By admin
Dec 4th 2009 @ 2:37PM Filed under: Cat Breed Issues

The American Shorthair is the 8th most popular breed of cat in the U.S., according to the Cat Fancier’s Association.  It is believed that the American Shorthair is descended from cats brought to American by English colonists.  These cats were, at one time, known as the Domestic Shorthair in the United States.  They may weigh from 8 to 15 pounds.  They may live 15 to 20 years.

The American Shorthair may have problems with heart disease, including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).  Breeders are testing for heart problems in the breed and there are American Shorthairs in the OFA database.