview
Sweet, easygoing, curious, playful, and affectionate: these cats make wonderful family pets, but because they are able to keep themselves entertained, they also do well in homes with a single adult. American shorthairs are beautiful cats with thick fur in a wide range of colors, but most often, they dazzle in boldly striped coats. They are not hypoallergenic, however, and do shed moderately.
With their muscular bodies, befitting to a breed developed to hunt rodents throughout cold winters, these are not delicate felines, but they are still happy spending time curled on their favorite human’s lap or enjoying a game of catch the feather on a string.
Pros of American Shorthairs
- Friendly and great household companions
- Get along with other pets
- Independent
Cons of American Shorthairs
- Prone to weight gain
- Require weekly brushing
- Heavier than they look
At PetSmart Cat, we are committed to matching you with the perfect cats for lifelong companionship selected from the best breeders in the States.
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