Welcome to Whitney Veterinary Hospital Online

Whitney Veterinary Hospital and
Cat Care Clinic

4707-4715 N. Sheridan Road - Peoria, Il. 61614
309-685-4707 - 309-685-4715

DSH

Autumn is a Domestic Short-Hair!

The Domestic Short-Haired cat is a self-sufficient, easy-going, no-nonsense cat. They are often seen in the show-ring in the USA and Canada, but not so much in other countries.

American shorthairs can become quite large and muscular. They arrived on the ships of the first European settlers; being used as rat catchers on board and "slipping off" after arriving. These early pioneers developed thick coats and increased in size from their European counterparts as a measure to protect themselves from the native predators.

Domestic Short Hairs are the most predominant domesticated cat in the world. Although they originated in Egypt, their body type and weight has slowly evolved over the centuries to adapt to the region of the world where they live. Stocky cats with water-repellent topcoats and dense undercoats that held the warmth evolved in the Northern climates, while smaller, longer, leaner cats with thin, sparse coats that let the heat dissipate developed in the warmer parts of the world.

While cats are more resistant to heat than dogs, they don’t have enough sweat glands to survive for very long at extreme temperatures. Furthermore, cats are more prone to frostbite and hypothermia if their fur gets wet than a dog; because, the wet fur loses its capacity to insulate.

We are pleased to welcome Autumn to our practice!