More domestic shorthairs are listed by their owners here than any pedigree cat on Petmeetly.
Domestic Shorthair
Domestic Shorthair
Domestic Shorthair
Domestic Shorthair mix
Domestic Shorthair
Domestic Shorthair
Domestic Shorthair mix
Domestic Shorthair
Domestic shorthair cat adoption is the most common kind of cat adoption there is, and on Petmeetly it is not close. More domestic shorthairs are registered here by owners looking to rehome them than any pedigree cat on the platform. The cats above are all listed by the people who currently live with them.
Adopting a Domestic Shorthair, at a glance
Short answer
Most lose their home for reasons that have nothing to do with the cat. ASPCA research found people rehoming to a friend or family member were usually moving, or facing a family change, not dealing with a behavior problem. Housing is the recurring theme.
It is worth being precise about where rehomed pets actually go, because the common assumption is wrong. Of pets rehomed by their owners, 37 percent went to a friend or family member and 36 percent to a shelter. Another 14 percent went to a veterinarian and 11 percent to someone not previously known.[1] Just under half go straight to another person.
More than a million US households rehome a pet every year. The same research looked at why. People handing a pet to a friend, family member or neighbor were usually doing it because of housing or a family change, not because of anything the animal did.[1]
The national numbers give the scale. About 3 million cats entered US shelters and rescues in 2025, and strays made up 60 percent of that intake. Of those cats, 2.2 million were adopted, taking the cat adoption rate to 63 percent.[2] Domestic shorthairs make up most of them for the simplest reason: they make up most cats.
What that means when you meet one. A cat being rehomed is usually a well-loved cat whose owner ran out of options. Ask why, listen to the answer, and take the history seriously. It is information you would never get buying a kitten.
Short answer
On average they live longer. A 2025 study of 7,708 UK cats put cats with no pedigree ancestry at 12.01 years, against 10.56 years for pedigree cats. Having no breed also means no breed-linked inherited diseases, though any individual cat can still get sick.
That study split cats three ways, which is what makes the result useful. Cats with no purebred ancestry averaged 12.01 years, cross-bred cats 11.03, and pedigree cats 10.56. The gap between cross-bred and pedigree cats was not statistically significant, but the gap between cats with no pedigree at all and both other groups was.[3]
One correction worth making. You will often read that mixed-breed cats have stronger immune systems. That claim is not supported. What the evidence shows is a longevity difference and the absence of breed-linked inherited conditions, which is a narrower and more honest statement.
The trade-off is predictability. A pedigree cat comes with a written standard describing temperament and size. A domestic shorthair does not, because the Household Pet class judges these cats on condition, appearance and personality instead of against any standard.[4] You cannot look up what your cat will be like. You have to meet it.
The same goes for coat descriptions. A tabby is a cat with a striped or blotched pattern, not a breed, and tabby markings turn up across cats with no relation to each other. The pattern tells you nothing about temperament.
When you are adopting an adult, that is an advantage rather than a problem. The cat in front of you has already grown up.
Adopting from an owner rather than an institution has one large advantage: someone has lived with this cat and can tell you what it is actually like. Use that.
Eight questions worth asking
Why are you rehoming?
Most answers are about housing or a family change. A vague answer is worth following up gently.
How is the cat with children, dogs and other cats?
There is no breed to predict from, so lived experience is the only guide you get.
Indoor only, or does it go outside?
A cat used to outdoor access may take longer to settle as an indoor cat.
Any litter tray problems?
House soiling is usually medical or stress-related, and both are worth knowing about early.
What food is it on now?
Keep it on the same food for the first fortnight, then change gradually.
Any ongoing treatment or medication?
Ask for the prescription and the practice details, not just the name of the drug.
Is it microchipped, and can you transfer the chip?
A chip in someone else's name is not much use if the cat goes missing.
What does it do when strangers visit?
You are meeting the cat on its worst day. This tells you what a normal one looks like.
None of this needs to be a barrier. It is a list to work through with the current owner, and most of it is paperwork they already have.
Book a vet visit in the first fortnight regardless of what the records say. It gives you a baseline for everything that follows.
Short answer
Roughly three days to stop hiding, three weeks to learn your routine, and three months to feel at home. Cats often seem withdrawn for the first few days. Give a new cat one quiet room rather than the run of the house.
The first three months
First 3 days
First 3 weeks
First 3 months
The litter tray deserves one specific note. Keep it in a quiet spot away from the food, and keep the same litter the cat used before if you can. Changing both the home and the litter at once is the most common cause of early accidents.[8]
If there are already pets or children in the house, take the introductions slowly. Our guide to socializing a new pet covers how to run the first meetings.
Short answer
Adopt if you want to know the cat you are getting. An adult's personality, size and health history are visible on day one. Buy a kitten if you want to raise the cat through its socialization window, which closes at about nine weeks.
Adopt an adult if
Choose a kitten if
Set on a kitten instead? See domestic shorthair kittens for sale. Prefer a longer coat? There are also domestic medium hair cats looking for homes, and Persian cats if you want a pedigree.
Mostly because they are the most common cat there is, and because people rehome for reasons that have nothing to do with the animal. ASPCA research found owners rehoming to a friend or family member were usually facing a housing or family change rather than a problem with the pet.
No. It is a description rather than a breed: any short-coated cat with no pedigree ancestry. The Cat Fanciers' Association shows these cats in its Household Pet class, judged on condition, appearance and personality rather than against a written standard.
As a group they do well. Having no breed means no breed-linked inherited conditions, and cats with no pedigree ancestry outlive pedigree cats on average. That is a population pattern rather than a guarantee, so any individual cat still needs a proper health check.
About 12 years on average. In a 2025 study of 7,708 cats in Britain, those with no purebred ancestry averaged 12.01 years, against 11.03 for cross-bred cats and 10.56 for pedigree cats. Neutered cats outlived entire cats by roughly half a year.
Why they are rehoming, how the cat is with children and other animals, whether it goes outside, its litter tray habits, what food it is on, and any ongoing medication. Ask what it does when strangers visit, because that tells you more about temperament than any breed label could.
Confirm FeLV and FIV status, review the vaccination record, check whether it is spayed or neutered, and have the teeth looked at. Dental disease is the most commonly missed problem in an adult cat. The AAFP recommends screening every cat adopted through a shelter for retroviruses.
Roughly three days to stop hiding, three weeks to learn your routine, and three months to feel genuinely at home. Give a new cat one quiet room to start rather than the run of the house, and let it come to you.
Adopt an adult if you want to know what you are getting, because personality, size and health history are already visible. Choose a kitten if you want to raise the cat through its socialization window, which closes at about nine weeks.
It depends entirely on the individual cat, not on the breed, because there is no breed. This is the advantage of adopting an adult: the current owner has already watched the cat around children, dogs and visitors and can tell you what actually happens.
A rehoming fee from a private owner is usually modest and sometimes nothing. Shelters and rescues typically charge between $50 and $150, and that fee normally covers spay or neuter, vaccinations and a microchip, which would cost considerably more to arrange yourself.
Yes, and it is the most common route. ASPCA research found 37 percent of rehomed pets went to a friend or family member, against 36 percent going to a shelter. Another 11 percent went to someone not previously known. Petmeetly connects you with owners rehoming their own cats.
Only coat length. Both are descriptions for cats with no pedigree ancestry rather than breeds. A domestic medium hair has a longer coat that needs more brushing, particularly around the ruff and tail.
Fact-checked against ASPCA research, Shelter Animals Count, the AAFP, the CFA, and peer-reviewed veterinary literature. Petmeetly listing counts are live platform figures.
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