The Domestic Longhair cat is your friendly neighborhood house cat of no particular pedigree or fancy cat lineage.
In the dog world, we would call them mutts. They are mixed breed cats with long hair.
According to the Cat Fanciers Association, Domestic Longhair is the 2nd most popular cat in the United States. 1 in 10 of the 90 million cats out there in the US is a Domestic Longhair cat.
In the U.K., these types of cats are called Moggies.
Domestic Longhair cats are considered non-pedigree and shouldn’t be confused with the American Longhair cat (Maine Coon). The Maine Coon cat is a pedigree cat.
The DLH cat comes in all shapes and sizes but, for the most part, are not large-breed cats.
In this article, I discuss things you should know about your Domestic Longhair cat.
Table of Contents
Domestic Longhair Cat History
We’re not sure where the Domestic Longhair Cats came from. We do know that domesticated cats have been around for a long time.
According to an article in the Smithsonian Magazine, “cats were first domesticated in the Near East, and some of the study authors (Science Journal) speculate that the process began up to 12,000 years ago”.
The gene responsible for longhair cats is recessive. The longhair gene is thought to be natural selection – from cats use to the cold climates of northern Russia, Iran, and Turkey.
Sometime in the 1700s, longhair cats were brought to the United States.
They may have started out keeping rodents from ship supplies and shopkeepers’ bags of flour but soon became a popular family pet.
Domestic Longhair Cat Types
Domestic Longhair cats come in a bunch of different colors and variations. They are a mixed bag of a genetic hodgepodge:
- Tabby
- Bi-color
- Smoke
- Tortie
- various colors
Domestic Longhair Personality
The range of personalities for Domestic Longhair Cats can range from chilled to high-energy; it just depends on the cat. Mixed breed cats don’t have a specific personality trait assigned to their type.
What you might expect:
- may meow to communicate with you
- lively
- friendly
- scratches when bored (make sure you invest in a good scratching post)
Domestic Longhairs are considered the best-all round cat-compatible with children and other house pets when introduced properly.
Domestic Longhair Cat Health
Centuries of cross-breeding have made the Domestic Longhair cat is a very hardy, resilient cat. They are not predisposed to genetic abnormalities or disease.
These cats are subject to the same lifestyle issues that most cats are subject to, such as:
- obesity
- urinary tract disease
- diabetes
- skin and food allergies
If you keep them on a healthy diet with plenty of exercising, you can expect the Domestic Longhair to live 15-20 years. The domestic longhair weight range for males is 15 pounds, and for the female cat, it is 12 pounds.
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How to care for your Domestic Longhair Cat
To ensure that your DLH cat has a long healthy life, you must take great care of them from day one.
Grooming
DLH cats can have fur up to 6 inches long, so look forward to a lot of shedding. Brush, brush and brush some more at least every other day to keep away matted hair and keep the hairballs minimum. Click here to check out this brush from Chewy.com.
Have their nails clipped regularly by either taking him to a groomer or by doing it yourself – click here to purchase my favorite cat nail clipper
Nutrition
No special diet is needed for your DLH cat. Make sure you are not over-feeding your cat and stick to age-appropriate food.
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Activity
You can combat many of the DLH cat behavior problems by providing plenty of active playtime with him.
Click here to check out my favorite cat toy
Invest in a good cat tree because DLH cats love to climb – click here.
They can be inquisitive cats, so make sure your cabinets have cat-proof locks to prevent them from getting into places they shouldn’t be.
Conclusion
The Domestic Longhair cat is your friendly neighborhood house cat of no particular pedigree or fancy cat lineage. Don’t let anyone, even yourself, fool you.
According to the Cat Fanciers Association, Domestic Longhair is the 2nd most popular cat in the United States. 1 in 10 of the 90 million cats out there in the US is a Domestic Longhair cat.
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