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Mary Lane is a Domestic Short-hair tabby!
A cat's hair grows out during a 60 to 90 day cycle, rests during a 40 to 60 day cycle, and then falls out. This is mainly influenced by the length of day. During the longer days of spring, more hair falls out. As the days shorten, less falls out and the coat appears to thicken. Indoor cats are less affected and shed on a year round cycle. The hair of a long-haired cat does not grow faster; the growth stage is just more extended than for the short-haired cats.
The Domestic Short-Haired cat is a self-sufficient, easy-going, no-nonsense cat. They are often seen in the show-ring in the USA and Canada, but not so much in other countries.
American shorthairs can become quite large and muscular. They arrived on the ships of the first European settlers; being used as rat catchers on board and "slipping off" after arriving. These early pioneers developed thick coats and increased in size from their European counterparts as a measure to protect themselves from the native predators.
The short-haired breeds that have evolved to cope with hot climates have fewer secondary "down" hairs and shed what they do have at a faster rate. The cold weather, long-hairs have more "down" hairs and retain them longer. If the short-haired breeds are still too hot, they shed their primary hairs at a faster rate.
Domestic Short Hairs are the most predominant domesticated cat in the world. Although they originated in Egypt, their body type and weight has slowly evolved over the centuries to adapt to the region of the world where they live.
We are pleased to welcome Mary Lane to our practice!
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