Your guide to finding and caring for a Domestic Long Hair in Yakima
A Domestic Long Hair fits easily into the older homes of Barge-Chestnut or a small rental off Nob Hill Boulevard. Most are happy with a sunny window perch, a scratching post and a regular brushing routine. Because the name only describes a fluffy coat, not a pedigree, these cats range from lap-loving couch dwellers to busy climbers. Expect some fur on the furniture, and set up a cool corner for July afternoons, when Yakima regularly climbs into the 90s.
Your Domestic Long Hair is waiting
While we don't have enough cats near Yakima, keep in mind that many rescues may offer transport.
F, 4 y., 875 miles
Domestic Long Hair
M, 6 y., 875 miles
Domestic Long Hair
F, 10 y., 875 miles
Domestic Long Hair
F, 8 y., 875 miles
Domestic Long Hair
M, 11 y., 875 miles
Tuxedo, Domestic Long Hair
F, 7 y., 876 miles
Domestic Long Hair
M, 8 y., 876 miles
Domestic Long Hair
M, 5 y., 876 miles
Domestic Long Hair
F, 2 y., 876 miles
Domestic Long Hair
F, 2 y., 876 miles
Domestic Long Hair
Domestic Long Hair is a coat description, not a breed. It covers mixed-ancestry cats with medium to long fur, so you'll see every color and pattern, from tabby and calico to solid black and smoke. Size, build and coat texture vary, and adults commonly weigh 8 to 15 pounds. Some look like a Maine Coon or Persian without sharing that ancestry.
What these cats have in common is a coat that needs brushing to prevent mats and hairballs, plus the broad genetic variety that tends to keep mixed cats healthy. In Yakima, where homes run from older houses to small multiplexes, a Domestic Long Hair usually adapts well. Spending time with a cat tells you far more about personality than the coat label does.
Having a Domestic Long Hair in Yakima
Domestic Long Hair describes a coat, not a pedigree, so personality and energy differ from cat to cat. In Yakima, the practical points are regular brushing, cool resting spots through hot summers and keeping the cat safely indoors.
Some Domestic Long Hairs are mellow lap cats, others are bold climbers, and some take weeks to warm up. Age, early socialization and past experience shape personality more than coat length does. Many settle happily into quiet Yakima homes, so think about how a particular cat behaves around the people and pets you live with.
Two or three short play sessions a day with wand toys, balls or puzzle feeders usually keep a Domestic Long Hair fit. Window perches and cat trees add climbing. During Yakima's cold winters, indoor play carries most of the exercise, and a healthy weight helps a cat keep that long coat clean.
Mixed ancestry spares Domestic Long Hairs most breed-specific inherited conditions, but mats, hairballs and soiled fur are common coat problems, especially in older or heavier cats. Dental disease and kidney trouble turn up in cats generally. A veterinarian can check coat, teeth and weight at the first visit and set up a routine.
A Domestic Long Hair does well in a Yakima house or apartment with litter boxes, scratching posts, hiding spots and vertical space. Keeping the cat indoors protects the coat from burrs and traffic. Put a bed away from sun-baked windows so a thick-coated cat has somewhere cool in summer.
| Expense | Typical cost | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Food | $25 to $50 per month | $300 to $600 |
| Pet insurance | $20 to $45 per month | $240 to $540 |
| Routine vet care | $150 to $350 per year | $150 to $350 |
| Other* | $500 to $1,250 per year | $500 to $1,250 |
| Estimated yearly total (after year one) | $1,190 to $2,740 | |
Other costs are estimates and vary with size, age and health.
* Litter, flea prevention, a dental cleaning allowance, toys, scratchers and other supplies, and brushing tools or occasional grooming for the long coat.
Now that you know more, let’s find you a new best friend. These rescues and shelters below currently have Domestic Long Hairs available.
Yakima's rescue community includes an open-admission humane society and smaller volunteer groups caring for cats and kittens. Here are the rescues & shelters in the Yakima area where you can find Domestic Long Hairs and other cats available for adoption.
Yes. Yakima has no known restrictions on long-haired cats, and a Domestic Long Hair is simply a cat with a longer coat. The city allows up to five cats per home, and renters usually need landlord approval. Watch the cats listed on this page, or save a search to hear about new arrivals.
Yes, as long as the cat stays in an approved carrier. Yakima Transit requires pets to remain in a carrier while onboard its buses, and the city has no subway or rail. Choose a roomy carrier, since many Domestic Long Hairs weigh 8 to 15 pounds, and check current fares with Yakima Transit.
Mostly yes for indoor cats. Winters are cold, but a heated home and a thick coat make that easy. Summer is the harder part, with about 40 days a year at 90°F or higher and occasional wildfire smoke, so provide shade, cool floors, fresh water and a well-brushed coat, and keep the cat inside.
Yes. Domestic Long Hairs are generally comfortable in apartments when they have litter boxes, climbing space and daily play. Yakima rentals range from older houses to small multiplexes, so confirm pet terms in writing and make sure any nonrefundable pet fee is spelled out in the lease. Regular brushing matters more than square footage.
Plan on brushing several times a week, and daily during heavier spring and fall shedding. Yakima's dry air and big seasonal swings can make fur static-prone and mat-prone, so keep up the routine. Occasional professional grooming for stubborn mats fits within the Other costs of roughly $500 to $1,250 a year.
You can usually tell a kitten will have long hair by about three to four weeks old, when its fur looks noticeably fluffier than its littermates'. Look for longer tufts on the ears, between the toes and on the tail, plus a softer, fuller coat overall. The full adult coat, ruff and tail plume can take one to two years to develop.
Yes, long hair is a recessive trait in cats. A kitten needs two copies of a long-hair variant, usually in the FGF5 gene, one from each parent, to grow a long coat. Two shorthaired parents can produce longhaired kittens if both carry the variant, while a longhair bred to a cat with two short-hair copies produces only shorthaired kittens.
Domestic Long Hair cats commonly live about 12 to 18 years, and many indoor cats reach their late teens or beyond. Mixed-breed cats have broad genetic diversity, and UK veterinary research found non-pedigree cats lived longer than purebreds on average. Indoor living, a healthy weight, dental care and regular checkups make the biggest difference.
We have 1 rescue with Domestic Long Hairs available: Yakima Humane Society. You can see every rescue with Domestic Long Hairs available in the list above these questions, or scroll to the top to see the Domestic Long Hairs near Yakima.
A Domestic Long Hair typically costs about $1,200 to $2,750 a year. Food runs $25 to $50 a month, insurance $20 to $45 a month, routine vet care $150 to $350 a year, and other costs such as litter, flea prevention, dental care and grooming supplies $500 to $1,250 a year.
Expand your search to find Domestic Long Hairs available for adoption near Yakima.
Looking for a different breed? Browse other cats available for adoption in Yakima.
