The American Shorthair is the 8th most popular breed of cat in the United States according the Cat Fancier's Association for 2006-2007. The breed is believed to be descended from English cats (the forebears of today's British Shorthairs) brought to North America by early British settlers to protect valuable cargo from mice and rats.
A very athletic cat, the American Shorthair has a larger, leaner, and more powerfully built body than its relation, the British Shorthair. [wikipedia]
