Head: Shape:  Broad with cheeks [especially well developed in studs], which makes the head appear rather round.  Profile should have a concave curve, with no break.  The face is medium shaped with eyes set wide apart.  Muzzle should present squarish aspect from all angles, but should not be foreshortened as in the Persian.  Chin is well developed, forming a perpendicular line with the upper lip.  Ears:  Medium in size and wide set, rounded at tips and not too large at base.  Ears should be set as far up on the head as they are on the side.  Eyes:  Shape – The eye opening should be round, set to show breadth of nose.  Color – The eye color should conform to the requirements listed in coat color.  Cut 5 points for wrong eye color

Body and Tail: Body:  The American Shorthair ranges from medium to large in size.  The body should be slightly longer than tall measuring from the top of the shoulders to floor, length from breast to buttocks.  The females are usually smaller than males, and should not appear frail or dainty.  Females should not be penalized because of size difference.  The body should be well knit and powerful, showing good depth and full chest.  The lower abdomen may display a fatty pad and should not be considered a sign of obesity.  Neck is medium short and denoting strength, but in proportion to the body.  Legs:  Of good substance and in proportion to the body.  Feet:  Well rounded.  Five toes in front and four in back.  Tail:  Length should be in proportion to the body, thick at base and tapering to end, and carried almost level with back

Coat: Short, lustrous, well bodied and close lying, giving an even textured and natural protective appearance.

Blue:  Even blue, lighter shades preferred:  one level tone without shading or markings from nose to tip of tail, and sound to the roots.  Eye color gold.  Nose leather and paw pads blue.

Black:  Lustrous jet black, with sound color from roots to tip of fur.  Eye color gold.  Nose leather and paw pads black or charcoal.

Red:  Deep, rich red, free from shadings, markings or ticking, and sound to the roots.  Eye color gold.  Nose leather and paw pads brick red.

Cream:  One level shade of cream, lighter shades preferred; free from shading, markings or ticking, and sound to the roots.  Lips and chin same color as the coat.  Eye color gold.  Nose leather and paw pads pink.

Tabbies:
Classic Tabby Pattern Description:  Markings dense, clearly defined and broad showing good contrast between the pale ground color and the deep, heavy markings.   Legs evenly barred with bracelets coming up to meet the body markings.  Tail evenly ringed.  At least one unbroken necklace on neck or upper chest.  Frown marks on the forehead extending between the ears and down the neck to meet the “butterfly”, single or double, on the shoulders.  An unbroken line runs back from the outer corner of the eye to the ear.  Swirls on cheeks.  Back markings consist of a vertical line down the spine from Butterfly to tail with a vertical stripe paralleling it on each side.  The three stripes well separated by stripes of the ground color.  The dark swirls on the sides of the body shall be centered by a dark blotch surrounded by the ground color.  The underside of the body should have a double vertical row of buttons in the color of the dense markings.

Mc Tabby Pattern Description:  Markings dense, clearly defined and all narrow penciling, showing good contrast between the pale ground color and the dense markings.  Legs evenly barred with bracelets coming up to meet the body markings.  Tail evenly ringed.  At least one unbroken necklace on neck or upper chest.  Frown marks on the forehead extending between the ears and down the neck to meet the shoulders.  An unbroken line runs back from the outer corner of the eye to the ear.  There are three distinct spine lines but they are very narrow and often meld into what looks like one wide stripe without fault.  Narrow penciling lines in the dense marking color run around the body in vertical fashion in the unbroken lines.  The underside of the body should have a double row of vertical buttons in the color of the dense markings.

Spotted Tabby Pattern Description:  Good, clear spotting is the first essential.  The spots may be round, oblong or rosette shaped.  Any of these markings are of equal merit but, the spots, however shaped or placed, should be distinct and not running into each other.  They may be of any color suitable to the ground coloration.  Eye color should conform to coat color.

Blue Tabby:  The ground color, including lips and chin, should be pale bluish Ivory.  Markings are very deep blue affording a good contrast with the pale ground color.  Warm fawn overtones or patina over the whole.  Eye color gold or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads rose.

Cream Tabby:  The ground color, including lips and chin, of very pale cream.   Markings of buff or cream sufficiently darker than ground color to afford good contrast, but remaining in the dilute color range.  Eye color gold or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads pink.

Red Tabby:  The ground color, including lips and chin, should be red.  Markings a dense dark red affording a good contrast with the lighter red ground color.  Eyes gold or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads brick red.

Brown Tabby:  The ground color should be a rich, tawny brown.  Lips and chin should be the same color.  Markings dense black.  Eye color gold or hazel.   Nose leather brick red, paw pads black or brown.

Silver Tabby:  The ground color, including lips and chin, pale pure silver.  Markings dense black.  Rims of eyes, nose and lips outlined in black.  Eye color green.  Nose leather brick red, paw pads black or charcoal.

Blue Silver Tabby: The ground color should be pure, clear silver.  Markings are deep blue, affording good contrast to the light ground color. Eye color green or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads rose.  NOTE:  The addition of this color to the standard would apply to all ‘pattern’ areas, such as the Mc Tabby, Patched Tabby, and Patched Mc Tabby.

Golden Tabby:  The ground color, including lips and chin, rich warm cream to apricot, apricot preferred.  Markings dark brown to black.  Rims of eyes, nose and lips outlined with dark brown or black.  Eye color green or hazel.  Nose leather brick red, paw pads dark brown or black.

Cameo Tabby:  The ground color, including lips and chin, of pale ivory white. Markings of a rich red; affording a cool contrast with the pale ground color.  Eye color gold or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads rose.

Patched Tabby Pattern:  Markings to conform to either the Classic Tabby pattern or the Mackerel Tabby pattern.  The Patched Tabby is an established brown, blue, silver, blue silver or golden tabby with patches of red and/or cream.

Blue Patched Tabby:  The ground color, including lips and chin, should be pale bluish Ivory.  Markings a very deep blue affording a good contrast with the pale ground color.  Patches of cream clearly defined on both body and extremities.  Marking of cream on the face is desirable.  Warm fawn overtones or patina over the whole.  Eye color gold or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements of coat colors.

Brown Patched Tabby:  The ground color, including lips and chin, should be a rich tawny brown.  Markings of dense black with patches of red and/or cream clearly defined on both body and extremities.  Markings of red and/or cream on the face are desirable.  Eye color gold or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors.

Silver Patched Tabby:  The ground color, including lips and chin, are pure pale silver.  Markings dense black.  Patches of red and/or cream clearly defined on both body and extremities.  Markings of red and/or cream on the face are desirable.  Rims of eyes, nose, lips outlined in black.  Eye color green, gold or hazel.  Nose leather brick red.  Paw pads black.

Blue Silver Patched Tabby:  The ground color should be pure, clear silver.  Markings deep blue, providing good contrast with the pale ground color.  Patches of red and/or cream clearly defined on both body and extremities.  Red and/or cream markings on the face are desirable.  Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors.  Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.  White lip/chin trim allowed.

Golden Patched Tabby:  The ground color, including lips and chin, a rich warm cream to apricot, apricot preferred.  Marking dark brown to black with patches of red and/or light red (the light red may appear cream) on both body and extremities.  Markings of red and/or light red on the face are desirable.  Rims of eyes, nose and lips outlines in dark brown or black.  Eye color green or gold or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors.  (This may take the form of mottling of brown or black and brick red.)

Tortoiseshells:
Blue Cream:  Blue and cream, lighter shades preferred, in vivid distribution.  Cream to be clearly obvious and visible on body and extremities in a pattern pleasing to the eye.  Tabby pattern, either mackerel or classic, in cream acceptable.  Patching or brindling equally acceptable.  Eye color gold or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat color.  (This may take the form of mottling of blue and pink.)

Tortoiseshell:  Black, red and/or light red (the light red may appear cream) in vivid distribution.  Red and/or light red to be clearly obvious and visible on body and extremities in a pattern pleasing to the eye.  Patching or brindling equally acceptable.  Tabby pattern, either mackerel or classic, in red and/or light red acceptable.  Eye color gold or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors.  (This may take the form of mottling of black and red.)

SMOKES:
Blue Smoke:   White undercoat deeply tipped with blue.  Cat in repose appears blue.  In motion, the white undercoat is clearly apparent.  Extremities and face blue with narrow band of white at base of hairs next to skin which may be seen only when fur is parted.  Eye color gold or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads blue.

Black Smoke:  White undercoat deeply tipped with black.  Cat in repose appears to be black.  In motion the white undercoat is apparent.  Extremities and face black with narrow band of white at base of hair next to skin which may be seen only when fur is parted.  Eye color gold or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads black.

Blue Cream Smoke:  White undercoat deeply tipped with blue and cream in a pattern pleasing to the eye on body and extremities.  patching or brindling equally acceptable.  Eye color gold or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat color.  (This may take the form of mottling of blue and pink.)

Black Smoke Tortoiseshell:  White undercoat deeply tipped with black, red and/or cream in vivid distribution.  Red and/or cream to be clearly obvious and visible on body and extremities in a pattern pleasing to the eye.  Patching or brindling equally acceptable.  Tabby pattern, either classic or mackerel, in red and/or light red (the light red may appear cream) acceptable.  Eye color gold or hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements of coat color.  (This may take the form of mottling of black and red.)

SHADEDS:
 

Chinchilla:  The undercoat should be a pale silver or silvery white. The coat on back, flanks, head and tail should be sufficiently tipped with jet black to give the characteristic sparkling silver appearance.  The legs and face may be very slightly shaded with tipping, but the chin, stomach and chest should be silvery white without tipping.  Rims of eyes, lips and nose to be outlined in black. Eye color green.  Nose leather brick red, paw pads black or dark charcoal.

Golden Chinchilla:  The undercoat should be a rich, warm cream to apricot, apricot preferred.  The coat on back, flanks, head and tail should be sufficiently tipped with dark brown to black to give the characteristic sparkling golden appearance.  The legs and face may be very lightly shaded with tipping, but the chin, stomach and chest should be a rich warm cream to apricot, apricot preferred, without tipping.  Rims of eyes, lips and nose outlined in dark brown to black.  Eye color green or hazel.  Nose leather brick red, paw pads dark brown or black.

Shaded Silver:  The undercoat should be a pale silver or silvery white.  A mantle of black tipping shading gradually down the sides, face and tail, from dark on the ridge to silver white on the chin, chest, belly and under the tail, the legs to be the same as the face.  The general effect to be much darker than a Chinchilla.  Rims of eyes, lips and nose to be outlined in black.  Eye color green.  Nose leather brick red, paw pads black or dark charcoal.

Golden Shaded:  The undercoat should be a rich, warm cream to apricot, apricot preferred.  A mantle of dark brown to black tipping shading gradually down the sides, face and tail, from dark on the ridge to cream to apricot, apricot preferred on the chin, chest, belly and under the tail, the legs to be the same tone as the face.  The general effect to be much darker than a Chinchilla.  Rims of eyes, lips and nose outlined in dark brown to black.  Eye color green or hazel.  Nose leather brick red, paw pads dark brown or black.

Chocolate Shaded:  The undercoat should be a pale cream.  A mantle of milk chocolate tipping, shading gradually down the sides, face and tail, from dark on the ridge to pale cream on the chin, chest, belly and under the tail.  The legs to be the same tone as the face.  Rims of eyes, lips and nose to be outlined in dark chocolate.  Eye color green to hazel.  Nose leather and paw pads pink or dusty rose.

Shaded Bluecream:  Undercoat is silvery white with blue and cream tipping well distributed and clearly visible on both body and extremities.  The depth of tipping may range from shell to shaded with evenness of tipping taking precedence over depth.  Cream markings on the face are desirable.  Patching or brindling equally acceptable.  Eyes shades of green, gold or copper.

Shaded Silver Tortoiseshell:  The undercoat to be silvery white.  Black, red and cream tipping in vivid distribution.  Red and/or cream to be clearly obvious and visible on body and extremities in a pattern pleasing to the eye.  Patching or brindling equally acceptable.  Eye color gold or hazel.

CAMEOS:
Shell Cameo:  The undercoat should be Ivory white.  The coat on the back, flanks, head and tail should be sufficiently tipped with red/cream to give the characteristic sparkling appearance.  The legs and face may be very slightly shaded with tipping.  The chin, stomach and chest to be pale Ivory white.  Eye color gold.  Nose leather, rims of eyes and paw pads rose.

Shaded Cameo:  The undercoat should be ivory white.  A mantle of red/cream tipping shading gradually down the sides, face and tail, from dark on the ridge to ivory white on the chin, chest, belly and under the tail.  The legs to be the same tone as the face.  The general effect to be much redder than a Shell.  Eye color gold.  Nose leather, rims of eyes and paw pads rose.

Smoke Cameo:  The undercoat should be ivory white.  The overall cat should be deeply tipped with red/cream.  Cat in repose appears to be a red cat.  The ivory undercoat is apparent when the cat is in motion or the hair is parted.  Eye color gold.  Nose leather, rims of eyes and paw pads rose.

And WHITES:
A combination of the indicative (base) color (solid, tabby, smoke, etc.) and white, with not more than two-thirds of the cat to be any one color. The intensity of the color should be considered more heavily than the random placement of the white. All colors of the 'and white' should be judged according to the listed indicative color description. Eye color should correspond to the indicative color. Odd-eyed should have one blue eye and the other eye should conform to the indicative coat color. Nose leather, and paw pad color should conform to the indicative color or be pink (which conforms to white).

Condition:

Hard and muscular with no indication of fat.  An American Shorthair should have “heft”, neat and clean. 

NOTE:  Fatty pad in abdomen allowed.

Balance:

All physical aspects of the cat should compliment each other to present a perfect picture.  Temperamentally gentle and amenable to handling.