It keeps your cat warm in winter and cool in the heat. There are ways you can help, too.

By Janet Lee

Whether your cat has fluffy long hair, shiny short hair or practically no hair, its fur requires fastidious care. Your pet spends 10 to 30 percent of its waking hours keeping itself beautiful. Besides its aesthetic qualities, fur provides clues to your cat’s health.

Regular brushing is especially important if you have a long-haired cat.

Most domestic cats have two coats. A soft, thick undercoat called secondary hair grows in clusters from single follicles and provides warmth. Short, bristly “awn” hairs and soft, wavy “down” hairs make up this layer. Above these are stiff, longer hairs called primary or guard hairs. These hairs grow individually from single follicles and give your pet’s coat its color and pattern. Scattered throughout Kitty’s coat are…

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