American Shorthair: grooming and care

CFA's standard asks for a coat that is short, thick, even and hard in texture, dense enough to protect from moisture, cold and superficial skin injuries, and it allows regional and seasonal variation in thickness. VCA describes the same dense, textured coat as designed to weather the cold. Stroke it against the grain and it pushes back; it does not lie silky and flat like a Russian Blue's or give like the plush cushion of an Exotic.

That hard texture is why this coat rarely tangles: nothing in it is long or soft enough to knot. What it does hold is undercoat. CFA says this is not a breed that requires much grooming, but that like all cats with hair it sheds its undercoat during the spring, with a lighter fall shed of the guard hairs after it. VCA scores shedding 3 out of 5.

VCA's profile gives the American Shorthair a weight of 8 to 12 pounds and advises measuring food portions, because its moderate activity level puts it at risk of becoming overweight. CFA's standard lists obesity as a disqualification in the show ring. At home the reason to care is health: Cornell's Feline Health Center counts osteoarthritis among the conditions extra weight can aggravate, and it notes that excess weight puts an extra burden on a cat's heart.

Cornell's body check takes seconds: run both hands, palms down, along the ribcage on each side. In a severely obese cat the ribs cannot be felt under the fat and the waist is no longer visible. If that describes your cat, see your vet. Cornell advises that any weight-loss plan be run under a vet's direction, with gradual loss of perhaps one or two percent of body weight a week, because a sudden crash diet risks hepatic lipidosis.

CFA also describes a strong hunting instinct that should be indulged regularly with interactive toys. Ten minutes with a wand toy before a meal suits that instinct and burns a little of what follows. On a dark Cape Ann evening in January, it gives an indoor working cat something to work at, which is a better habit than a bowl that never empties.

CFA describes a hardy breed not currently known for breed-specific health problems, and notes that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, seen in some cats in the 1980s and 1990s, has largely disappeared from it. That does not make every coat change seasonal. Heavy shedding in midwinter or midsummer, bald patches, scabs, or a back that turns greasy or flaky within a week of brushing are reasons to see your vet before you book a bath.

Keep the City of Gloucester's list of local veterinary offices saved for evenings and weekends, and for anything that cannot wait, Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in Woburn is open 24 hours. Bring the vet's notes to the studio afterward; once there is a plan, a Full Bath at $95 can clear the flakes and loose coat the cat has not been managing.