Domestic Long Hair Cat

The domestic long haired cat is a breed of cat with longer fur. The domestic long hair is actually the product of mixed breeding, over several generations. The domestic long hair cat personality makes it a great pet as it is a very social and friendly animal. The domestic long hair cat personality is in fact a contributing factor to its popularity. The domestic long haired cat does require regular grooming and must be bathed every one to two weeks. Due to this, these cats do not make good outdoor cats. You have to take especial care while grooming as their long hair is easily susceptible to matting.

The domestic long haired cat comes in a wide range of coat colors and patterns that could include the tabby, patched tabby, and solid, to name a few. Domestic cats with long hair are medium sized cats and on an average, they live for twelve to twenty years. Domestic long haired cats are a hearty breed of cat and do not have any specific medical problems, but they are prone to obesity so it is important to monitor their diet. Since these cats are susceptible to gaining weight and live an indoor lifestyle be sure to give them cat toys so they can get proper exercise.

If you own a long haired cat, then brushing the cat’s fur on a regular basis, preferably weekly,  would help to prevent matting and hairballs. Long haired cats experience severe shedding in two stages. The summer coat is shed in fall and in preparation for winter a new heavier coat is grown. This heavy coat is lost in spring when a lighter coat appears in anticipation of the summer months. Although there are literally hundreds of different domestic long hair cat breeds to choose from, there are a few that are especially popular. One is the Persian cat and another is the Balinese. The natural domestic long hair cat breeds are Maine coon, Norwegian forest cat, Siberian, and German long hair.
Many owners of long haired cats are tempted to simply snip off the matted fur with a pair of scissors to save themselves the inconvenience of having to comb it out. This really should be avoided if you’re not trained to do so, as you may hurt its skin. It is vital that the domestic long haired cat is groomed as it removes dead hair, reduces hairballs and stimulates the skin and circulation. Starting and sticking with a grooming routine early in the cat’s life can create a bonding opportunity.

Cats are always attention seekers and want to get lots of petting and attention, and you will find these traits to be inherent to the domestic long hair cat personality as well. If you are not going to be able to devote enough time to your pet then you should think twice before getting one as a pet. Overall, these cats are graceful, gentle, and beautiful creatures that make great pets.

Biggest Domestic Cat Breed

There is a lot of debate about the world’s biggest domestic cat. There is no one breed that can take this coveted title. This is because a genetic disorder known as gigantism can affect any cat and make it larger than the average household cat. The biggest domestic is usually the cat that suffers from this disorder. Many hybrid cats which have been born in captivity have shown to have traits of gigantism. Gigantism could manifest itself in many different forms and could affect several types of domestic cats—especially those that have been interbred with larger or wilder cats. Gigantism could cause the entire animal to be proportionately larger than the average cat, or there could also be parts of the cat which are larger than the average cat.

The absence of sex hormones is also something that can affect the growth of cats. If a cat is neutered before puberty, the legs tend to grow longer and thicker. However, the cat does not become abnormally large. These effects on the cat’s legs are very minor and do not cause many health problems. Since the neutering of the cat cuts off the sex hormones in the body, the end of the growth phase becomes slightly longer, allowing the bones to grow more. Though the cats may end up being longer limbed because of the neutering, they do not become bulkier. Recently, there have been many attempts to produce giant and larger sized cats through selective breeding. Maine Coon and Ragdoll, for instance, have been bred together to produce a large offspring. However, the breeders later realized that crossing large cats would not always result in offspring of a larger size.

Though there are several genetic mutations that keep occurring in the species as a whole, most of these mutations are observed in the animals of the wild. Since interbreeding large cats to create polygenes that would help the cat grow larger than average has not worked, it is believed that the mutation cannot be forced, but have to be accidental or natural. With dogs, it has been seen that leaving them in the wild tends to make them more feral, increasing their size and giving them a wolf-like appearance. The muzzle becomes pointed and the body increases proportionately. Similar things happen when cats are left in the wild. However, the machinations of the evolution of cats and dogs are not something that can be equated.

Domestic Long Hair Cat

Longhair cats look beautiful and are a pleasure to keep as pets. There are many different domestic longhair cat breeds. The long hairs of a cat are caused due to a recessive gene. A combination of two genes is required for the cat to be long haired. Cats which have only one of the genes required will have short hair, however, this trait can be passed on to the offspring of the cat.

The earliest long hair cat breed known to man was the Angora cat. The angora cats were named after the Turkish city of Ankhara because they were first spotted there. These cats were first imported into Italy and France, where they were interbred with long haired Persian cats. The first longhair cats were commonly known as Angoras.

In the earliest art depictions of cats, the animals have always been shown as having short or no hair. Moreover, the old remains and fossils of cats don’t tell much about the length of their hair. The short haired cats are more popular as pets because they are easier to groom and maintain. Between the long haired and the short haired breeds, there are also many intermediate lengths of hair.

Both long hair and short haired cat breeds can experience loss of fur. Cat hair loss, also known as alopecia areata in cats, is a common disorder which can affect both short haired and long haired cats. Though some shedding of hair is normal, if the cat begins to shed hair in patches from all over its body, it can be a cause for concern. The cat may lose its hair due to skin infections, parasites, and other glandular diseases.

Fleabite allergy is the most common cause of alopecia areata in cats. Cats may be allergic to fleabites and this causes intense reactions, which are prolonged. If a cat has an attack from mites, the cat may keep scratching itself till it pulls out all of its hair. Such an infestation of mites can cause a condition called mange.

Ringworm, hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease, and other glandular diseases may cause loss of hair in the body. In some cases, the loss of hair occurs in symmetrical patterns, but mostly, it happens in patches all over the body. The overproduction of steroids can also cause loss of hair. Cat hair loss, especially in a longhair cat breed, can seem very ugly. It is also often an indication of a disease or a health condition and therefore should be treated immediately.