Shorthair Cat Breeds

The Abyssinian is noted for its regal appearance and lithe body with long slender legs. It resembles the sacred cat of ancient Egypt.

American Shorthairs have broad muscular bodies with thick dense fur. They are hardy cats and natural hunters.

This cat, rare outside the United States, is medium to large in size and sports a curly coat.

The Bengal, a cross between the Asian leopard cat and the American Shorthair tabby, has a spotted coat and hind legs that are shorter than its forelegs.

This breed is a cross between the Burmese and the black American Shorthair. Its elegant appearance resembles that of an Indian black leopard.

The British Shorthair is the oldest natural English breed. There are many varieties, all with broad bodies, short legs, and short thick tails.

The Burmese, a medium-sized breed with a thick glossy coat, is related to the Siamese. The ancestor of the Burmese is thought to have been a cat named Wong Mau. Wong Mau was described as a chocolate-colored Siamese.

The Chartreux is one of the oldest natural breeds of cat. The origin of the breed dates back as far as early 18th-century France. It is robust and comes in shades of blue-gray.

The Cornish Rex cat, which originated in Cornwall, England, was named after a breed of European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) called the Rex rabbit, because of the similar texture of their coats. It is recognized by its curly short coat and large ears.

Sometimes called the “poodle cat,” the Devon Rex has a slightly coarser coat than the Cornish Rex, and it has a pixielike face.

The Egyptian Mau possesses a strong resemblance to the cats depicted in the art of Egyptian antiquity. It has a graceful body with a distinct spot pattern and a banded tail.

The Japanese Bobtail has shorthair and longhair varieties of cats. The breed is known for its pom-pom-like tail and triangular face with large ears. In Japan some consider it a symbol of good luck.

The local name of the Korat breed of cat in its native Thailand is Si-Sawat. The Korat is also considered to be good luck. It has a silver-blue coat and a heart-shaped face.

The Manx cat is tailless. The breed’s tailless gene is often associated with spinal defects and can cause stillbirths if these cats are not bred with tailed cats. Manx cats sport a double coat, having a soft undercoat beneath longer, coarser hairs.

The Ocicat is a cross between an Abyssinian, an American Shorthair, and a Siamese cat. It was bred to produce the spotted pattern of a wildcat, such as a leopard or a margay.

The Oriental Shorthair is a breed of cat whose coat appears in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and coat lengths. It has a long lithe body and vivid green eyes.

The Russian Blue cat is thought to have been first brought to the United States from Russia in 1900. It has a double blue coat with silver tipping and is fine-boned but muscular. To some, Russian Blue cats are also considered omens of good luck.

The Scottish Fold cat, in longhair and shorthair varieties, is named for the tightly folded appearance of the ears. The folded-ear gene can also carry dangerous birth defects.

The Siamese is a breed of domestic shorthair cat that originated in Thailand. It has sapphire blue eyes and a long lean body and is noted for intelligence and sometimes unpredictable behavior.

The Sphynx is a hairless breed of cat with large ears that first appeared in Canada at the end of the 1960s.

These cats are medium-sized with blue-green eyes. The breed is a cross between the Siamese and Burmese. The first organization to recognize the Tonkinese was the Canadian Cat Association in the late 1960s.