A domestic short-haired cat is a cat of mixed ancestry – thus not belonging to any particular recognised cat breed – possessing a coat of short fur. 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). In British English, they are often referred to as moggies. Domestic short-haired cats should not be confused with the British Shorthair, American Shorthair or other breeds with "Shorthair" names, which are breeds recognised by various registries.
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.
Famous quotes containing the words domestic, short-haired and/or cat:
“Some marriages depend on domestic arguments the way the courts depend on litigation.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“I recalled when I worked in the woods
and the bars of Madras, Oregon.
That short-haired joy and roughness—
America—your stupidity.
I could almost love you again.”
—Gary Snyder (b. 1930)
“As I walked on the glacis I heard the sound of a bagpipe from the soldiers’ dwellings in the rock, and was further soothed and affected by the sight of a soldier’s cat walking up a cleated plank in a high loophole designed for mus-catry, as serene as Wisdom herself, and with a gracefully waving motion of her tail, as if her ways were ways of pleasantness and all her paths were peace.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)