Cats: longhair, shorthair, curly hair, and no hair

Cats can have longhair, shorthair, curly hair, and no hair. Usually cats have 3 types of hair: long outer guard hair, middle “awn” hairs, and an undercoat of fine down hair that mats easily. Guard hairs reach 5-6 inches in longhaired cats and 2 inches in shorthaired cats. Middle awn hairs are about ½ inch. Awn hairs and the undercoat provide insulation.

Most cats evolved to have short hair; think of all the large cats in zoos—none has long hair, although Lions have manes. How did we get longhaired housecats? Longhaired cats were bred from shorthair Asian cats that had a recessive gene for long hair. By breeding two cats with recessive genes, about ¼ of the offspring have obvious long hair and are able to pass on the longhair gene. Half the offspring appear shorthaired (the shorthair gene is dominant so it determines how the cat appears) but these cats will have the longhair gene that can be passed on to their descendants.

Longhaired cats have from 2 to 6 inches of hair. Many have a strong outer coat of guard hairs and a soft undercoat that mats easily. By selecting for cats with luxurious hair coats, such as Persians and Himalayans, we have selected for pets that need daily grooming.

Shorthaired cats do not have long hair to keep warm, so they evolved with thicker coats and with stockier bodies. For example, dense, short coats are found in Abyssinians and Manx cats. Other shorthair cats evolved in warm climates where they don’t need dense coats. These warm-climate cats, such as the Siamese and Burmese, are often thinner and longer bodied than cold-climate cats.

Curly or wire-haired cats include the American Wirehair, a genetic mutation, and the Rex cats. Rex cats were, like longhair cats, a genetic mutation. There are 3 recognized Rex breeds: Cornish, Devon and Selkirk. Rex cats are named after Rex rabbits that have short hair. Rex cats don’t have guard hairs or an undercoat, but they are covered by a curly awn hair. Because their coats are thin, these cats like sitting on our laps or on computers and televisions where it’s warm.

Bald cats are not truly bald, but are covered with short velvety hairs. The bald or Sphinx cats originated in Canada. They have the long bodies characteristic of cats evolving in warm climates. Bald cats have no whiskers.

Whatever the hair length of your cat, it will benefit from grooming, good nutrition and fatty acids. Good nutrition ensures healthy skin, and the skin is where the hair follicles develop. Healthy blood supply and nutrients reaching the hair follicles ensures a strong, luxurious coat.

Supplements that benefit the coats of long and shorthaired cats include Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 6 fatty acids help prevent dryness, and Omega 3 fatty acids help prevent hot spots and extreme reactions to fleas.

Your cat will appreciate everything you do to help it have a healthy coat—whether it is a bald Sphinx or a luxuriously coated Himalayan.