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Short-haired cat breeds are beloved by many for their beauty and simplicity. Short-haired cats don’t need extensive brushing and grooming, so they’re ideal for cat lovers who prefer a lower-maintenance pet. Short hair also puts a cat’s lovey silhouette on display for everyone to admire. Read on to meet 10 cat breeds with short, smooth coats.
#1 American Shorthair
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The American Shorthair developed in the United States from a variety of cats that accompanied settlers who traveled to the New World by boat from overseas. Once in America, these cats all interbred, leading to a healthy, hardy breed prized for its excellent vermin-killing skills.
The American Shorthair’s short, lustrous coat is the same length all over the body, and lies close to the skin. American Shorthairs can be any color or pattern, reflecting the diversity of the cats in their ancestry. These cats are friendly, adaptable, and laid-back.
#2 Bengal
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The Bengal cat was created to resemble a miniature wild cat but act like a friendly domestic cat. The breed was developed in the 1960s by crossing domestic cats with a small wild cat species called the Asian leopard cat. Today’s Bengals are far removed from their wild ancestors, though they remain very active and engaging pets.
Although Bengals come in a long-haired variety, the short-haired variety is more common. The Bengal’s dense, luxurious coat is close-lying and exceptionally soft and silky. Spotted Bengals are popular, but they also come in marbled and tabby patterns.
#3 Bombay
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The Bombay cat looks a lot a black leopard, but this breed has no wild cat blood in its background. The Bombay was created in the 1960s by combining the American Shorthair with the Burmese. The breed gets its name from the Indian city of Bombay, a nod to the homeland of the black leopard, which was the inspiration for the Bombay cat.
Bombay cats have a short, fine satin-like coat with a glossy sheen. The hair has little to no undercoat, so lies close and tight to the body. Bombay cats are always pure black with copper or gold eyes. The Bombay is very sociable, playful, and loving.
#4 British Shorthair
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The British Shorthair traces its roots backs to Egyptian cats that came along with the Romans when they invaded Great Britain. The British Shorthair was originally prized for its outstanding rodent-hunting skills, and is now beloved for its charming good looks and mellow personality. British Shorthairs are affectionate without being needy, and calm housecats in between brief bursts of playfulness.
The British Shorthair’s short, plush coat is described as firm, crisp, and plush in texture. It’s so dense that it can be hard to see down to the skin when you part the coat. They can be any color or pattern, though solid blue (gray) is a popular color.
#5 Burmese
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The Burmese was developed in the United States—not Burma as the name might suggest—although the foundation cat, a small, walnut-brown colored cat named Wong Mau, came from the Orient. Wong Mau was bred to a Siamese, and some of her kittens, which were solid brown like her, and so a new breed was born.
The Burmese has a short, fine coat with very little undercoat. It feels like satin and has a glossy sheen. Burmese come in four colors: sable (a rich, warm brown), champagne (a warm honey beige), blue, and platinum (a pale, silvery gray). Burmese are engaging, sweet, and people-oriented.
#6 Egyptian Mau
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The exotic-looking Egyptian Mau holds the honor of being the only naturally spotted domestic cat breed. Although it can’t be confirmed for sure, most cat experts agree that the Egyptian Mau is an ancient breed that developed in Egypt. Highly active and playful, the Egyptian Mau is devoted to its human family but often shy with strangers.
The Egyptian Mau’s coat comes in three colors: silver, bronze, and smoke. The texture of the coat varies by color, with bronze and black silver described in the breed standard as “resilient,” and black smoke described as fine and silky.
#7 Ocicat
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The development of the Ocicat took place over many decades, occurring as a “happy accident” when a breeder was attempting to create a Siamese with points in the color of an Abyssinian. Though the Ocicat was named because of its resemblance to the Ocelot, this breed contains no wild blood. Ocicats were developed using Siamese, Abyssinians and American Shorthairs.
The Ocicat’s coat is fine, thick and tight. Ocicats are ticked (each hair is banded in multiple colors) and come in many colors, including chocolate, chocolate silver, cinnamon, cinnamon silver, black, black silver, fawn, fawn silver, lilac, lilac silver, blue, blue silver. Ocicats are playful, outgoing, and affectionate.
#8 Oriental Shorthair
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The Oriental Shorthair is related to the Siamese. The breeds share the same body type—long, lean, and muscular—and both have strikingly large ears and wedge-shaped heads. But where the Siamese comes only in pointed colors, the Oriental Shorthair comes in non-pointed colors.
The Oriental Shorthair has a very short, fine-textured coat that lies close to the skin. The breed comes in many different colors and patterns, including solid, tabby, tortoiseshell, and torbie, with or without white markings or silver or smoke coloration. Oriental Shorthairs are vocal, outgoing, and extremely affectionate.
#9 Savannah
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The Savannah is a hybrid breed first developed in the 1980s by crossing domestic cats with the wild Africa serval. The Savannah was accepted by The International Cat Association in 2001. The breed is extremely active, curious, and sometimes mischievous. They love their human families, but would rather hang out nearby rather than cuddle.
The Savannah’s double coat has a slightly coarse feel, but the spotted areas feel softer than the surrounding coat. The coat comes in several colors, including black, brown (black) spotted tabby, black silver spotted tabby, and black smoke.
#10 Siamese
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One of the oldest cat breeds, the Siamese was named for Siam (now called Thailand), though no one knows for sure exactly when, where, and how the Siamese came to be. The breed is decidedly Oriental, and Westerners were immediately captivated by these cats.
The Siamese’s short, fine-textured, glossy coat comes in pointed colors (a light-colored body with darker points of color on the head, legs, and tail). Siamese are chatty cats that become very attached to their people. They are active, playful, and extremely loving.
