Domestic Shorthair

"Domestic Shorthair" is not a breed — it is every short-coated cat of mixed ancestry, which is most cats alive. The coat is the one thing the label does tell you: short, easy to look after, and it sheds a normal amount. Energy, chattiness, whether it wants a lap and how it copes with children are individual, so judge the cat rather than the label.

How long is that, really? Cats live longer than most people expect — about 11.7 years on average across every breed, and a well-looked-after Domestic Shorthair can reach 15 years. A kitten you bring home this year will still be curled up somewhere warm long after you have finished school.

Sources: Teng et al., Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2024).

Ask how it is with children and handling. Has this cat lived with children? Does it tolerate being picked up, or does it prefer to come to you? Shelter staff see this daily and will say so honestly.

Ask how it is with other animals. Whether a cat can share a house with a dog or another cat is individual, and getting it wrong is stressful for everyone.

Ask about its energy and its voice. Some are professional nappers and some climb the curtains at midnight, and neither is predictable from the coat.

Ask which ones have been overlooked. Black cats and adults over about seven wait far longer for a home than kittens do, for no reason that has anything to do with what they are like to live with.

• You would rather meet a grown cat and see its temperament than guess from a kitten
• You want to skip the inherited problems that concentrate in pedigree lines
• You want a cat for a fraction of the price of a pedigree, usually already neutered and vaccinated
• You are happy to be chosen by the animal as much as you choose it

• You have very young children and cannot get a clear history of how this cat has been around them
• You want a specific look and are not willing to wait for the right one to come in
• You need a cat that will definitely tolerate being carried around

Rough running cost: $ (one of the cheaper ones) — because there is no single expensive thing about it — just the normal food, vet and insurance costs every cat brings.

Those are relative bands, not live prices. For real numbers across every pet we cover, see the pet cost study and the cost calculator.

No breed-specific kit here, because there is no breed — this is the starter set any cat needs on day one.

Shelters and breed-specific rescues are full of these, and the staff have usually lived with each animal for weeks. Tell them honestly about your home — the ages of your children, how long the house is empty, how much walking or play you can really do — and let them point you at the right individual. Being turned down for one animal is not a rejection; it is them doing the job properly.

Tray, scratching post and a high shelf before day one — the cat setup guide is the checklist.

Exotic Shorthair

A Persian in a plush short coat — the same calm cat without the daily brushing.

🐈 Average😌 Low energy🧹 Some shedding

British Shorthair

A dense, round, dignified cat that likes you very much and would still rather not be picked up.

🐈 Average😌 Low energy🧹 Some shedding

Russian Blue

A fine-boned silvery cat with green eyes, quiet manners and a deep attachment to one or two people.

🐈 Average🙂 Moderate✨ Low shed