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.
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