During America’s early development, settlers’ cats arrived on ships along with the Pilgrims (1630) and the Jamestown colonists (1607). Most people are familiar with the story of the Mayflower, but according to Dr. Joseph Kitchen, the first cats to America came in 1607 with a colony of settlers in Jamestown. These early cats were undoubtedly working cats, keeping the rodent population down on ships and at the settlers’ ports of call.
For the first few hundred years, cats in America were essentially farm cats. They were adept hunters because they could catch anything from mice to panthers. Given the vast amount of undeveloped land in the United States and their abilities as hunters and workers, these cats had an ideal place to thrive. They were an essential part of the farm economy and prized as protectors of valuable grain supplies from fastidious rodent thieves. These cats had to be resilient, strong, and self-sufficient, and to survive, they had to be good hunters. The natural selection of these cats as hunters undoubtedly made the modern American Shorthair one of the most long-lived, healthy, and easily kept breeds.
Early development of the breed
The shorthaired domestic cats who first came to America aboard ships from Europe were the earliest ancestors of the American Shorthair. These were working cats employed to protect cargo from mice and rats. They for their strength, hunting ability, and protection instincts, rather than a specific physical look. These working cats likely made their way to America, interbreeding with other types of cats (including longhairs) that came over on ships from various other ports. Over time, the native American cats developed their distinct physical characteristics, influenced by the lack of natural predators in the new world and the harsh environment.
Many new traits that developed were adaptations to the environment and are what we see represented today. The tabby pattern was created because it was an effective form of camouflage. Today’s wide diversity of coat colors and patterns can also attributed to these early American cats, who were polygenetic for various coat combinations. The American Shorthair is a true breed, meaning it bred true to type over many generations, consistently producing cats of the same type and temperament. In contrast to random-bred cats, which have varied and unpredictable characteristics, breed types are predictable, enabling breeders to produce the desired type selectively. This predictability allowed the development of a specific breed directly from the native working cats, who were no doubt representative of strong, healthy, and hardy cats.
Influence of European cats on the breed
During the two or three centuries from which our early history was drawn, the cats’ only natural enemies were the large packs of gray timber wolves found widely scattered around the continent and, less commonly, cougars in some of Latin America’s more heavily wooded regions. Most of the native cats avoided their predators successfully, and the breed thrived. The movement into the West was a significant period in the history of the American Shorthaired cats, for cats were often taken along to keep rodents under control in the covered wagons bound for the new frontiers.
Pet ownership became, and many of these cats were cherished family members. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the appearance of the North American cat varied, and no specific genotype prevailed. These cats represented the accumulation of cats from all trades and nationalities worldwide and in every part of the British Isles. After arriving in America, the European cats mated with those already in the New World. In many instances, the domestic cats from Europe were obligate ship’s cats. Many became working cats on farms in all areas of the country. These animals did their share in keeping the rodent population in check, which was crucial in preventing disease and hardship.
As the farms flourished, so did the number of cats on them. Selective breeding for working cats, but no doubt, occurred all over the country. Size, strength, and hunting ability were the most critical factors. The same natural selection occurred in the cities where the North American wildcat mated with domestic cats and shorthaired hybrids. These latter cats were by patriotic city dwellers who desired a homegrown cat instead of one of European ancestry.
Recognition as a distinct breed
Most Americans only knew that American Shorthairs had their breed in the late 20th century. Other names have known the cats, and they’ve been called “Shorthairs” for so long that many people are surprised to learn that American Shorthair is a breed and not just a general type of cat with short hair. According to Dr. Solveig Pflueger, who chairs the breed committee of the Cat Fanciers’ Association, the breed’s supporters enlisted the help of a CFA judge named Jane Martinke to effect the name change to American Shorthair during the 1960s in an attempt to gain respect for this uniquely American breed.
Nothing changed for American Shorthairs even after the name change. They are random-bred cats and at cat shows in the household pet division. The breed’s supporters continued to press on, and in 1966, the CFA accepted American Shorthairs for pedigreed cats only if both parents were American Shorthairs. At that point, the breed’s sponsors had to write a breed standard, and three years later, the CFA accepted the American Shorthair, but it wasn’t until the 1970s and 1980s that the breed gained widespread acceptance. Today, the breed is popular and comfortable in American homes nationwide.
