A barnyard cat looking much like this one was called to service two thousand and eight years ago, in a little town called Bethlehem.  It seems the little baby Jesus had become fussy, and began to cry; as he worked himself up into a full blown tear wailing uncontrollably; Mary tried her best to comfort him, but to no avail.

Soon it was decided that perhaps a small farm animal would distract and calm him down. The villagers came in one by one putting small animals in his bed, but the crying continued.  Finally, Mary in desperation scooped up an old lion-faced barnyard cat and laid him along side baby Jesus.

The feline exhaled a great sigh and his shoulders and hips fell in puddle. Soon he was asleep purring softly and Jesus’ crying lessened to sobbing, then small hiccups and finally he too was fast asleep next to the warm bundle.  Mary folded her hands in her lap and sighed with relief.

This beguiling domestic short-haired cat has one more claim to fame.  It was the original breed to populate the American colonies, crossing on the Mayflower and subsequent landings from England.

As a working cat, it kept the on-board food supply safe from mice. It was later mixed with cats from Europe and Asia, creating many variations to the breed. These cats are very popular today in the United States and are known generically as ‘domestic short-haired cats”, or colloquially – tabby cats. 

Fortunately, some of the original cats’ blood lines were kept pure, and they are known as the purebred “American Short-haired Cat”. The American Short-haired Cat has exquisite features and exceptional coat colors and markings. Check them out online or at a cat show.