Feline focus: The Domestic Shorthair cat

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The Domestic Shorthair cat, often referred to as a ‘Moggy’ is a non-pedigree feline and is classed as a very popular furry friend in the UK.

As you’d expect from most cats, they’re keen hunters, regardless of whether they’ve a full tummy or not. In fact, Domestic Shorthairs will tend to pass hours of their days outdoors on the prowl for extra nibbles.

Appearance

Moggies don’t tend to have specific markings due to their mixed ancestry, so come in a wide range of colours and patterns. Their eyes may be blue, green or gold in colour. Their fur is usually black, white, ginger and grey.

Their patterns generally fall into one of the following categories:

• Tabby – a coat featuring distinctive stripes, dots, lines or swirling patterns. This is often combined with a ‘M’ mark on the forehead.
• Solid – a solid colour such as full black or white.
• Smoke – generally, a black coat over a very white undercoat.
• Calico – spotted or particolored coat that is mostly white with patches of two other colours.
• Tortoiseshell – Torties are almost exclusively female cats and are identified through their markings that resemble a Calico coat but without any white fur.
• Patch Tabby – a Calico or Tortoiseshell cat with Tabby patches.

They are medium-sized cats, with females generally being smaller than males. These cats have round heads and circular paws with a medium length tail.

Moggies will tend to groom themselves regularly, but a quick brush over once a week will help to keep their fluff in great condition. This’ll help with any shedding and and loose fur.

Temperament and behaviour

The Domestic Shorthair cat doesn’t have common personality traits from one cat to the next. Due to their mixed ancestry, you’ll often find a variety of personalities in the Moggy world from shy and quiet through to outgoing and talkative.

Health

In terms of general health, Moggies are generally disease and disorder free, often living 10 to 20 years (average life expectancy being 15 years). However, as their genetic history is unknown, there could be a chance of some health issues.

The Domestic Shorthair cat is prone to obesity as they’ll quite happily eat… and continue to eat at home. This coupled with them enjoying ‘tasty’ morsels they’ve captured whilst out on hunts too all adds to their waistlines. Keeping an eye on treats and portion sizes should help maintain a moggy’s ideal weight range of 6 to 16 lbs.

As with any pet, it’s strongly advisable to make sure that your cat gets regular health checks and that you consider putting a cat insurance policy in place to protect you against unexpected vet fees.

Four weeks’ free kitten insurance

If you’re introducing a Domestic Shorthair kitten to your home, why not take a look at our four weeks’ free WalkawayCover* created especially for new pets aged 8 weeks to one year?

*Kitten must be between 8 weeks and 1 year old and is subject to a CVS health check. WalkawayCover covers illness and accidents instantly.