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Home > Cats > 12 Short-Haired Cat Breeds to Know About (With Pictures)

12 Short-Haired Cat Breeds to Know About (With Pictures)

British Shorthair

You love cats but dislike fur? A short-haired cat could be a great option as it has fewer brushing hours and grooming appointments. By getting this type of cat, you can make cleaning your home less complicated.

However, just to remind you, a low-maintenance coat doesn’t always mean a low-maintenance kitty. There are several considerations to consider other than fur length (like personality, color, and energy levels).

Lucky for you, this lengthy list of short-coated kitties includes some pets you may recognize, a few you may not know anything about, their colors, temperaments, and sizes. Keep reading.

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The 12 Short-Haired Cat Breeds

1. Abyssinian Cats

Abyssinian cat
Image Credit: Osetrik, Shutterstock
  • Lifespan: 9–13 years
  • Temperament: Active, social, affectionate, intelligent, loving, friendly
  • Color: Ruddy, red, cinnamon, blue, fawn
  • Height: 8–10 inches
  • Weight: 8–12 pounds

The Abyssinian cat breed is one of the oldest and most popular cat breeds, developed and refined in Great Britain. It arrived in America in the early 1900s.

This cat is a beautiful short-haired and medium-sized breed with a long body and well-chiseled muscles. An Abyssinian cat has green or golden almond-shaped eyes that look larger in its face, a triangular head, and large ears that point forward on its head, showing the breed’s alertness.

Resembling a mini-mountain lion or cougar, an Abyssinian is an active cat that is pretty athletic and loves to jump and climb on high perches and trees.

While an active kitty, the Abyssinian is easy to keep in any home. It’s people-oriented, loves other pets, equally loving, affectionate, and loves being petted, combed, and human company.


2. American Shorthair Cats

grey american shorthair cat
Image Credit: Cat Box, Shutterstock
  • Lifespan: 15–20 years
  • Temperament: Playful, independent, friendly
  • Color: A wide range of colors, including black, brown, white, cameo, blue, cream, chinchilla, tortoiseshell, and many others
  • Length: 12–15 inches
  • Weight: 6–15 pounds

The American Shorthair is one of the most pedigreed cat species in North America, thanks to its gentle nature. This breed is a great family companion, friendly to kids and other pets, and can adapt to various home conditions.

American Shorthairs are also playful and happy but with an independent personality, which means they aren’t as needy as other breeds. While these kitties may not be well-known for athleticism, they are surprisingly muscled and have robust features established from years of hunting rodents.

The most prominent feature of American Shorthairs is their wide-set eyes, round and slightly flat face, rounded ears, and a short and thick coat that come in over 80 different colors and patterns.


3. Bombay Cats

Bombay-black-cat-portrait_Viktor-Sergeevich_shutterstock
Image Credit: Viktor Sergeevich, Shutterstock
  • Lifespan: 9–13 years
  • Temperament: Active, curious, adaptable, social, affectionate, friendly
  • Color: Black
  • Height: 9–13 inches
  • Weight: 8–12 pounds

A Kentucky breeder named Nikki Horner developed this cat in the late 1950s because she desired a cat that was similar to a Burmese but with a deep, glossy, and patent leather coat – the blackest of the black.

Bombay cats got their name from a city in India. They combine the American Shorthair’s easy-going nature with a Burmese cat’s curiosity and social temperaments. These cats may appear wild-like, but they are lap cats that love human company and are affectionate and friendly to all.

Bombay cats dislike loneliness, and it would be best to bring another cat for company.


4. British Shorthair Cat

British Shorthair cat
Image Credit: Laura Fokkema, Shutterstock
  • Lifespan: 8–10 years
  • Temperament: Calm, easy-going, affectionate, quiet, people-oriented, adaptable
  • Color: White, black, blue, brown, silver, cream, shaded, smoke, cameo, blue-cream, tortoiseshell, torbie
  • Height: 12–14 inches
  • Weight: 7–17 pounds

This dignified cat breed with heavy jowls and big bones is among the oldest English cats. British Shorthairs are popular in blue and white color combinations, chubby cheeks, and their short, dense coat.

The British Shorthairs always appear to be smiling thanks to their rounded whisker pads. They are quiet-natured, loyal, people-oriented, and the perfect option for families with pets and kids.


5. Siamese Cat

applehead siamese cat sitting
Image Credit: Tatiana Chekryzhova, Shutterstock
  • Lifespan: 8–15 years
  • Temperament: Affectionate, playful,
  • Color: Seal point, chocolate point, blue point, lilac point
  • Height: 15–20 inches
  • Weight: 6–14 pounds

Are you looking for a short-haired cat breed that’s highly social, graceful, people-oriented, and intelligent? Find a Siamese cat.

Let alone the striking personality; this cat breed is beautiful thanks to its vibrant blue eyes and colored points at the ears, mask, legs, and tail that set against a paler body. Siamese cats are available in four or five color combinations and can easily adjust with dogs, kids, and strangers.


6. Burmilla Cats

burmilla
Image Credit: Tomáš Ryant from Pixabay
  • Lifespan: 7–12 years
  • Temperament: Easy-going, sociable, bold, playful, affectionate, intelligent
  • Color: White, black, orange, gray, silver, cream, brown, sable
  • Height: 10–12 inches
  • Weight: 6–13 pounds

The Burmilla is a product of accidental mating between a male Chinchilla and a female Burmese cat in 1981. The heavy-built yet elegant cat breed has two notable features; its green eyes and the stunning silver-shaded coat from its Chinchilla parentage.

These cat breed blends the Burmese’s demanding and mischievous dispositions and the Chinchilla’s laid-back temperament to produce a playful, affectionate, and social feline.

The Burmilla also requires minimal care and can get along with everyone, including other family pets.


7. Cornish Rex

Cornish Rex_duodenum82 , Pixabay
Image Credit: duodenum82 , Pixabay
  • Lifespan: 9–13 years
  • Temperament: Playful, energetic, affectionate, social, jolly, active
  • Color: White, lavender, chocolate, blue, black, red, brown, fawn, cream
  • Height: 8–12 inches
  • Weight: 8–10 pounds

You’ll love a Cornish Rex cat for its short, silky hair that forms into waves, looking a bit like cornrows. It’s a medium-sized kitty, though it may appear large until you pick it up.

The Cornish Rex has inexhaustible energy and athletic tendencies that help maintain an ideal cat weight, especially if you provide lots of activity and space. It’s also a people-pleaser and loves spending time with its parents. Plus, Cornish Rex cats are well suited for tiny homes and apartments.


8. Munchkin Cats

munchkin-cute_MDavidova_shutterstock
Image Credit: MDavidova, Shutterstock
  • Lifespan: 12–15 years
  • Temperament: Self-assured, outgoing, people-oriented, loyal, devoted, playful, independent, social, affectionate
  • Color: Any color combination or pattern
  • Height: 5–7
  • Weight: 6–9 pounds

These cats could be short-changed in height, but Munchkin cat breeds are not short on intelligence and personality. Munchkin cats are short-limbed but can get around just the same as the longer-limbed kitties-it just might take them a few extra steps.

Munchkin cat breeds are cute, curious, and always ‘borrowing’ small, shiny objects like jewelry and stashing them away to play with later. They are proficient hunters and would love to chase a catnip mouse before warming up on your lap and getting stroked with a loving hand.

Munchkins are short-legged cats with a wedged head, rounded-tipped ears, long spines, widely-spaced walnut eyes, erect tails, and thick muscular bodies. They don’t grow very large and are easy to handle.


9. Sphynx Cat

Sphynx
Image Credit: Best dog photo, Shutterstock
  • Lifespan: 8–14 years
  • Temperament: Energetic, intelligent, friendly, loving, curious, friendly
  • Color: Black, white, red, blue, silver, golden, cream, brown, blue-cream
  • Height: 8–10 inches
  • Weight: Up to 12 pounds

Sphynx is a distinct breed known for its hairless body and oversized ears. Although they may have a bit of hair though sparse, you can see a Sphynx’s skin.

These felines are susceptible to weather changes, especially cold. They are medium-sized but well-muscled with a triangular head, spaced-out eyes, and a prominent cheekbone that resembles ancient Egyptian cats.

Besides being hairless, you can identify a Sphynx from its triangle-shaped ears, similar to a bat’s. They are also energetic cats that boast acrobatic skills, humor, and devotion.


10. Havana Brown Cat

Havana brown cat
Image Credit: Joan Wozniak, Shutterstock
  • Lifespan: 10–15 years
  • Temperament: Playful, independent, intelligent, curious, affectionate, happy
  • Color: Mahogany-brown, lilac, chocolate
  • Height: 9–11 inches
  • Weight: 6–10 pounds

Havana Brown is a medium-sized cat with a silky, short chocolaty coat. It’s very muscular and robust with a distinct triangular-shaped head, bold green oval eyes, and large ears.

This cat breed developed after crossing a Siamese and Black Shorthaired Persian cat breed just 50 years ago. It is a graceful, dignified, and elegant kitty—the best option if you are a busy person because it is independent and can love some alone time.


11. Tonkinese Cats

Little tonkinese kitten_Lifesummerlin_shutterstock
Image Credit: Lifesummerlin, Shutterstock
  • Lifespan: 10–16 years
  • Temperament: Intelligent, playful, social, talkative
  • Color: Brown, blue, champagne, platinum
  • Height: 12–15 inches
  • Weight: 6–12 pounds

Here’s a short-haired cat breed that is centered on being jolly and extroverted. The Tonkinese cat breed is a product of crossing Siamese and Burmese breeds from Southeast Asia to create a medium-sized cat with a less piercing voice than that of a Siamese but with a sweet-natured disposition shared by both parent breeds.

Nicknamed “The Tonk”, this breed makes a happy, friendly, and active kitty that demands lots of attention. It’s also intelligent, vocal, and will snuggle on your lap if it’s not playing or following you everywhere you go.


12. Manx

Manx Cat
Image Credit: Cheryl Kunde, Shutterstock
  • Lifespan: 8–14 years
  • Temperament: Excellent jumper, playful, intelligent, affectionate, people-oriented
  • Color: White, blue, brown, black, cream, red, tortoiseshell, silver, blue-cream
  • Height: 7–11 inches
  • Weight: 8–12 pounds

If you’ve seen a cat without a tail, it must have been a Manx. The Manx is a stocky and heavily-boned medium-sized cat that may appear larger than it usually is.

Although most are tailless, you can find Manx cats with normal-length tails known as ‘longies’ and others with stumps or nubs (known as “stumpies”). The tailless Manx cats are called ‘rumpies.’

These cats are generally rounded, with a round head, bold round eyes, a stout body, and a broad chest. Besides the tail, what also sets Manx cats apart is their shorter front legs and longer hind legs, such that they have raised rears and shorter shoulders.

Manx cat breeds are friendly, affectionate, gentle, playful, and intelligent. They are capable of opening doors and getting into cabinets using their paws. They can also come in long-haired versions.

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Summary

There are many short-hair cats, and any of the mentioned breeds will make fantastic family pets. But as you can see, each cat breed has a unique personality, so you should factor in every feline’s personality before settling for the best fit for you and your family. One thing that’s for sure, though, you’ll have less grooming and less picking of fur.

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