What is a polecat?
A polecat is not a cat, or a pole. It is a nocturnal European weasel.
“The American Shorthair's ancestors are believed to have arrived with early European settlers, who brought cats on their ships to protect food supplies from rats and mice.”
Reference: Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA)
More facts about cats.
More cat facts
What was the American Shorthair originally called?
The American Shorthair was originally called the Domestic Shorthair and was renamed in 1966 to set the pedigreed breed apart from ordinary mixed-breed cats.
Microwaves in U.S. households
In 1978, only eight percent of U.S. households had microwave ovens. As of 2006 over 80 percent have them.