| American Shorthair | Domestic Shorthair | |
|---|---|---|
| Lifespan | 15-20 years | 12-15 years, commonly more |
| Size | Medium | Medium |
| Weight | 8-15 lb | 6-16 lb |
| Energy | Moderate | Moderate |
| Grooming | Low | Low |
| Shedding | Low | Moderate |
| With kids | Good with kids | Good with kids |
The 'all-American working cat' story implies a hardy, mixed-heritage constitution, but this is a closed pedigree bred like any other purebred, and Cornell's feline health center lists American Shorthair among the breeds with an elevated rate of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy — the same silent heart disease people specifically worry about in Maine Coons.
The 'ordinary' shelter cat with no pedigree is, on average, the genetically healthiest cat you can get — a large insurance-data study found purebred cats carry higher risk for heart disease, reproductive problems and several other serious conditions than mixed-breed cats do — and you can adopt one for a fraction of what a pedigree kitten costs.
American Shorthair ·
Domestic Shorthair
Health problems, origin and what living with each is actually like.