| American Shorthair | Sphynx | |
|---|---|---|
| Lifespan | 15-20 years | 6-14 years |
| Size | Medium | Medium |
| Weight | 8-15 lb | 6-14 lb |
| Energy | Moderate | High |
| Grooming | Low | High |
| Shedding | Low | Low |
| 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.
Sphynx cats are sold as hypoallergenic because they lack fur, but the protein that actually triggers most cat allergies (Fel d 1) comes from skin and saliva, not hair, so a Sphynx still produces it — it just has no coat to catch the oil, which is why the breed needs weekly bathing for its own skin health, and why a 2024 UK-wide study found the breed's real-world average lifespan (6.7 years) was the shortest of any cat breed studied, well under half the general Persian/Birman-range longevity of other purebreds.
American Shorthair ·
Sphynx
Health problems, origin and what living with each is actually like.