| Domestic short-haired cat | |
|---|---|
| tabby male domestic short-haired cat | |
| Alternative names | Domestic Shorthair (DSH) |
| Origin | worldwide |
| Common nicknames | moggie, mutt |
| Notes | |
| Like the domestic long-haired cat, this is not a breed, but a non-breed classification of mixed-breed cats. | |
| Domestic cat (Felis catus) | |
A domestic short-haired cat is a short-haired domestic cat of mixed ancestry that does not belong to a recognized cat breed. In the cat fancy, such cats are designated Domestic Shorthair (DSH), a pseudo-breed, for registry classification purposes (uncommonly, some such cats are actually pedigreed). Domestic short-haired cats should not be confused with the American Shorthair, British Shorthair or other breeds with "Shorthair" names, which are breeds recognized by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA)[1] and other registries. In British English, they are often referred to as moggies.
Domestic short-haired 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 cat. This can be any colour or combination of colours. They also exhibit a wide range of physical characteristics and, as a result, domestic short-haired 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. DSH cats have a form of hybrid vigor due to their diverse gene pool, so that they are much less vulnerable to the genetic problems for which purebred cats must be carefully screened.