How to Tell If Your Cat Will Have Long or Short Hair

When choosing a kitten to bring home, some people find it important to know beforehand whether the kitten will grow into a long-haired or short-haired cat. Aside from personal preferences, people want to know because long-haired cats often require more care and maintenance. In addition, most people with cat allergies react more strongly to long-haired cats--some allergic individuals don't react at all to a short-haired cat. Discerning whether a kitten will grow into a long-haired or short-haired cat can turn into the deciding issue for some people when they choose their future feline companion.

Instructions

1. Look at the kitten's parents. Father cats are often anonymous but look at the mother, if possible. If she's a short-haired cat, there's at least 75 percent chance that the kittens will be short-haired. The gene for long-haired cats is recessive, meaning that both the mother and father cat must have the long-haired gene for their kittens to have long hair.

2. Do a DNA test to check for the recessive long-haired gene in the kitten.

3. Observe the kitten. Royal Canin, together with other cat observers, note that long-haired kittens seem calmer, while short-haired kittens exhibit more active behavior.

References

• Royal Canin: Which Breed
• Kitten Care: Choosing Kittens
• Pet Place: Choosing a Domestic Longhair

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Pet Education: Cats
• Catster: Domestic Long-Hair