Domestic Shorthair
Also called moggy, mixed breed, DSH.
Not a breed, and the correct answer for most cats. A domestic shorthair is a cat of mixed ancestry, and roughly 90–95% of cats in North America are one. If a key sends you here, it is not failing.
- Coat
- Short
- Build
- Ordinary cat shape
- Head
- Round
- Weight
- 3.5–6 kg
- Origin
- Everywhere
What it looks like
Anything. Moderate in build, with a rounded head, normal ears and a coat in any colour or pattern that cats come in.
The characters that confirm it
- Moderate in every dimension — no exaggerated feature anywhere.
- Any colour and any pattern. Calico, tortoiseshell, tabby and tuxedo are patterns, not breeds.
- No documented pedigree, which is what a breed actually is.
- Generally healthier and longer-lived than the exaggerated pedigree breeds.
Temperament
Entirely individual, and not predictable from appearance. Mixed ancestry means the behavioural range is as wide as cats get.
Confused with
Far heavier and rounder, with a very dense plush coat and a broad face. A grey domestic shorthair is not a British Shorthair.
A spotted domestic shorthair is a spotted tabby. A Bengal has rosetted spots, a glittered coat and a distinctly long muscular body.
Questions about this breed
How do you recognise a Domestic Shorthair?
Moderate in every dimension — no exaggerated feature anywhere. Any colour and any pattern. Calico, tortoiseshell, tabby and tuxedo are patterns, not breeds.
What is a Domestic Shorthair like to live with?
Entirely individual, and not predictable from appearance. Mixed ancestry means the behavioural range is as wide as cats get.