The American Shorthair weighs between 3.5 kg and 7 kg and has moderate energy. The breed is among those cited by the Merck Veterinary Manual as predisposed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common heart disease in cats. Food does not treat the genetic mutation — but quality protein supports the heart, and adequate taurine remains essential to life.
In the current My Pet Magazine analysis, the best food for the American Shorthair is ACANA Indoor Entrée (ACANA), with a technical score of 89.3/100 (🌟 Superior Quality), calculated with the My Pet Magazine IDNM/IPFI methodology across 50 cat foods reviewed in July 2026. See the full ranking ↓
What to weigh in food for the American Shorthair
One thing dominates the choice of an American Shorthair's food: supporting the heart in the face of the genetic risk documented in the breed.
Heart. The American Shorthair is among the breeds with documented familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) — the most common heart disease in cats, caused by a genetic mutation that thickens the wall of the heart muscle. Food does not treat the mutation, but high-quality protein supports heart-muscle function without overloading a heart that is already under closer watch in this breed. Taurine remains essential to the feline heart in general — the cat does not produce that amino acid on his own in sufficient quantity, and a lack of it causes dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a problem different from HCM. Important: taurine does not treat HCM, which is genetic — it is general cardiac support that every cat food needs to provide, with extra attention in this breed.
Criteria scored against the My Pet Magazine nutritional targets (protein, fat, calcium and caloric density ranges by size — see our methodology).
Breed profile and predispositions
The American Shorthair carries one predisposition that is well documented in the veterinary literature: familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
According to the Merck Veterinary Manual — Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Dogs and Cats, HCM is familial in several cat breeds, including the Persian, Sphynx, Norwegian Forest Cat, Bengal, Turkish Van and American and British Shorthair. It is the most common heart disease in cats, and food does not treat the genetic mutation behind it — what it does is provide support, with high-quality protein helping cardiac function. A diagnosed cat is followed by a veterinary cardiologist.
Taurine remains essential to the feline heart in general — a lack of it causes dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a heart problem different from HCM — but it is not a specific treatment for HCM, which has a genetic cause and is not reversed by diet.
Recommended foods for the American Shorthair
Ranked by IDNM/IPFI technical score across 50 cat foods — no manual product curation.
- 1
ACANA Indoor Entrée · ACANA
89.3/100 - 2
Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach · Purina Pro Plan
87.6/100 - 3
BLUE Wilderness Adult Indoor · Blue Buffalo
87.1/100 - 4
Nulo Freestyle Cat & Kitten · Nulo
86.9/100 - 5
Tiki Cat Born Carnivore Indoor Health · Tiki Cat
86.9/100
Frequently asked questions about American Shorthair food
- Why is the American Shorthair at risk of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)?
- Because the breed is among those cited by the Merck Veterinary Manual as having familial HCM — along with the Persian, Sphynx, Norwegian Forest Cat, Bengal, Turkish Van and British Shorthair. HCM is the most common heart disease in cats, caused by a genetic mutation that thickens the wall of the heart.
- Does food prevent or treat the American Shorthair's HCM?
- No. The cause is genetic, and no food changes that. What the diet does is provide support: good-quality protein helps heart-muscle function. A cat diagnosed with HCM is followed by a veterinary cardiologist, not treated by food alone.
- Does taurine treat the American Shorthair's HCM?
- No. Taurine is essential to a cat's heart throughout life — a lack of it causes a different heart problem, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) — but it does not treat HCM, which has a genetic cause. It is a general nutritional requirement that every cat food needs to meet, not a specific treatment for the breed's mutation.
- Does every American Shorthair develop HCM?
- No. The genetic predisposition has been documented in the breed, but that does not mean every individual develops the disease. Even so, it is worth having periodic echocardiograms and choosing a food with good-quality protein as part of cardiac support, with taurine always present.
- Does the American Shorthair need different food because of the cardiac risk?
- He does not need a special food outside the standard — the care is the same cardiac support that applies to any cat: high-quality protein and taurine at an adequate level. The difference is the extra attention, with regular veterinary follow-up, because the breed carries a documented genetic risk of HCM.
Methodology
The block of recommended foods on this page is ordered by My Pet Magazine's IDNM/IPFI technical methodology, which evaluates the nutritional density and ingredient purity of each product in the active dataset for the American Shorthair's medium-size profile — with no manual curation or brand influence.
The score takes into account how well the food fits the breed profile: high-quality protein and taurine at an adequate level are factors that weigh in the ranking, recalculated whenever the product dataset is updated.
The ranking on this page is a projection of the My Pet Magazine IDNM/IPFI scoring engine over the cat dataset, with no manual product curation. See the full methodology →
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