Domestic medium hair
The domestic medium hair sits between the other two and is, if anything, an even looser label — a cat of unknown ancestry with a coat longer than a shorthair's but without the full length and ruff of a longhair.
Many shelters use it for anything in between, and the same cat may be described differently by two different people.
They weigh 4 to 6 kilograms, come in every colour and pattern, and often have a plumed tail and a modest ruff with a shorter coat over the body. That combination is common in ordinary cat populations and needs no pedigree explanation. Like other non-pedigree cats they benefit from a wide gene pool and carry no breed-specific inherited disease.
- Origin
- Everywhere — an ordinary cat of intermediate coat length
- Size
- 4–6 kg
- Lifespan
- 12–20 years
- Coat
- Medium, often with a plumed tail and light ruff
- Temperament
- Varies entirely by individual
- Health
- Broad gene pool; no inherited breed conditions
2 domestic medium hair photos, newest first
Living with a domestic medium hair
Brush a couple of times a week. A medium coat mats less than a long one but still does, especially on the ruff, behind the ears and along the trousers.
Seasonal shedding is heavier than it looks — most of the coat comes out over a few weeks in spring, and brushing through that period prevents most hairballs.
Everything else is ordinary cat care. Neuter, microchip, vaccinate, and keep up with dental checks, because periodontal disease is nearly universal in cats over three and almost entirely silent.
Annual vet visits, moving to twice yearly past ten, catch kidney disease and hyperthyroidism early.
As with any shelter cat, ask about temperament and history rather than inferring anything from the coat.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual cats vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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