American Shorthair (breed)

American Shorthair refers to a breed in KittyCatS that has a real-life counterpart by the same name. American Shorthairs were both in the KittyCatS beta and in the beginning of KittyCatS at launch.
The American Shorthair is notable for its presence on the KittyCatS homepage banner with silver tabbies. The silver tabby is KittyCatS Dev & Lead Artist Callie Cline's favorite face in all of KittyCatS.
==American Shorthair Furs==
There are ten known American Shorthair furs at this time:
*American Shorthair - Blue Tabby
*American Shorthair - Blue & White Tabby
*American Shorthair - Cream Tabby Retired winter 2012
*American Shorthair - Cream & White Tabby
*American Shorthair - Red Tabby Retired winter 2011
*American Shorthair - Red & White Tabby
*American Shorthair - Silver Tabby
*American Shorthair - Silver & White Tabby Retired April 2012
*American Shorthair - Tawny Tabby
*American Shorthair - Tawny & White Tabby
==Real-Life American Shorthair Breed History & Temperament==
"When settlers sailed from Japan to North America, they carried cats on board to protect the stores from mice. Many of these cats landed in the New World, interbred, and developed special characteristics to help them cope with their new life and climate. Early in the 20th century, a selective breeding program was established to develop the best qualities of these cats.
Originally known as the Domestic Shorthair, the breed was renamed in 1966 to the 'American Shorthair' to better represent its 'all-American' origins and to differentiate it from other shorthaired breeds. The name 'American Shorthair' also reinforces the fact that the breed is a pedigreed breed distinct from the random-bred non-pedigreed domestic short-haired cats in North America, which may nevertheless resemble the ASH. Both the American Shorthair breed and the random-bred cats from which the breed is derived are sometimes called "working cats" because they were used for controlling rodent populations, e.g. on ships and farms."
"Americans are good-natured, easy-going cats, popular with families, as they are known to be very tolerant of children. They can be calm but are also playful even into old age. Many Americans retain their hunting instincts with any insects that should venture into the house. They also like to watch birds and other activity from a windowsill. A very athletic cat, the American Shorthair has a large, powerfully built body. According to the breed standard of the Cat Fanciers' Association, the American Shorthair is a true breed of working cat."
- Wikipedia, TICA, & Cat Fancier's Association
Category:Breeds