The American Shorthair is America's own breed, whose ancestors are the cats that came to North America with the early pioneers from Europe. There are records that indicate several cats arrived on the "Mayflower." These first cats were brought along to hunt rats that ate the ship's food supplies and spread diseases to humans. For centuries, these working cats flourished along with their pioneer owners and eventually established themselves as the native North American shorthaired cat. Over the years, these cats were further appreciated for their beauty and loving natures. One brown tabby American Shorthair, in 1896, commanded the price of $2500 at the Second Annual Cat Show at Madison Square Garden. Imagine what that sum of money would be in today's dollars!

With the introduction of foreign breeds to the United States during the early part of the 20th century, the naturally pure bloodlines of these "native" shorthairs began to be diluted. Longhairs and Siamese were being allowed to run free, resulting in kittens with a variety of coat lengths, body types, colors and temperaments. Those who admired the qualities of the native shorthaired cats and wished to preserve them acquired the finest examples of the American Shorthair and began to selectively breed them. These pioneer breeders worked to perfect the patterns and colors, while retaining the strong conformation, beautiful face and sweet disposition of the breed.

Picture courtest of: Matt Baker and Stephanie Hale
Photograph by:  Chanan