A Domestic Shorthair Moggie cat lying on a blanket

Domestic

Type

15 - 20 years

Lifespan

Medium

Size

3.6 - 4.5 kg

Weight

20 - 25 cm

Height

Varies, but generally friendly and placid

Temperament

30 mins per day

Exercise

Low maintenance

Grooming

How long do Domestic Shorthair cats live?

The Domestic Shorthair Cat lifespan is between 15 and 20 years if well-cared for. Mixed breed and non-pedigree cats tend to be healthier and have a longer life expectancy than pure-bred cats.

A Domestic Shorthair cat is a mixed breed cat, often referred to as a Moggie. This means that it doesn&rsquo;t belong to a particular breed of cat and are a lot less expensive to buy than a pure-bred cat. The result of the mixing of breeds is that Moggies come in a wide a variety of markings, colours and personalities.

The Domestic Shorthair Cat shouldn&rsquo;t be confused with the American Shorthair, British Shorthair cats or other &lsquo;shorthair&rsquo; breeds which are recognised as separate breeds of cats.

Domestic Shorthairs can come in various shapes and sizes but are generally a medium-sized breed. They tend to be muscular and weigh up to around 4.5 kg with males generally being larger than females.&nbsp;

Are Domestic Shorthair cats affectionate?

In general, Domestic Shorthair cats are affectionate, but it does vary. Just as their coats comes in a variety of markings and colours, their personalities can range from outgoing to aloof. If the parents were friendly, and the cat well socialised as a kitten, the chances are that the cat will be easy going, sweet-tempered and will enjoy lots of cuddles.

That’s All You Need to Know About Moggies

Friendly and low maintenance, what&rsquo;s not to like about the Moggie! They make great pets for just about every household. Moggies will spend all their time outside hunting if they&#39;re allowed. Kept indoors, and they can easily put on weight, so make time for playtime together and hold off on treats to keep them fit and trim.

Friendly and low maintenance, what&rsquo;s not to like about the Moggie! They make great pets for just about every household. This loveable <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Breed Guides">cat breed</a> will <a href="/all-things-pet/letting-your-cat-outside" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to letting your cat outside">spend all their time outside</a> hunting if they&#39;re allowed. Kept indoors, and they can <a href="/all-things-pet/how-to-tell-if-you-have-an-underweight-or-overweight-cat" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to checking if you have an overweight cat">easily put on weight</a>, so make time for playtime together and hold off on treats to keep them fit and trim.

<ul>
	<li style="display: block; width: 0px; height: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; left: -9999px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden;">&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Martha Cannon, Marge Chandler, Allison German (online) Obesity. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/freeform/obesity" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat obesity page">https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/freeform/obesity</a></li>
	<li>David Bruyette, Carmel Mooney, Nicki Reed (online) Diabetes mellitus. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/diseases/diabetes-mellitus" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat diabetes page">https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/diseases/diabetes-mellitus</a></li>
	<li>Martha Cannon, Danielle Gunn-Moore, Ellie Mardell (online) Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/diseases/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease-(flutd)" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's feline lower urinary tract disease page">https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/diseases/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease-(flutd)</a></li>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Kidney disease in your cat Client Information. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/client-information/kidney-disease-in-your-cat" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat kidney disease page">https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis/client-information/kidney-disease-in-your-cat</a></li>
	<li style="display: block; width: 0px; height: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; left: -9999px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden;">&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Content provided from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat information">Vetstream&#39;s Vetlexicon Felis</a>.

Vetlexicon is the world&rsquo;s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world&rsquo;s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

The Domestic Shorthair is a great choice for most households. With minimal <a href="/all-things-pet/bad-fur-day-read-our-cat-grooming-101" title="Link to Everypaw's cat grooming guide">grooming needs</a>, they&rsquo;re suitable for busy households, first-time cat parents, families with children and other pets as well as people living on their own.

Friendly and low maintenance, they make ideal pets for families with children and other pets, like other cats or&nbsp;<a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">dogs</a>, single households and first-time pet owners.

The Domestic Shorthair is a great choice for most households. With minimal <a href="/all-things-pet/bad-fur-day-read-our-cat-grooming-101" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Grooming Guide">grooming needs</a>, they&rsquo;re suitable for busy households, first-time cat parents, families with children and other pets as well as people living on their own.

What Are Domestic Shorthair Kittens Like?

Moggie kittens are playful and outgoing. <a href="/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">Kittens</a> should be kept with their mothers until they&rsquo;re around <a href="/all-things-pet/kitten-development-8-12-weeks-old" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to kitten development between 8-12 weeks">8 weeks old</a> so they can learn their all-important socialisation skills.

The &lsquo;sensitive period&rsquo;, when kittens are most responsive to learning and forming positive associations and bonds with humans or other animals, starts at 2 weeks and finishes when they are around 7 weeks of age.

Socialisation prepares the kitten to cope with being part of a household and to develop positive personality traits for them to become a happy and confident adult cat.

Grey coloured Domestic Shorthair lying on the sofa

Domestic Shorthairs are easy to live with, but they have a strong hunting instinct and make great &lsquo;mousers&rsquo; so be prepared for them bringing home small &lsquo;presents&rsquo; on a regular basis. They&rsquo;re a good all-round <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Breed Guides">cat breed</a> that can adapt to your lifestyle. They can be quite independent, and will enjoy <a href="/all-things-pet/letting-your-cat-outside" title="Link to Everypaw's article about letting cats outside">spending time outdoors</a>, Moggies are not a full-time house cat.

Domestic Shorthairs like their food and often hunt for extra treats as well, so can be prone to <a href="/all-things-pet/obesity-in-dogs-cats-rabbits" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to obesity in pets">getting a bit tubby round the middle</a>. It&rsquo;s best to hold back on snacks and feed at set times instead of allowing them to graze all day.

Measuring out their food according to the recommended portion size on the food packet can help to maintain them at a healthy weight. If this doesn&rsquo;t keep the weight in check, ask your vet or vet nurse for advice.

Moggies are pretty good at grooming themselves so don&rsquo;t need much grooming. Their short coats don&rsquo;t shed much hair and a weekly brush is all they need to keep their coats in good condition.

If your cat is allowed outside, they&rsquo;ll <a href="/all-things-pet/your-guide-to-cat-exercise" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Exercise Guide">get lots of exercise</a> spending their time hunting and chasing their prey. If kept as an indoor cat, they&rsquo;ll love a perch or climbing tree where that they can practise their climbing, jumping and leaping skills and look down on their surroundings.

Make time for some <a href="/all-things-pet/cat-games-for-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's article about games you can play with your cat">playtime together</a> to burn off any excess calories with cat toys like a laser pointer or a feather. Their hunting instinct will mean they&#39;ll find this great fun. Moggies are intelligent and easily trained so you shouldn&rsquo;t have any problems with toilet or <a href="/all-things-pet/how-to-train-a-kitten" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on how to litter train a kitten">litter training</a>.

Link to get an Everypaw Cat Insurance quote

This is one kitty that can slide into any environment and live their best life. To help them and you out when they need it most, there can be&nbsp;<a href="/Home/cat-insurance.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">Everypaw&rsquo;s Lifetime Cat Insurance</a>. For the times they don&rsquo;t land on their feet, or when a brand new illness strikes, our kitty cover may just be able to help.

There&rsquo;s a range of Domestic Shorthair insurance cover levels to choose from. And every policy comes with additional benefits including help to find your Moggie if they decide to stay out a lot longer than anticipated.

This is one kitty that can slide into any environment and live their best life. To help them and you out when they need it most, there can be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">Everypaw&rsquo;s Lifetime Cat Insurance</a>. For the times they don&rsquo;t land on their feet, or when a brand new illness strikes, our kitty cover may just be able to help.

There&rsquo;s a range of Domestic Shorthair insurance cover levels to choose from. And every policy comes with additional benefits including help to find your Moggie if they decide to stay out a lot longer than anticipated.

Domestic Shorthair cat lying on a white counter top

Domestic Shorthair (Moggie) Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

The Domestic Shorthair cat or Moggie as they are also affectionately known, is a non-pedigree cat of mixed or unknown ancestry. It&rsquo;s the feline equivalent of a mongrel dog. So, it doesn&rsquo;t come as any surprise that they&rsquo;re the most common cat in the UK. If you want to know more about the Moggie, we have all the information you need.

<a href="/all-things-pet/obesity-in-dogs-cats-rabbits" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to obesity in pets">Obese cats</a> are more likely to develop health problems such as diabetes mellitus, liver issues, and lower urinary tract disease. If your cat is gaining weight, consult your vet or a weight management nurse for a proper weight loss plan.

Diabetes mellitus is a common disease in middle-aged cats, particularly those that are overweight. <a href="/all-things-pet/diabetes-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to diabetes in cats">Diabetic cats</a> have high blood sugar levels and excrete glucose in their urine. They also experience increased thirst and weight loss despite eating normally.

Most cats with this condition require regular insulin injections to regulate their blood sugar levels. Untreated diabetes can have severe consequences and may lead to fatality.

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)

<a href="/all-things-pet/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to FLUTD in cats">Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)</a> is a term used to describe the various conditions that can cause cats pain and discomfort when they urinate. These conditions include bladder stones, blockages, and <a href="/all-things-pet/cystitis-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to cystitis in cats">bladder inflammation (cystitis)</a>. To prevent these issues, <a href="/all-things-pet/how-to-spot-dehydration-in-dogs-cats-and-rabbits" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on how to spot the signs of dehydration in pets">ensure that your cat stays hydrated</a> by providing plenty of water and consider feeding it wet cat food.

Regular check-ups are essential for middle-aged and <a href="/pet-insurance-for-older-pets" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Insurance for Older Pets">elderly cats</a>, who are more susceptible to health issues like <a href="/all-things-pet/chronic-kidney-disease-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to kidney disease in cats">kidney disease</a>. If you observe any changes in your <a href="/all-things-pet/getting-inside-the-head-of-cat-behaviour" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to understanding cat behaviour">cat&#39;s behaviour</a> or health, it&#39;s best to consult your vet as soon as possible.

Common Domestic Shorthair Cat Health Problems by Vetstream

Domestic Shorthairs have mixed parentage and a varied genetic makeup, so tend to be healthier than pure-bred cats. However, they can be prone to obesity and various health problems linked to this, as well as the <a href="/all-things-pet/things-to-look-out-for-in-old-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on what to look out for as your cat gets older">usual issues associated with ageing</a>.

Domestic Shorthair Cat Insurance and Health Advice | Everypaw

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Domestic Shorthair

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The benefit values featured in the table may vary across the different levels of cover and will depend on the cover you choose. Please check your cover before purchasing. Be aware, for some breeds of dogs we do not provide our &pound;8k and &pound;10k Lifetime cover. 
 
All policies and features are subject to special conditions and exclusions of the insurers, please click the link to read about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Insurance Exclusions page">our policy exclusions.</a> 
 
Excess is applicable to all vet fees claims. When your pet reaches a certain age, the excess payable may change. The excess will be your set excess plus a percentage of your claim amount.

Getting your furry friend covered shouldn&#39;t just come down to cost. There&#39;s a lot more to it than that, so take the time to do a pet insurance comparison. Think about their breed, the level of cover they might need, and what would be important to you. After all, insurance is there for both of you.

One of the best ways to do that is to compare cover levels. This will give you an idea of how much your pet insurance will cost, how much you can claim against vet bills, as well as the policy benefits. It&#39;s all about finding the Lifetime Pet Insurance that works best for you and your pet.

*Based on Everypaw claims data from February 2024 to March 2025

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As our furry companions age, they&#39;re more likely to suffer from ailments and illnesses here and there. And we want you to be able to look after your pet well into retirement. That&#39;s why we don&#39;t have age limits on our policies. Our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-for-older-pets.html">pet insurance for older pets</a> can help you do the most important thing &ndash; looking after your pet.

What about younger pets? We also offer <a href="/cat-insurance/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">kitten</a> and <a href="/dog-insurance/puppy-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Puppy Insurance page">puppy insurance</a>, covered by our cat and dog insurance. No matter how old or young your purr-fect pet is, our pet insurance can give you all-important peace of mind.&nbsp;

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Whether you are looking for a playmate for your pet or if your house is more like a <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dog</a>, <a href="/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">cat</a> and <a href="/rabbit-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Rabbit Insurance page">rabbit</a> smallholding, you need multi-pet insurance that works for you. Everypaw&#39;s policies are just that and give you a discount on every pet too. No matter how many pets you have, from glorious <a href="/dog-insurance/dog-breed-guides/golden-retriever-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Golden Retriever Dog Breed Guide page">Golden Retrievers</a> and majestic <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides/maine-coon-cat-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Maine Coon Cat Breed Guide page">Maine Coons</a> to lovely <a href="/rabbit-insurance/rabbit-breed-guides/lionhead-rabbit-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Lionhead Rabbit Breed Guide page">Lionheads</a>, it&#39;s there for every single paw.

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Our pet insurance quote form takes just 3 minutes to fill out. Here&#39;s how it works:

<ul>
	<li>Select which type of pet you&#39;re looking to insure and enter their age, breed and sex</li>
	<li>Enter basic personal details about yourself including your email and home addresses</li>
	<li>Select your vet fees limit</li>
	<li>We&#39;ll give you a pet insurance price! And we&#39;ll show you what the cost is for the year, plus what your monthly instalments will look like if you choose to pay that way</li>
</ul>

Will my pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Ever found the urge to discover what the best dog breeds to train are or maybe you want to get to the bottom of your pet&#39;s worm problem.&nbsp;<a href="/Home/all-things-pet.html" title="Link to Everypaw's All Things Pet blog">Everypaw&#39;s All Things Pet blog</a>&nbsp;has the content to keep you informed.

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For that extra peace of mind when your pets get up to mischief, there&#39;s Everypaw. Our pet insurance is for cats, dogs and rabbits, and every policy comes with unlimited 24/7 access to vet nurses and vets. So, if you ever feel a bit &#39;for pet&#39;s sake&#39;, know Everypaw is here for you and your pet when you need us most!

Why Choose Everypaw for Pet Insurance in the UK?

<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/multi-pet-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Multi-pet Insurance page">Insure multiple pets</a>&nbsp;for a multi-pet discount

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Manage your UK pet insurance policy online in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/pet-portal-info" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Portal Information page">Pet Portal</a>

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Choosing the right pet health insurance isn&#39;t always easy. We know that. And we also know that a key part of deciding is knowing what&#39;s not covered. That way, at least there are no nasty surprises in terms of coughing up for bills that you thought were going to be taken care of by your policy.

So, here are a few of the main exclusions on our pet insurances:

<ul>
	<li>Treatment for any pre-existing conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment for poisoning or any accidental injury that occurs in the first 3 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment for any illness that occurs in the first 14 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment related to vaccine-preventable conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment related to breeding, pregnancy or birthing</li>
	<li>Treatment on baby teeth if your pet is over 16 weeks when your policy starts</li>
</ul>

*Switching to Everypaw Pet Insurance? If you can prove your previous insurance runs up to the policy start date, we can waive this for you.

Please see our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Policy Exclusions page">exclusions page</a>&nbsp;for further details.

Fingers crossed, you never have to! We want to reassure you that claiming on your pet health insurance is as hassle-free as possible. That&rsquo;s why we have Vet Pawtal. A direct platform for vets so they can submit claims and leave you to care for your pet.

Vet Pawtal is the fastest and most efficient way to claim. There&rsquo;s no more paperwork for you, and we&rsquo;ll keep you updated every step of the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

If your vet can&rsquo;t submit the claim, don&rsquo;t worry; you can still submit it in the <a href="https://petportal.everypaw.com/register#login" target="_blank" title="Link to the Everypaw Pet Portal">Everypaw Pet Portal</a>. It&rsquo;s straightforward; just log in and follow the instructions. Alternatively,&nbsp;you can <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/downloads-2020/everypaw-claim-form.pdf" target="_blank" title="Link to download an Everypaw claim form">download a claim form</a>, but this can take longer.

Please refer to the guidance in your policy documents for Third Party Liability claims.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

For more information, head to our <a href="/Home/claims.html">Pet Insurance Claims information page</a>.

We know pets are just as much a part of your family as any human. So, we know how important it is to you that they&#39;re protected. Choose Everypaw for pet insurance in the UK and give yourself that priceless peace of mind.

We know things can be tough right now, with many people facing money worries. If you have such concerns, please get in touch with us, as we may be able to offer some options to help, which could include reducing your cover or increasing your excess.

If you wish to find out more and your eligibility for any options, please call <a href="tel:03445431009" title="Call Everypaw Customer Services and Claims">0344 543 1009</a>.

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Deciding which pet insurance your furry bundle of fun needs can be tricky, especially if you&#39;re a new fur-parent. That&#39;s why here at Everypaw.com, we&#39;re trying to keep things simple, we&#39;re all about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/lifetime-pet-insurance.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Lifetime Pet Insurance page">Lifetime Pet Insurance</a>.

Our Lifetime cover is available for your cats, dogs and rabbits. And if you&#39;re looking to cover your cat or dog, there&#39;s a range of cover levels to choose from. Lifetime covers your pet up to a set vet fee limit, and the limits reset for every year of cover.

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Domestic Shorthair (Moggie) Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Domestic Shorthair Cat Facts

Is a Domestic Shorthair Right for Me?

What Are Domestic Shorthair Kittens Like?

Life with a Domestic Shorthair

Caring for Your Domestic Shorthair

Dinner time

Grooming time

Training & exercise

Domestic Shorthair Insurance

Common Domestic Shorthair Cat Health Problems by Vetstream

Obesity

Diabetes Mellitus

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)

Kidney disease

Quick Domestic Cat Q&A

How long do Domestic Shorthair cats live?

What is a Domestic Shorthair cat?

How big do Domestic Shorthair cats get?

Are Domestic Shorthair cats affectionate?

That’s All You Need to Know About Moggies

References