The American Shorthair cat now has standards set by cat fanciers of the breed. The breed is accepted by all North American cat registries. In 1966, the breed was given the name "American Shorthair". This was to separate the pure breed cat from the many mixed domestic short-haired cats that live all over North America. All these short haired cats are called "working cats" because they were used to catch rodents on ships and farms.