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.