Domestic longhair cat is a term used to describe a non pedigree cat with medium or long hair. They come in all types of colour including, tortoiseshell, tabby, smoke, bi-coloured. Because they are of mixed ancestry they normally have a good temperament. They will have their own individual character that will be moulded in their early months by their surroundings and owners. Continual attention and fussing will more likely lead to a friendly, home loving cat. The mixed breeding also means they come in a wide variety of body shapes and sizes, ranging from ten to twenty pounds (four to eight kilograms) though the males are generally larger.
The long hair comes from a recessive gene, so you can see short hair offspring from long hairs and vice versa from a domestic short hair.
People love them for their longhair, but this means they are not able to maintain their own coats, so cat care is difficult, so they need to be groomed every day. Some breeders recommend that they be bathed every week or two. Though many others believe that if they are regularly groomed and they do not go outside that this is unnecessary.
Bathing is difficult with a cat, unless it is introduced as a kitten as part of a regular routine.
The very long haired cats are very prone to matting, particularly if they go outside, as they are prone to matting. This can become so bad that they sprout “wings”. The worst places for matting are under the arms and upper leg regions. This will irritate the cat and inhibit his movements and on an outside cat, could lead him being caught in bushes or trees. The cats forcing away, can lead to bald patches and sometimes injuries. If the cat develops such matting, the use of a de-matting comb should detangle it. The cat may not like the comb, but regular brushing will ease the fur off and will slowly remove the matted areas.
New owners may feel tempted cut the matted fur away using scissors, rather than combing it out. Caution with doing this, as it is difficult to distinguish the hard-matted fur from the skin and flesh of the cat. If inclined to do this, take care, little by little and cutting away from the cat. There are special grooming electric clippers, but these need care as well. If in doubt, take the cat to a professional groomer or the vet.
The matted fur and uncleaned skin in the area can contain a lot of bacteria, so if you do cut the cat here, be sure to clean up the wound thoroughly to avoid infection.