Domestic Medium Hair Cat Adoption

Domestic Medium Hair is a category, not a breed

Domestic Medium Hair, or DMH, is what a shelter writes when a cat has more coat than a shorthair but not the full plume of a longhair. Alongside Domestic Shorthair and Domestic Longhair it covers the overwhelming majority of cats in Canadian rescue: cats of mixed or unknown ancestry, which is most cats.

The label describes the coat and nothing else. It carries no information about temperament, size or health, which is why the individual cat's history is worth far more of your attention than the category is.

The same cat gets labelled differently by different shelters

There is no standard separating medium hair from long hair, because neither is a breed. One rescue lists a cat as DMH, another lists the same cat as DLH, and both are defensible. Kittens make it worse, since coat length is not settled until well into the first year.

If your real question is how much grooming you are signing up for, the category will not answer it. The photographs will, and so will the foster.

Why DMH suits most households

A medium coat is the practical compromise. It mats far less readily than a true longhair, needs brushing perhaps twice a week rather than daily, and still gives you the ruff and the plumed tail that people want from a longhair.

• •Brush twice a week, more during the seasonal shed.
• •Watch the ruff, the trousers and behind the front legs, where mats start.
• •Expect noticeable shedding on the seasonal turn, and heavier in dry winter heating.
• •A mat close to the skin needs clipping out, not pulling; ask a groomer or vet.

Mixed ancestry is an advantage

Like Domestic Shorthairs, DMH cats benefit from genetic diversity and generally carry fewer concentrated inherited conditions than pedigree lines. Fifteen to twenty years with routine veterinary care is a reasonable expectation.

Adoption fees are usually at the lower end, because supply is high. The most common outstanding need on an adult rescue cat of any coat length is dental work, so ask what has been done.

What to ask instead of the label

Since DMH tells you nothing about behaviour, spend the conversation on the cat. A foster who has lived with it can tell you what no category can.

• •How does it greet visitors, and how does it handle being picked up?
• •Has it lived with other cats, with dogs, or with children?
• •What does it do when the house is empty during a working day?
• •Is it half of a bonded pair? Pairs are common and wait longer.