Domestic long hair cat is a term used to portray a non pedigree cat with long or medium hair. Domestic long hair come in all shades of colour including, tortoiseshell, tabby, smoke, bi-coloured. Due to the mixed heritage they on the whole have a great personality. They each have their own individual entity that will be moulded in their early stages by their owners and surroundings. Frequent interest and petting will more likely lead to a friendly, home loving cat. The mixed heritage also means the domestic longhair come in a wide variety of body shapes and sizes, ranging from 10 to 20 pounds ( four to 8 kilograms) though the males are generally bigger.
The long hair comes from a recessive gene, so you can see short hair offspring from long hairs and vice versa from a domestic shorthair.
Cat sitters love them for their long hair, but this results in them not being able to maintain their own coats, so need to be brushed every day. This is a crucial part of cat care. Frequently breeders advise that they be bathed every week or so. Though many breeders state that if they are regularly groomed and they do not venture outside that this is unnecessary.
Bathing is difficult with a cat, though it is easier if introduced as part of regular routine to a young kitten.
The very long haired cats are very prone to matted fur, particularly if they venture outside. This can become so bad that they sprout “wings”. The nastiest places for matting are under the legs and arms. This will infuriate the cat and hinder his movements and on a cat that often goes outside, may result in him being caught in bushes or trees. The cats forcing away, can result in bald patches and perhaps injuries.  If the cat has matting, the use of a de-matting comb should detangle it. The domestic longhair may not like grooming, but regular brushing will remove the mat and stop them reforming.
New cat owners will be tempted to cut the mats away with scissors, instead of combing it out. Caution with doing this, the skin may appear like a mat and you may cut the cat. If you feel you must do this, take care, little by little and cutting away from the cat. There are special grooming electric clippers, but be careful with these as well. Best is probably to use a professional cat groomer if there is any doubt. Many professional cat sitters such as London pet sitting will tidy up the cat as part of their service.
The matted fur and uncleaned skin in the area can contain a lot of bacteria, so be careful if you cut the cat and if you do, rapidly cleanup and disinfect the area.

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