Domestic shorthaired cat

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This typical domestic shorthaired cat has a brown mackerel tabby coat.

A domestic shorthaired cat (DSH) is a cat fancy term used to describe a shorthaired cat that does not have a pedigree or belong to a recognized cat breed. The domestic shorthair should not be confused with the American Shorthair, which is a Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognized breed.^[1]

Domestic shorthaired cats are characterised by a wide range of colouring and typically 'revert to type' after a few generations, which means they express their coats as a tabby. This can be any color or combination of colors. They also exhibit a wide range of physical characteristics and, as a result, domestic shorthaired cats in different countries tend to look different in body shape and size, as they are working from differing gene pools. DSH cats in Asia tend to have a build similar to a purebred Siamese cat or Tonkinese cat, while European and American varieties have a thicker, heavier build.