Started Off Short Hair, Became Long Hair (especially the tail)

[claydust]

I will start off that I know our 8 month old Freyja is not a pure bred cat.  She was adopted from the SPCA and we know her mother is a typical domestic short hair.

She started off looking like a short, or perhaps a medium hair kitten;

2016-04-24.JPG

• claydust
• Sep 3, 2016

At 8 moths old, she looks like this;

Tail.JPG

• claydust
• Sep 3, 2016

2016-08-17 1.jpg

• claydust
• Sep 3, 2016

I am no expert but the only cat I know that starts off with a shorter hair tail and grows a "fox tail" is a Somali.

Wondering if it is possible that there's some Somali in the feral gene pool. or is there some other possibility?

 

[weebeasties]

One of our cats did the short to long hair magic trick too. Don't think there is any Somali in him.

From this...

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• weebeasties
• Aug 21, 2016

To this

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• weebeasties
• Jul 26, 2016

Also, another TCS member @Raina21  has a beautiful kitty named Tesla who did a "hair switch" too. Whatever her ancestry, Freyja is adorable!

 

[claydust]

Nice B&W guy

That's interesting, I always thought the hair length was pretty much set when they were kittens.

Hard to picture Gigi, here as anything but a fluff ball as a small kitten;

IMG_2337.JPG

• claydust
• Sep 3, 2016

Gigi On Her Back.JPG

• claydust
• Sep 3, 2016

We don't know for sure, she came to us at approx. 5 years of age, she and Freyja get along quite well.

Here is another recent picture of Freyja;

2016-08-17 2.jpg

• claydust
• Sep 3, 2016

As can be seen, I like torties

 

[piano cat]

Maybe it's a tortie thing?  My friend's cat did that too.  Her's was seasonal changes, in winter she seemed to have three times as much hair as she did in summer and it was longer, much longer.  We have pretty cold winters here and she did go outside in daytime.

 

[claydust]

I should have mentioned, it looks like Freyja might grow to be a big girl.

Here she is from a few weeks ago at 8 months of age, with our 4 year old orange guy, Tim, for comparison;

Capture.JPG

• claydust
• Sep 3, 2016

 

[claydust]

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• claydust
• Sep 3, 2016

 

[piano cat]

Yes, and my own rescue torbie maintains her longish coat all year. 

Derri and Lexie web small.jpg

• piano cat
• Sep 4, 2016

 

[Tonya97]

I can’t wrap mind around this. I came across this looking for answers with my girl Fluffy. She also did this magic trick. Grew a mane and everything all over. She is a mix. I have no idea of what breeds. I get the picture of her as a kitten from previous owner.
Fluffy when I got her 3 years old

Fluffy as a kitten

Fluffy now 4 years old

 

[Maria Bayote]

I can’t wrap mind around this. I came across this looking for answers with my girl Fluffy. She also did this magic trick. Grew a mane and everything all over. She is a mix. I have no idea of what breeds. I get the picture of her as a kitten from previous owner.
Fluffy when I got her 3 years old
View attachment 361528
Fluffy as a kitten
View attachment 361526
Fluffy now 4 years old
View attachment 361527

My goodness! Fluffy is so cute!

She looks like my Bourbon. When the months are much colder, I notice her fur gets also much fluffier. The vet said she has a mix of maine coon in her but I doubt now. She is just a long - haired domestic cat whom I love deeply. Most cats are of no specific breed.

 

[cataholic07]

Yes it's normal for all longhair kittens to go through their gangly teen years where they look like a short hair, my 3 did. They are shedding their kitten coat and turning into their adult coat. Also kitties will be less floofy during summer and more fluffy during winter. The first pics are of them at 5 months, and the 2nd pic is the first one at a over year old and the other two over 2 years old.Floofers are pretty cool cats.

 

[Odin's mom]

My kitty Odin did this. He was 11 weeks when I adopted him from the shelter. The changes in the length of his coat and color make him look like 2 different cats. Lol
11 weeks

4 months

8 months

 

[Mia6]

My kitty Odin did this. He was 11 weeks when I adopted him from the shelter. The changes in the length of his coat and color make him look like 2 different cats. Lol
11 weeksView attachment 367261
4 months
View attachment 367262
8 months
View attachment 367264

Welcome!! Odin is very sweet!!

 

[ILoveMrPoofers]

Hello!
I was just searching up this very same issue and came across your post, so I registered for this site to leave you a comment that the same thing has happened to my kitty. I just adopted a tuxedo kitten and he has had 3 rounds of Flagyl and was on deworming meds. I named him Mr Poofers because he looked like a little poof ball that had exploded! He is now short haired all over except for his tail and a few spots on his hind legs. He’s still gorgeous but I thought it to be so strange! And he has more grey hairs mixed in his coat. So he has a funny little misrepresented name I guess. Ha!

 

[Flybynight]

ILoveMrPoofers
Hi,
Usually the tail tells.
If the tail is fluffy the cat will be as well normally.
As others have said, there is a teen period and around one when they may look the shortest fur but still have a fluffy tail. My long haired kitty went through this phase.
He still tends to loose fur once a year but not as much. With being an indoor cat and heating on in winter he looses his coat in winter rather than summer.

 

[cataholic07]

Well Fynns tail was never floofy. And as you can see, its still not but the rest is lol. His mane is so long, his body fur is thick but still not much fur on the legs and tail lol. Really you can tell if the fur behind the ear is wavy, the body fur tends to be same. A lil thicker and you can see the tufts of fur between his toe beans.

 

[Flybynight]

To me those look like long haired tails on your Flynn cataholic07 .
They won't usually be big on a young kitten but their tails will be fluffier i.e more fur than on a short haired kitty.
I cannot see the tail in the adult pic above but on the other two pics of him as a kitten yes. One photo you used is a few posts above and definite a long hair judging by the tail - even though his fur looks shorter on the body at that stage.

 

[MumOfMango]

Hi everyone- not sure if anyone is still about on this thread but like another poster I was googling this topic and found the thread. Wonder if anyone wants to hazard a guess at how my Mango will turn out? Her mum was long haired, dad was short haired and as a tiny kitten was extra poofy, but seems to be more short haired now, apart from her tail and back of her hind legs. She doesn’t seem to have the ear or foot tufts you’d get with a long haired cat.

We obviously don’t mind either way, she’s a beautiful and cheeky tortie. I’m just personally not very good at not knowing things, and if she might end up with medium or long hair I’d like to get her more used to regular grooming so I have a hope of keeping my fingers! She’s 6 months old now.

 

[Maurey]

Hi everyone- not sure if anyone is still about on this thread but like another poster I was googling this topic and found the thread. Wonder if anyone wants to hazard a guess at how my Mango will turn out? Her mum was long haired, dad was short haired and as a tiny kitten was extra poofy, but seems to be more short haired now, apart from her tail and back of her hind legs. She doesn’t seem to have the ear or foot tufts you’d get with a long haired cat. View attachment 425371We obviously don’t mind either way, she’s a beautiful and cheeky tortie. I’m just personally not very good at not knowing things, and if she might end up with medium or long hair I’d like to get her more used to regular grooming so I have a hope of keeping my fingers! She’s 6 months old now. View attachment 425369View attachment 425370

Shorthair

 

[cataholic07]

for sure shorthair