That distinctive slinky shape. Those big eyes. Those twitching, flicking ears. There are so many reasons why cats are truly beautiful animals - and their coat and fur plays a big role too. From a solid colour or impressive spots to long-haired beauties or no hair whatsoever, cat fur comes in a huge range of types and patterns.
Learn about them all here.
A cat’s coat comes in 4 different types, all varying in length, texture and thickness.
1. Long-haired cats
Long-haired cats can resemble their lion ancestors, thanks to their long, luscious locks. Long-haired cats’ coats come in lots of different colours and patterns and their fur can grow as long as 5 to 12cm! You’ll want to stock up on some great grooming tools to keep your long-haired cat tangle-free and looking their best.
2. Short-haired cats
Short-haired is the most common type of cat coat. Short-haired coats don’t tend to grow longer than around 4cm. This makes them easier to groom than a long-haired coat and also reduces your cat’s risk for furballs.
3. Curly-haired cats
You won’t spot many curly-haired cats - only a few breeds have it, including the Cornish Rex. Curly-haired cat coats can be long or short, and the curls can range from loose waves to tight curls. Normally curly-haired cats have low grooming needs, as brushing their coat too often can damage this delicate hair.
4. Hairless cats
Although hairless cats don’t have a fur coat, most actually do have hair. It’s just really fine and downy, like peach skin. A hairless cat might mean no fur shedding on your clothes or furniture, but you’ll need to invest in some kitty knitwear to keep them warm in winter. They also need weekly baths with gentle pet shampoo to wash natural oils away from their skin.
What pattern your cat’s fur is rocking is locked inside their genetic code. If you’re buying a kitten, take a look at mama cat to see what your little one may grow up to look like.
1. Tabby
The most common pattern for cats’ coats, tabby coats have 4 distinct patterns:
Ticked - a gradient of colour in each fur follicle that’s lighter at the bottom and darker at the top.
2. Solid
It’s pretty rare to find a truly solid cat coat as they need to have only one colour in their fur. British Shorthair cats used to be called British Blue because they came only in that one colour - a beautiful example of a solid coat. Nowadays a British Shorthair comes in many different colours and patterns.
3. Bicolour
As you might have guessed, bicolour cats have 2 colours of fur. They’re always a mix of white and one other colour. The most common combos are white and red and white and brown. You also might have heard of tuxedo cats - these kitties are black with white paws, faces and tummies!
4. and 5. Tricolour and tortoiseshell
No surprises here - tricolour cats have 3 colours of fur. Also called calico, these cat coats are a mixture of black, red and white or cream, blue and white. Tortoiseshell coats are either a mixture of black and red / orange or cream and blue.
Tricolour and tortoiseshell cats are normally female. That’s because the genes that give black and red fur colours are found on the X chromosome, which females have 2 of. Males only have 1 X chromosome, so can normally only have either red or black fur.
6. Colourpoint
Colourpoint is one of the rarest cat coat patterns - it’s thought to be a genetic mutation, which also explains why colourpoint cats normally have blue eyes. Colourpoint cats have dark coloured faces, paws and tails with lighter coloured bodies. Think Siamese cats.
Whatever type of coat your cat has, they’re all gorgeous in our eyes! If you need any further help or have a question we haven’t answered, contact our friendly Pet Direct Customer Care team on 0800 200 240 or email support@petdirect.co.nz