Domestic Long-Haired Cat

What to Know About Your Domestic Long Hair Kitten

Domestic long-haired cats are attractive for numerous reasons. Owners love them because of their beautiful coats, no matter how challenging they are. Feline enthusiasts often gravitate to the distinctive personality quirks of the various breeds of long-haired cats. Regardless of your reasons for preferring a long-haired cat, your deep research should delve into which breed will best suit your lifestyle and the look that appeals to you.

Overview of Domestic Long-Haired Cat

There is an important differentiation between a Domestic Long Hair Cat and a domestic long-haired cat. The former is a designation that refers to a group of cats with mixed heritage but having a similar appearance and all sharing long fur. Domestic Long Hairs belong to an even larger collection comprised of Domestic Short Hair and Domestic Medium Hair cats. The domestic cat is not recognized by the Cat Fancier’s Association as a breed and can be compared in a broad sense to the huge category of dogs grouped under the term pit bull. It goes by several names such as Longhair, Long-haired Housecat, Long-Haired Moggie (England), and Domestic Longhair. Long-haired cat is a term that refers to different types of cats with long fur. It can include the Domestic Long Hair but more commonly applies to registered cat breeds with medium-long or longer fur.

History

Historians believe that the first long-haired cats arose from a genetic mutation in the early 1500s. They probably originated in western Asia in areas like Russia, Persia, and other parts of the Middle East. Shortly thereafter, crusaders and tradespeople imported long-haired cats into Europe with the first appearing in Italy around 1521.

Appearance of Domestic Long Hair Cat

The Domestic Longhair is a frequent category at shelters. Since it is of mixed ancestry, a Domestic Longhair has a variable appearance.

• Size – eight to twenty pounds
• Face – can be elongated or flat, but usually in between
• Large eyes can be round or almond-shaped
• Ears medium-sized with rounded tips
• Body – usually a medium build
• Muscular shoulders and hindquarters
• Legs sturdy, body longer than the cat’s height from the floor to the top of its shoulders
• Tail about the same length as the body

Coat

A Domestic Longhair Cat has semi-long to long fur that ranges from two to six inches in length. Many cats have a ruff of longer hair around the neck and britches on the backs of the upper hind legs. They can also have ear and paw tufts and tail plumes. Like most felids, domestic long-haired cats have dual coats comprised of a dense and downy underlayer and soft straight outer guard hairs.

Colors

Colors in a domestic long-haired cat depend on the breed. Domestic Long Hairs can be any color.

• Tabby – classic, spotted, mackerel, or patched; red, brown,
• Tortoiseshell or calico
• White
• Red
• Black
• Chocolate
• Lavender
• Smoke – white undercoat with heavy tipping; black, red, blue, brown, lilac, cream
• Bi-color – white and another color; black & white, orange & white, cream & white, blue & white
• Pointed – light shade on the body with color “points” on the face, ears, feet, and tail – flame (red), blue, lilac, lynx (tabby markings), blue, chocolate, or seal

Personality

Like its appearance, a Domestic Longhair’s personality is variable. Most are affectionate and sweet, but some are more reserved than others. A few are outgoing even with guests while others are shy. Well-socialized cats may tolerate children and dogs that know how to behave sensibly and in a cat-appropriate manner. A few cats like to cuddle all day while others are moody, playful, or independent. The Domestic Longhair tends to chatter a lot but has a quiet voice.

Care

Domestic Long Hairs have the same basic care requirements as other cats. Their coats require more vigilance than short-haired cats because they frequently have trouble grooming effectively. Since they tend to be independent, their needs for attention are moderate.

• Brush daily, checking for mats
• Bathe every four to six weeks
• Trim nails monthly
• Check ears every two days for redness or excessive debris
• Exercise – three or more brief sessions daily encouraging play and prey-simulated scenarios with lures, pre-like toys, or lasers
• Training – rather easy to train tricks and simple commands like recall
• Feed meat-based diet – wet food or raw fresh recipes are usually best for cats as they typically do not drink enough water
• Need 28 to 32 calories per pound of body weight every day – prone to obesity so weekly checks of your cat’s body condition are paramount

Domestic Long Hair Cat Breeds

One of the appeals of domestic long-haired cats is that there are several kinds from which to choose. The following list compiles some of the more common domestic long hair cat breeds.

Persian

• Origin: 1600s, Mesopotamia >Persia >Iran>
• Distinguishing feature: flat face, long silky luxurious coat
• Colors: many; silver, brown, red, blue, cream; solid, cameo, smoke, chinchilla, or shaded
• Size: 10 to 15 inches tall, 8 to 12 pounds
• Lifespan: 12 to 16 years
• Health: brachycephalic syndrome, polycystic kidneys, urinary tract infects, urinary bladder stones, liver shunts, progressive retinal atrophy (blindness), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (heart)
• Personality: sweet, docile, affectionate, discretionary
• Activity: low

Angora

• Origin: 1600s, Anatolia > Ankara, Turkey
• Distinguishing feature: flat face, long silky luxurious coat
• Colors: many; white is traditional but can also be blue, lavender, black, tortoiseshell, cinnamon, red, and others; tabby, smoke, or shaded
• Size: 9 to 14 inches tall, 5 to 15 pounds
• Lifespan: 10 to 14 years
• Health: deafness, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, ataxia (fatal neurologic disorder in young kittens)
• Personality: playful, loyal, affectionate, not very adaptable to environmental changes
• Activity: low with periods of explosive energy

Highland Fold (Long-Haired Scottish Fold)

• Origin: 1961, Scotland; long-haired kittens arose spontaneously in short-haired litters
• Distinguishing feature: ears fold forward to lie against the head; straight-eared cats make up a large percentage of Scottish Folds
• Colors: any color acceptable except pointed; red, blue, cream, tortoiseshell, lilac, chocolate; tabby, shaded, cameo, or chinchilla
• Size: 8 to 10 inches tall, 6 to 13 pounds
• Lifespan: 9 to 14 years
• Health: polycystic kidney disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, osteochondrodysplasia; all cats with folded ears have various degrees of painful DJD (degenerative joint disease) from cartilage abnormalities
• Personality: playful, like to cuddle, adventurous, social
• Activity: medium

Maine Coon

• Origin: around 1861, Maine, US
• Distinguishing feature: largest domestic cat breed; uneven lengths of fur gives the cat an unkempt shaggy appearance
• Colors: many; red, cream, tortoiseshell, blue, black, white, orange; bi-color, tabby, shaded
• Size: 40 inches long, 8 to 16 inches tall, 8 to 25 pounds
• Lifespan: average 13 or 14 years
• Health: hip dysplasia
• Personality: social, clownish, affectionate, friendly, highly trainable
• Activity: high, need a lot of room

Himalayan

• Origin: 1920s and 1930s, formalized by 1957, US
• Distinguishing feature: pointed Persian; also known as Colour-Point Long Hair (England), Himmie, and Himalayan-Persian
• Colors: a white to cream-colored body with red, lilac, seal, flame (red or orange), or chocolate points (ears, face, tail, feet); blue eyes
• Size: 10 to 12 inches tall, 7 to 12 pounds
• Lifespan: 11 to 13 years
• Health: brachycephalic syndrome (breathing difficulties due to a flat face), dental issues, polycystic kidney disease, feline hyperesthesia syndrome (hypersensitivity in the skin along the back and tail possibly from Siamese)
• Personality: sweet, tolerant, smart, affectionate
• Activity: laidback with periods of explosive energy

Ragdoll

• Origin: early 1960s, California, US
• Distinguishing feature: the tendency to flop when you pick the cat up; not all Ragdolls have this trait
• Colors: bi-color (brown, tan, or another color with white) or pointed (lilac, flame, seal, others; may have white blaze through the facial mask)
• Size: 9 to 11 inches tall, 10 to 20 pounds
• Lifespan: 12 to 25 years
• Health: chronic kidney inflammation (nephritis), polycystic kidney disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, thromboembolism
• Personality: devoted, loving, social, emotionally intelligent, calm
• Activity: low

Norwegian Forest Cat

• Origin: landrace cat of Russia (appeared around 1000 AD), globalized in the 1980s
• Distinguishing feature: considered hypoallergenic despite its long coat
• Colors: all; silver, white, black, blue, brown, gray, red; can be color-pointed with blue eyes; also present are tabby, bi-color, smoke, and shaded patterns
• Size: 10 to 12 inches tall, 12 to 20 pounds
• Lifespan: 12 to 15 years
• Health: gum disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, genetic cancers, urinary tract infections and blockages (crystals)
• Personality: friendly (social with guests, dogs, children, and other cats), affectionate, loyal, likes sitting in your lap, high prey drive, playful
• Activity: high

Birman

• Origin: arrived in France in 1919, probably originated in Asia, perhaps Myanmar (prev. Burma)
• Distinguishing feature: resemble a stocky and long-haired Siamese
• Colors: cream with colored points (lilac, seal, lavender, chocolate, blue, torti, and tabby)
• Size: 8 to 10 inches tall, 6 to 12 pounds
• Lifespan: average 14 years
• Health: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, seizure disorders, chronic kidney failure
• Personality: easy-going, gentle, friendly, curious, mischievous, playful, social
• Activity: slightly above average

There are many other domestic long hair kitten and cat breeds that may attract your interest but are beyond the scope of this article. A domestic long-haired cat for sale can take many additional forms, and several honorable mentions follow below:

• Turkish Van – has color pattern named for it (colors only on head and tail (often orange or cream) not the same distribution as color points); likes water
• Ragamuffin – Ragdoll x Persian (or Himalayan) to make a bigger and fluffier cat
• American Curl – random mutation makes ears curl; discovered in 1981
• Selkirk Rex – the result of breeding a curly-coated kitten (created by a random mutation to a Persian; a cat has fur that resembles a sheep’s wool
• Long-Haired Manx – tailless