# Odd Coat Type - one for the breeders :-)



## Vicki.Ann (Oct 23, 2009)

I just yesterday brought a kitten home from a farm where he wouldn't have survived. He is in a typically rough state for a kitten born to a semi-feral colony.
I thought from looking at him last night that he was a shorthaired ticked tabby, not that it matters, but I always have an interest.

Just having got him cleaned up and brushed out, he doesn't look like a typical shorthair, nor does he look semi-longhair. He has a coarse wiry coat I can only compare to a deerhound or wolfhound in the way it feels. His whiskers are a bit crinkly - not curly, nor poker straight as they should be.
He has funny tufty fur with a clearly apparent soft undercoat and coarse longer guard hairs, but he does not have a bushy tail which is usually obvious in a semi-longhair at this age.

Will post some photos but wondered what people's thoughts were? Apart from the fact he's scruffy as hell 













































































































To touch I would describe him as wirehaired but I know that's incredibly unlikely.

Anyone come across malnutrition causing this sort of coat? He is quite severely malnourished bless him.

Any thoughts would be welcome


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

His nutritional & health status might be affecting his coat. Have you checked for fleas? And made arrangements to worm him?


----------



## Vicki.Ann (Oct 23, 2009)

Thank you for your reply 

I'm a vet (was on a call to cow and this little character crept under my car) so he's already been wormed but will have to have a frontline spray treatment this evening as he's too small for any of the spot-ons yet. No evidence of fleas in his coat, not even a speck of flea dirt but I always assume fleas are present on these cats unless definitively proven otherwise.
I have an Advocate sat here for when he gets to 1kg as I want to cover him for ear mites too!

This little one isn't the first tiny kitten to have come home from work :Shy I'm too soft. But with the others, who were mostly in similarly poor condition on arriving home, they didn't have coats like this. Will be interesting to see how he develops as his health improves.


----------



## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

Awwww he's very cute  he picked the right car to crawl under, didn't he! So glad he's safe now & getting the love & attention he deserves 

I would also suspect the poor coat is down to poor nutrition - I wonder if he had fever coat when he was born (esp if mom cat wasn't getting the best feeding etc while pregnant) and it's maybe that growing out?


----------



## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

It will be very interesting to see how this little boy develops. I think all the rex breeds have originated as mutations within the non-pedigree populations, the first Cornish rex from a stray living in a tin mine. There is probably inbreeding within farm cats which would make it more likely that a recessive mutation will show itself. Most but not all mutations are recessive.


----------



## Catharinem (Dec 17, 2014)

I was wondering about a bit of Rex parentage or in grandparents. You're right, if inbred more likely to show recessive genes. The ears are quite large too, which could point to Rex again.


----------



## Vicki.Ann (Oct 23, 2009)

Thank you everyone for your replies. 

I did consider fever coat, he is certainly reasonably light in colouration as well but then having never seen a ticked tabby/agouti in the fur before (which I assume he is) I have no idea if he's abnormally light coated. I fully expect his Mum was malnourished and/or ill during pregnancy and am hugely surprised that this little man is not showing any clinical signs of cat flu. 

I did read that many of the odd coat types originated in semi-feral colonies, which would make perfect sense, with most of them being recessive.

It's also possible that there may be rex somewhere in his ancestry. Two tiny feral kittens were brought to me 5 years ago having dropped out of the hollow drawbar of a silage trailer, one was a colour point shorthaired which was I surprised enough about, and the other was a semi-longhaired black and white who grew up to look so much like a Norwegian Forest Cat (with the almond eyes/long nose/excessively long tail) that he was frequently mistaken for a Norwegian and certainly didn't look like a feral-born farm cat!

Regardless of what this little man turns out to be he will have a home here for life. 

As an aside, any name suggestions would be welcome. We already have a Nina (came to us with a name), Flea, Dot and Kai.


----------



## anachronism (Jan 30, 2014)

Brillo!


----------



## Tigermoon (Apr 2, 2013)

It certainly is an unusual coat both in colour and texture, its actually rather appealing. However I'm with @OrientalSlave regarding how health can affect the coats. Years ago I had a part Siamese kitten who came from a very big litter so none of them were particularly well nourished. Her coat was coarse, with wiry hairs all over and although she turn out to be jet black, when she came to me she was seal brown with a large number of white hairs mixed in all over her body. It'll be fascinating to see how this chap develops.


----------



## Vicki.Ann (Oct 23, 2009)

That's very interesting! Time will tell on this little fella and I'll be sure to put some more photos on of him. I think he'll be stunning whatever he turns out like, and his little personality is gorgeous. He's a pretty happy, confident little cat :Cat

It's odd that malnutrition can cause a coarse wiry coat ... I would expect it to cause a sparse coat or lack of guard hairs. I keep ferrets and had a pair of siblings earlier in the year who were clearly malnourished and they were completely lacking guard hairs and had a deep brown/black velvety coat ... a month or two of good food and treatment for parasites and they have beautiful shiny black coats with all guard hairs present!

I quite like the name 'Brillo' ... but the OH isn't so keen. I'm lucky that my OH, although a farmer, is a huge cat person and welcomes these waifs when I bring them home.


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Devon & I suspect Cornish rex kittens have very soft cats due to lack of guard hairs. Also Devons are fairly rare & Cornish are very rare


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Ps suspect this is a longhair kitten


----------



## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

OrientalSlave said:


> Ps suspect this is a longhair kitten


I agree. I did not suggest the kitten had any of the recognised rex type coats or even rex ancestry. I mentioned the rex simply because of their similar origins. The amount of inbreeding in these cats is more likely to show up the presence of a new recessive mutation if it occurs.


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

QOTN said:


> I agree. I did not suggest the kitten had any of the recognised rex type coats or even rex ancestry. I mentioned the rex simply because of their similar origins. The amount of inbreeding in these cats is more likely to show up the presence of a new recessive mutation if it occurs.


You didn't but a couple of other people did!


----------



## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

OrientalSlave said:


> You didn't but a couple of other people did!


I thought it best to reply to you!!!!!


----------



## Vicki.Ann (Oct 23, 2009)

OrientalSlave said:


> Ps suspect this is a longhair kitten


I hope so :Cat


----------



## elmthesofties (Aug 8, 2011)

Complete guess, but maybe the weather is partly to blame? It wouldn't explain the whiskers, but my animals tend to look a bit scruffy in the days after they dry off. It might not be the only reason, but it might have some impact. I guess you'll find out soon, if he's still rocking the curly coat after several days of TLC.


----------



## Squeaks (Oct 16, 2014)

Thank you for taking this little fella on and I look forward to seeing him grow and develop, he is a stunner already and clearly very happy to be with you!


----------



## Erenya (Jul 22, 2014)

I think you should call him Scruff


----------



## Vicki.Ann (Oct 23, 2009)

The OH has started calling him Dave  I really don't want it to stick so maybe I'll run Scruff by him. 

His coat is now much softer but it's still frizzy and odd. I will get some more pictures over the next week.
He's such a charming little character, so incredibly affectionate and trusting. And my clever boy has already learnt how to use the covered litter tray :Cat


----------



## MinkyMadam (Apr 12, 2014)

He's adorable! I'm not a breeder and clueless about the questions you have, but just happened upon your post. For some reason the name Scamp popped into my head when I saw his pictures. It's a nicknname I often use for all my cats! 

Wishing him good health and many happy years together with you.


----------



## Vicki.Ann (Oct 23, 2009)

Well, at long last his name has been decided. He is now called Loki.

His coat hasn't straightened or lengthened much - he still has a strange coat. At a glance he's a regular shorthair ... then look closer and he has funny wiry hairs all over :Cat


----------



## Vicki.Ann (Oct 23, 2009)

Oh, and he plays fetch with little paper balls  He's a very unique little character!


----------



## anachronism (Jan 30, 2014)

I hope you realise the trouble you are unleashing calling a kitten Loki  I say this as a fellow Loki owner.

His fur reminds me a little of the Lykoi fur but without the balding. He is lovely


----------



## Vicki.Ann (Oct 23, 2009)

anachronism said:


> I hope you realise the trouble you are unleashing calling a kitten Loki  I say this as a fellow Loki owner.
> 
> His fur reminds me a little of the Lykoi fur but without the balding. He is lovely


Oh dear, what have I done? Mind you we always seem to have nutty cats here. But we love them all.

I was thinking he has the Lykoi fuzz but I hope he doesn't get bald patches  
Perhaps he's just an odditiy - we have a cat registered at work who has a short, coarse coat - it's most bizarre, he looks like he's been clipped on a number 2 all over and then electric shocked! He's always looked like that, just a unique cat!

This little man is absolutely one of the family - our last in before him, another feral farm kitten, Kai (well he's 18 months now!) has already made friends with Loki. Dot is curious (another feral farm kitten, with micropthalmia and tail deformity ... see the pattern?) but not yet happy with Loki yet. Flea is disgusted by him and hisses like a fiend when he sees him, but hopefully he will become more comfortable with him in time ... and Nina ... well Nina doesn't like any other cats so she minds her own anyway


----------



## Mildred's Mum (Dec 3, 2015)

I have no breeding expertise whatsoever but I just wanted to say he's beautiful! Little stunner. His coat makes me think of a border terrier or similar- maybe he's half dog? ;-)


----------



## Vicki.Ann (Oct 23, 2009)

Well, a month on and his coat is still the same. He is growing well and much healthier than when he arrived but no change in his coat.

His daft coat is absolutely rubbish for heat retention ... and this poor little mite cries until he is allowed under the covers and straight onto our electric blanket every night! I have come to the conclusion I think I just have a weird little kitten with a unique coat :Cat


----------



## Tigermoon (Apr 2, 2013)

It'll be interesting to see if this coat remains into adulthood or whether he develops a normal one following the first coat change. There is a breed of cat called 'wirehair'. I've never seen one in the flesh though.


----------



## Firedog (Oct 19, 2011)

I know it is physically impossible but every time I look at him I think that is what a kitten would look like if a cat was too mate with a fox.


----------



## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

There is something called an American Wirehair that originated from a littler of kittens that popped up in 1966 apparently from a random gene mutation. They don't seem to be known anywhere else but the states or haven't been. So maybe it is a random mutation?

The first American Wirehair was found in a litter of 6 kittens born on Council Rock Farm in Verona, New York. The kitten was a red-and-white male with a sparse, wiry coat-every hair, including his whiskers, was crimped and springy. His parents, Bootsie and Fluffy, were normal-coated domestic shorthairs who lived on the farm owned by Nathan Mosher. Local cat breeder Joan O'Shea saw the kitten and, recognizing him as unique, was able to acquire him. She named him Council Rock Farm Adam of Hi-Fi. He was bred to a female belonging to O'Shea's neighbor and produced kittens with a wiry coat. The female had also come from Mosher's farm so could have carried the wirehair gene. A second breeding to an unrelated female also produced wire-haired kittens thereby establishing it as a dominant gene.

O'Shea sent hair samples for analysis to noted British cat geneticists A.G. Searle and Roy Robinson. Robinson replied to her that the samples of Adam's hair showed the coat was unique and not related to the Cornish or Devon Rexes. All three hair types (down, awn and guard) were twisted and the awn hairs were also hooked at the tip. The cat was closest in type to the American Shorthair and this was the breed used to develop the American Wirehair. Today the only difference between the two breeds is the coat.

http://www.tica.org/cat-breeds/item/181-american-wirehair-introduction

There is a lot more info about them if you just google American wire hair cats.


----------



## Vicki.Ann (Oct 23, 2009)

I did see them in a few searches I did a few months ago ... Loki is something between them and a Lykoi - he does not have a thick full coat ...and appears to only have any amount of coarse guard hairs dorsally ... down his sides and legs he appears to be lacking guard hairs and only has very fine crinkled hairs. So much so you can stroke his fur the wrong way and see his skin in these areas.

His fur is also odd in that it stays where you put it ... say if you stroke him downwards and straighten his fur all out with a comb, he looks quite tidy but crinkled ... but as soon as he brushes anything the fur is pushed the opposite way and just stays there 

Most bizarre. I do adore him though whatever he might turn out to be. Time will be the teller and I'll be sure to keep you all updated :Cat


----------



## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Vicki.Ann said:


> I did see them in a few searches I did a few months ago ... Loki is something between them and a Lykoi - he does not have a thick full coat ...and appears to only have any amount of coarse guard hairs dorsally ... down his sides and legs he appears to be lacking guard hairs and only has very fine crinkled hairs. So much so you can stroke his fur the wrong way and see his skin in these areas.
> 
> His fur is also odd in that it stays where you put it ... say if you stroke him downwards and straighten his fur all out with a comb, he looks quite tidy but crinkled ... but as soon as he brushes anything the fur is pushed the opposite way and just stays there
> 
> Most bizarre. I do adore him though whatever he might turn out to be. Time will be the teller and I'll be sure to keep you all updated :Cat


If Loki comes from a feral group that has its own mutation, I can understand that there may not be many cats with his coat quality even in that restricted area. You say he hates the cold and was in a bad state when you found him so it may be that, if his coat is caused by a recessive gene, the homozygous kittens are unlikely to survive. It is interesting to me how many different hair type mutations there actually are. Many are not really practical for living without human help.


----------



## Vicki.Ann (Oct 23, 2009)

QOTN said:


> If Loki comes from a feral group that has its own mutation, I can understand that there may not be many cats with his coat quality even in that restricted area. You say he hates the cold and was in a bad state when you found him so it may be that, if his coat is caused by a recessive gene, the homozygous kittens are unlikely to survive. It is interesting to me how many different hair type mutations there actually are. Many are not really practical for living without human help.


Absolutely, I was thinking along those lines. He would have died of hypothermia outside in a very short time through the winter. Only problem is, I'm now going to be wondering every time I go there if there is another poor little kitten born with a silly coat that won't make it as a feral


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Vicki.Ann said:


> Absolutely, I was thinking along those lines. He would have died of hypothermia outside in a very short time through the winter. Only problem is, I'm now going to be wondering every time I go there if there is another poor little kitten born with a silly coat that won't make it as a feral


Survival of the fittest is cruel.


----------



## Vicki.Ann (Oct 23, 2009)

It is ... and I'm far too soft, I can't bear to see the weaker ones not make it. 

I shall have to try and avoid calls to that particular farm if I can, otherwise I will have a house full!


----------

