One fact to take note of is that medium-haired cats don’t belong to a single breed; the feature occurs across different breeds, thus, there is no single, recognized breed called Domestic Medium Hair cats. Each feline comes with its own personality trait according to its original breed, even though they fall under the umbrella of medium-haired cats. Currently, we have so many breeds of feline that fall under this category, both pure breeds and the designer ones.
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How To Know Your Kitten Is A Medium-Hair Cat
One common character trait of the medium-haired cat is its luxuriously soft, as well as a beautiful double coat. Besides, they don’t occur as common as their Shorthair counterparts. Their coat has to be a middle ground between the long hair and short hair and can be obtained in any colour imaginable since they comprise of different breeds of feline.
Grooming Needs Of The Medium-Hair Cat
Though their coat length is not very long, the medium-haired cat will require grooming on a regular basis because of their thick, double coat. The essence of the grooming procedure is to keep its coat in tip-top condition by removing loose fur which will, in turn, prevent hairballs and mats. Recommendations suggest that you groom your medium-haired cat once a week, but this can be increased during their shedding season.
The coat of this category of felines has similarities with that of the canines with an outer and inner coat. This calls for extra maintenance contrary to popular belief. The popularity of medium-haired cats comes from the fact that they are a great middle-of-the-road option for potential pet parents who are averse to adopting a long-haired feline but may want a fluffier, softer cat than a short-haired kitty. Besides, their grooming needs are less when compared to that of long-haired cats.
Cat Breeds That Come With Medium Hair
As earlier discussed, medium-haired cats do not come from a particular breed of felines, it is a term used to refer to all kitties with coats that are neither too short nor too long; there are so many of them
1. Abyssinian Cat
The Abyssinian cat is one medium-haired cat that comes with what is referred to as a “ticked” coat, meaning that it alternates both dark and light bands of colors on each hair shaft. The warm glow coming from their coat puts them in close resemblance to wild cats such as cougars. Four primary colors are prevalent in this breed, red, ruddy brown, fawn, and blue. Your Aby’s coat can be maintained with weekly brushing which may be increased during the shedding season, in addition to bathing to get rid of loose hair faster. The life expectancy for this baby is from 9 to 15 years.
2. American Bobtail Cat Breed
The American Bobtail Cat Breed can come in two variants, we have the medium and long-haired with coat colors ranging from black, white, cream, red, lavender, chocolate, fawn, and cinnamon, including various shadings and patterns. The feline comes in medium or large sizes with the females weighing 7 to 11 pounds and the males 12 to 16 pounds.
3. American Wirehair Cat Breed
This breed of medium-haired cats is considered an enthusiastic and moderately talkative baby. The feline can be easily identified due to its dense and wiry coat which is best described as “feeling like steel wool.” The females of the American Wirehair cat breed weigh between 8 to 12 pounds with the males of the specie weighing from 12 to 15 pounds. This intelligent, playful, and highly adaptive kitty is considered a national treasure. The cat is very easy to care for with its loving, relaxed, and sweet personality, which makes it a perfect pet for multi-pet households with children and elderly people.
4. Balinese-Javanese Cat Breed
The beautiful coat of the Balinese-Javanese Cat breed puts it among the medium-haired cats. The feline occurs in various colors and points; we have the Balinese – seal point, blue point, chocolate point, lilac point, and many more. You can also get the Javanese – red point, seal point, and cream point, among others. The female can weigh between 8 and 12 pounds while the males come a bit bigger with 12 to 16 pounds.
The Balinese is also referred to as the Javanese and is distinguished by its luxurious tail plume. The kitty is lithe, slender, and muscular with a clownlike personality. It is known for its intelligence and talkative nature. Health-wise, the Balinese cat breed is strong with a life expectancy of 20 years. It is a medium to a large-sized cat with the females weighing between 6 and 12 pounds and the males about 10 to 18 pounds. The coat color for this breed can be obtained as bright orange to light brown, sporting distinctive marbling markings or patterns, or dark spots.
5. Bengal Cats
The Bengal cats can occur in medium or long coats, thus, they are not all medium-haired cats. The cat is quite curious by nature, it loves to chase, play, climb, and take part in any ongoing action, don’t be surprised to catch your furry friend hopping into the shower with you or it may land inside the fish tank to splash water. The Bengal is, in fact, an attention seeker, always on the move and practicing mischief. This intelligent breed can walk on a leash if given enough training.
6. The Birman
The Birman is a sociable cat with a wonderful personality and as such, it loves to live in a multi-pet household, the cat may remain quiet when it observes that the owner is occupied but otherwise, it is very active and playful. The breed is very healthy with a long life expectancy. Its coat is semi-long, very silky, with a luxurious long bottle-brush tail, and doesn’t mat. The Birman’s sweet expression is capped with two almost-round eyes that are brilliant blue in color. Its coat color can be obtained in any shade of blue, from ash to slate and the males weigh 10 to 15 pounds with the females weighing lower between 6 to 11 pounds.
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7. The Chartreux
The Chartreux Is often referred to as the smiling cat of France with its sweet and adorable smiling expression. This medium-haired cat is powerful and sturdy, sporting a unique blue coat equipped with an undercoat that is resilient and woolly. Historically, the breed is known as fine mousers and their strong hunting instinct makes them love any toy in motion. The breed matures slowly, attaining adulthood between three to five years. The Chartreux is gentle, loving, and loves to bond with people.
8. Siberian Cat Breed
The Siberian Cat breed falls into the category of medium-haired cats with its semi-long coat which comes in black, white, red, blue, silver, and cream, in addition to other shadings and patterns. Body size for the Siberian cat breed is medium to large with a body weight that ranges from 8 to 17 pounds. The life expectancy for this breed is 11 to 15.
The list is not exhaustive as there are still other feline breeds that are considered medium-haired cats, they include, the Havana Brown cat, Ragamuffin cat, Ragdoll cat, Somali cat, Tonkinese cat, Turkish Angora cat, and Turkish Van cat. Apparently, there are enough breeds to choose from if you are looking for cuddly medium-haired cats to pet.