Cat Owner's Manual › Chapter 6: Cat Grooming › Understanding Your Cat's Coat ›

Understanding Your Cat's Coat

Most cat coats include three types of hair. Long, coarse "guard hairs" form the outer coat, while the denser inner coat is composed of medium-length "awn hairs" and soft, short "down hairs." Feline whiskers, also called vibrissae, are an additional, extremely specialized hair type.

Not all cats utilize the three main types of coat hairs in the same proportion. For instance, the Angora has very long guard hairs and down hairs, but no awn hairs. Cats use their fur not just as protection from cold and heat, but also to signal their moods and as a defensive measure. For instance, if a cat is in a confrontation and wants to make itself look more intimidating, it will cause its tail and back hairs to stand erect, creating the illusion of added bulk.

While the composition of feline coats varies from model to model, they can be divided into two broad categories: short-haired and long-haired. Short coats are by far the more common of the two, since the genes for this option are dominant over those for long hair. (In the wild, a low-maintenance short coat makes more sense than a long one.)

Feline shedding is largely a seasonal event. Its intensity increases as the days become longer and winter turns to spring. Indoor cats tend to shed smaller amounts, but do so year-round. Stress and illness can trigger excessive shedding, and a female who has just had kittens may also shed more than usual.

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Chapter 6: Cat Grooming

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My Persian cat is 11 months old and is it a suitable time to get her mated ?

purred by Rudolph Furtado on Apr 22, 2008 AT 1:40 am PDT
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my cat is wearing a clothes,so doesn't it give a side effects???

purred by mizwan zaini on Sep 6, 2008 AT 6:50 am PDT
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Quirk BooksThe Cat Owner's Manual is a basic guide to cat care.
The book was written by a celebrated veterinarian and an acclaimed author. It provides cat owners with well-researched and helpful information presented in a lighthearted manner. The creators chose to write the book in a style similar to what you'd find in "operating instructions" for a car or computer. Of course they--and we--respect the fact that our beloved pets are not products or machines!