Your guide to finding and caring for an American Shorthair in Columbia
American Shorthairs fit Columbia's older neighborhoods well, especially the small-lot bungalows around Benton-Stephens. A calm cat can supervise the street from a sunny window all day, and the breed's easygoing nature copes fine with a busy household near campus. They're hunters at heart, though, so an evening session with a wand toy matters more than a big yard. If you're thinking of adopting one in Columbia, it suits renters and homeowners alike, as long as the cat lives indoors.
Adopt an American Shorthair today
While we don't have enough cats near Columbia, keep in mind that many rescues may offer transport.
F, 3-7 y., 274 miles
American Shorthair
F, 8 y. +, 274 miles
American Shorthair
F, 3-7 y., 274 miles
American Shorthair
M, 22 y., 280 miles
American Shorthair
M, 6 mo.-2 y., 283 miles
American Shorthair
F, 6 mo.-2 y., 283 miles
American Shorthair
M, 9 mo., 283 miles
American Shorthair
M, 7 mo., 283 miles
American Shorthair
M, 7 mo., 283 miles
American Shorthair
M, 9 y., 284 miles
American Shorthair
The American Shorthair descends from working cats that traveled with early settlers to protect food stores from rodents, then guarded barns and homesteads across North America. It became a recognized pedigreed breed in the early 1900s. The result is a solid, muscular, medium-to-large cat with a broad face, full cheeks and a dense, hard-textured coat in dozens of colors, with the silver tabby as the classic look.
Most are easygoing and quietly affectionate, happy to watch from a nearby perch rather than demand attention. That suits a student rental near campus as much as a family home. They enjoy hunting-style play and gain weight easily, so measured meals matter. Many shorthaired cats in adoption listings are random-bred domestic shorthairs with a similar look and nature, so adopters may meet cats with the same traits under either name.
Having an American Shorthair in Columbia
In Columbia, an American Shorthair's moderate energy and modest space needs fit apartments near campus and family homes alike. Hunting instincts, a dense coat and a healthy appetite shape daily care, and the cards below show how that plays out here.
American Shorthairs are typically even-tempered and quiet, which suits Columbia's mix of student-area rentals and family houses. Many enjoy company without demanding it and accept visitors and calm pets after gradual introductions. Personality varies from cat to cat, so spend time with the cat you're considering.
Two or three short play sessions a day with wand toys or food puzzles usually keep an American Shorthair fit. A cat tree beside a window gives a view of Columbia's squirrels and birds. Play and measured meals work together to prevent weight gain, especially in indoor and older cats.
Obesity is the main preventable concern, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and polycystic kidney disease have been reported in the breed. Missouri has a long tick season, so ask a veterinarian about flea and tick prevention even for indoor cats, along with the rabies vaccination Columbia requires. Annual exams and dental care help.
Columbia's apartments, bungalows and townhomes all work, since an American Shorthair needs perches, scratching posts and daily play more than square footage. Indoor living also suits these strong hunters. Use secure screens on windows and balconies, and give the cat a few hiding spots for quiet.
| Expense | Typical cost | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Adoption fee | $75, one time | $75 in year one |
| Food | $25 to $50 per month | $300 to $600 |
| Pet insurance | $25 to $50 per month | $300 to $600 |
| Routine vet care | $150 to $350 per year | $150 to $350 |
| Other* | $455 to $1,155 per year | $455 to $1,155 |
| Estimated yearly total (after year one) | $1,205 to $2,705 | |
| First-year total (with adoption fee) | $1,280 to $2,780 | |
Adoption fee is the fee on American Shorthair listings in Columbia on GetBuddy today. Other costs are estimates and vary with size, age and health.
* Cat litter, the $5 Columbia cat license for a spayed or neutered cat, flea and tick prevention, a dental cleaning allowance, toys, scratching posts and other supplies, and simple brushing at home.
Now that you know more, let’s find you a new best friend. These rescues and shelters below currently have American Shorthairs available.
Columbia's rescue community includes a humane society and foster-based groups that place cats and kittens in local homes. Here are the rescues & shelters in the Columbia area where you can find American Shorthairs and other cats available for adoption.
Yes. Columbia requires a city license for every cat over three months old, with proof of rabies vaccination, and a spayed or neutered cat costs $5 a year to license. Households are limited to four dogs or cats over six months old. Nothing known singles out the breed, so licensing, vaccination and your lease are what matter.
Yes, American Shorthairs usually do well in apartments, and Columbia has plenty of rentals near campus and downtown. These cats are calm and moderately active, so a window perch, a cat tree and daily play are enough. Confirm the lease's pet limits and deposit terms first, and use secure screens on upper-floor windows.
Often, yes. The breed's easygoing, adaptable nature suits both student-area rentals and quieter family neighborhoods here. It does best with someone who can offer daily play, measured meals and an indoor home, since ticks and local coyotes make roaming risky. Shy or very active cats turn up in any breed, so notice each cat's personality.
Yes, for an indoor cat. The dense coat handles Columbia's cold winters, which bring about 100 freezing nights a year, and summer highs average 87°F with mild nights. Keep the cat inside with air conditioning during the roughly 35 days that reach 90°F, and keep a carrier by your shelter spot for spring storms.
Very little. Weekly brushing handles the short, dense coat, and a few extra sessions help during the spring shed of undercoat. Professional grooming is rarely needed, so it adds little to the yearly Other costs. Indoor cats seldom pick up ticks, but ask a veterinarian about prevention, since Missouri's tick season runs long.
Yes, in a carrier. Go COMO buses welcome service animals, but other pets must stay inside a small carrier that fits on your lap or under a seat, with the cat and carrier under 20 pounds combined. Larger American Shorthairs need a very light carrier. Columbia has no subway or rail system.
An American Shorthair is a pedigreed North American cat breed descended from the working cats that came over with European settlers to control rodents. It is a sturdy, muscular, medium-to-large cat with a round face, full cheeks and a thick short coat in many colors, most famously silver tabby. Many are calm, adaptable and quietly affectionate.
American Shorthairs shed a moderate amount. Their dense coat drops hair year-round, with a heavier shed in spring when the undercoat thins and a lighter one in fall. Brushing a few times a week with a slicker brush or grooming mitt keeps loose hair under control and reduces hairballs. Sudden bald patches or excessive shedding deserve a veterinary visit.
We have 1 rescue with American Shorthairs available: Central Missouri Humane Society. You can see every rescue with American Shorthairs available in the list above these questions, or scroll to the top to see the American Shorthairs near Columbia.
Plan on roughly $1,200 to $2,700 a year for an American Shorthair in Columbia. Food runs $25 to $50 a month and insurance $25 to $50 a month, routine vet care $150 to $350 a year, and other costs such as litter, parasite prevention, dental care and the city license $455 to $1,155 a year.
Expand your search to find American Shorthairs available for adoption near Columbia.
Looking for a different breed? Browse other cats available for adoption in Columbia.
