American Shorthair Cats: An Interview with Fancy Cat
Our resident cat, Fancy, has many talents. These include power-napping, the almost super-feline ability to sneak up on and catch bugs, and journalism. That's right, she's a forerunner in the scarcely-populated field of feline journalism, and she's been interviewing members of the 10 Most Popular Cat Breeds for us. Today, we present her interview with Alex, the American Shorthair cat.
Fancy: Hello, Alex. Thank you for joining us today to tell us a little bit about your breed, the American Shorthair cat.
Alex: Hi, Fancy! I'm honored that you chose me to represent my breed. I'm excited to hear what kind of things you'd like to know about us.
Fancy: How did American Shorthairs get to America?
Alex: Scientists don't believe that Native Americans domesticated cats the way humans did in other parts of the world. The first domesticated cats came here with Europeans on the Mayflower in 1620, and that was the beginning of our breed. We were working cats then; our job was to keep rodents out of the humans' food supply. Shorthaired working cats moved with settlers as they traveled west across America. British Shorthair cats were brought over in the early 1900s and began interbreeding with American cats.
Fancy: That's very interesting, Alex. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, but you're very cute. Can you describe the average looks of an American Shorthair for our readers?
Alex: I don't think cats blush, but if they did, I'd be doing it right now! Thanks, Fancy! Yes, we have short, round faces, muscular bodies, and short, thick hair coats that come in over 80 colors and patterns. We're medium-sized cats that are usually between 10 and 14 pounds. Basically, we're built to be hardy and strong. We're hunters, after all. Compared to our British counterparts, our bone structure is a little bit lighter.
Fancy: As we've been talking, I've noticed that you have quite a down-to-Earth personality. Is that common for your breed?
Alex: Yes, it all harkens back to our roots as working class cats. We tend to have tough, hardy personalities, but we're quite easygoing. Friendly, adaptable, go-with-the-flow, and humans also find us highly trainable. We like hanging out with the humans and doing stuff they want us to do, and we learn easily. We usually like other pets, too.
Fancy: Are there any health concerns that are more common in your breed than other breeds of cat?
Alex: Well, unfortunately, we do seem to get hypertrophic cardiomyopathy more commonly than some other cats. That's a heart condition where the muscle on the left lower side of our heart becomes thickened, and it can lead to heart failure.
Fancy: Do American Shorthair cats have any special grooming requirements?
Alex: Not really. Humans just need to brush us once a week, trim our nails periodically, and do the normal stuff they need to do for all cats like brush our teeth and play with us. We are pretty easy, and if there are mice in the house, we'll certainly earn our keep.
Fancy: Well, it's been so nice talking with you, Alex. Thank you for coming in and telling us all about your breed. It's time for my lunch; my human will be putting some kibble down for me over there. Would you like to join me?
Alex: I'd love to, Fancy, thank you! Are there any mice around this building?
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