A domestic long-haired cat is a cat of mixed ancestry – thus not belonging to any particular recognised cat breed – possessing a coat of semi-long to long fur. In the cat fancy, such cats are designated Domestic Longhair (DLH), a pseudo-breed, for registry classification purposes (uncommonly, some such cats are actually pedigreed). In British English, they are often referred to as long-haired moggies. Domestic long-haired cats should not be confused with the British Longhair, American Longhair or other breeds with "Longhair" names, which are formal breeds recognised by some registries.
Domestic long-haireds come in all the standard cat colours including tabby, tortie, bi-coloured, smoke etc. A non-pedigree short-haired cat is termed a domestic short-haired cat.
Some long-haired cats are not able to maintain their own coat, which may be prone to matting, and must be frequently groomed by a human. The matted fur will usually accumulate in the under-arm areas and upper leg region of a long-haired cat, and in extreme circumstances can inhibit the cat's movements and cause irritation, and even cause the cat to become caught on outside shrubs and trees. When this occurs, the cat's forceful attempts to break away can pull large amounts of clumped fur away, leaving bald areas and possible injuries.
Famous quotes containing the words domestic and/or cat:
“Many women are reluctant to allow men to enter their domain. They don’t want men to acquire skills in what has traditionally been their area of competence and one of their main sources of self-esteem. So while they complain about the male’s unwillingness to share in domestic duties, they continually push the male out when he moves too confidently into what has previously been their exclusive world.”
—Bettina Arndt (20th century)
“A few years before I lived in the woods there was what was called a “winged cat” in one of the farmhouses.... This would have been the right kind of cat for me to keep, if I had kept any; for why should not a poet’s cat be winged as well as his horse?”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)