4

Domestic Long hair maybe? She is quite fluffy at 9 weeks. We rescued her and don't know the parents.

Will her hair be about the same length as it is now when she is full grown?

If so, I am guessing she will require lots of brushing. Any tips are appreciated, I have never owned a long-haired cat before.

This is her at 9 weeks
kitty1kitty2

1 Answer 1

4

She will have long hair (she already has long hair), it will be longer when she is fully grown than it is now.

The best types of brushes I've used for long haired cats are these. There are many other types of brushes available, but these are the ones I've preferred over the years. You basically need a brush with divided bristles, you can also use metal combs.

enter image description here

enter image description here

They are good at getting out shedding hair and untangling basic knots without hurting the cat. There will be places, for example behind the ears, that are prone to becoming matted.

As mentioned by Trond Hansen in the comments:

Try to brush the places your cat can't reach when it washes itself, right behind the front legs and lower back and under the chin chest and around the head/neck area

It's important to stay on top of these. Checking around the neck, under the legs (right in the armpit/legpit area) and behind the ears regularly. If a small mat appears, it needs to be cut out with a small pair of scissors, with care taken not to cut the cat's skin. Gently pull the mat away from the skin and cut at the base of the mat near the skin. Some of the mat may remain at the base near the skin, but it will generally grow out as you brush the hair.

It's best to start a grooming routine now. A daily brush will accustom her to being brushed and assist in preventing mats. By getting her used to checking under her arms and legs and brushing there, it will make it safer to handle her if you ever do need to use scissors to cut out any mats.

Matted hair is common with long haired cats. There's no failure in finding small mats in your cat's coat. It's important they are dealt with quickly. As the matted fur increases, it pulls on the skin and can become painful. Large areas of matted fur is commonly seen in long haired pets that are neglected and can be construed as a form of animal cruelty.

So a long haired cat is a responsibility, but also a joy, as the hands on grooming assist in developing a relationship with your pet.

3
  • 1
    @GG123 just a side note, I have the second brush pictured here. It's a "self cleaning" style that lets you push the back part forward to easily clean it off - highly recommend something like that since there will be a lot of fur :)
    – user812786
    Jun 5, 2017 at 13:08
  • @whrrgarbl, Okay I will get one of those for sure. She is not shedding at all yet, too young still I guess. Do long-haired cats generally shed a lot more fur than short-haired cats?
    – GG123
    Jun 5, 2017 at 14:29
  • 1
    @GG123 yeah, my cat didn't start shedding in earnest until after her first winter. Between long and short, the main difference I've noticed is that long hairs seem to clump up more, whereas the short hairs just get spread evenly over my furniture..
    – user812786
    Jun 6, 2017 at 13:03

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.