Domestic Longhair

By the WhatPetShouldIGet Expert Team · Reviewed against veterinary & animal-welfare sources · Updated Aug 22, 2026
Domestic Longhair
🐈 Average🙂 Moderate🪥 Some grooming🌬️ Heavy shed💬 Chatty🙂 Sociable🧒 Great with kids$

Domestic Longhairs are one of the better choices for a family with children. Expect an average-sized cat that is moderately active, sheds heavily and needs regular brushing. Fairly chatty by nature.

The numbers

Typical lifespan11–15 years (moggies are not a breed, so this is the general range for a healthy mixed-breed cat)

A second number, from veterinary records. A 2024 study of UK veterinary records put life expectancy for Domestic Longhairs at 11.89 years (95% confidence interval 11.75–12.03). That is measured from birth across every cat of this breed in the data, which makes it a different measure from the range above — and it lands in much the same place. UK cats of every kind average 11.74 years on that same measure.

The study counted this as crossbred cats rather than as a separate breed.

Based on 7117 recorded deaths.

The oldest Domestic Longhair in that data reached 26.69 years.

Sources: Teng et al., Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2024).

What Domestic Longhairs are actually like

Day to day. Moderately active — a couple of proper play sessions a day and somewhere to climb keeps this one content.

The coat, honestly. This breed sheds heavily and needs regular brushing. A brush a few times a week and the occasional tidy-up keeps it in good order.

Company and noise. This one is sociable without being clingy and fairly chatty. Sociable without being demanding, which is the easiest version of a cat to live with.

Get one if…

Think again if…

The short version: Domestic Longhairs suit a home that keeps to a routine, gives it room to be itself, and can live with the hair. Meet the cat itself before deciding.

What it costs to keep one

Rough running cost: $ (one of the cheaper ones) — because there is no single expensive thing about it — just the normal food, vet and insurance costs every cat brings.

Those are relative bands, not live prices. For real numbers across every pet we cover, see the pet cost study and the cost calculator.

Looking for one? Start at a shelter

Domestic Longhair is a cross, not a standardised breed — two from different litters can differ in size, coat and shedding. Everything on this page is the typical middle of that range.

Rescues do have Domestic Longhairs and Domestic Longhair crosses, usually adults whose size, coat and temperament you can see rather than guess at.

🏠 Find a shelter near you 📖 Why we say adopt first 🐾 About shelter cats
🤩 Fun fact: Long hair in cats comes from a single recessive gene, which is why two short-haired cats can produce a fluffy kitten.

Often compared with

Domestic Shorthair
The ordinary, extraordinary shelter cat — every colour, every personality, and the one you can actually meet before you choose.
🐈 Average🙂 Moderate🧹 Some shedding
Maine Coon
The gentle giant of the cat world — enormous, shaggy, and famously good-natured.
🐆 Big🙂 Moderate🌬️ Heavy shed
Siberian
A round, dense, affectionate Russian cat that is often easier on allergy sufferers than most.
🐆 Big🙂 Moderate🌬️ Heavy shed

❓ Common questions about Domestic Longhairs

Is a Domestic Longhair good with kids?

Yes — Domestic Longhairs have a strong reputation with children. As with any animal, an adult should supervise young kids and the cat together, and children need to learn to leave it alone while it eats or sleeps.

Do Domestic Longhairs shed a lot?

Yes — heavily, and all year. If hair on the sofa and in the car would bother you, this is not the breed.

Can a Domestic Longhair be left alone during the day?

Usually, yes. Most cats cope with a working day given a clean tray, water and a window to watch — just not days on end.

Is a Domestic Longhair a good first cat?

Yes, and honestly a shelter cat is the easiest first cat there is: you can meet it, and it costs a fraction of a pedigree.

Should I get a Domestic Longhair?

Domestic Longhairs suit a home that keeps to a routine, gives it room to be itself, and can live with the hair. Meet the cat itself before deciding. Get one if: You want a cat that will put up with being picked up by a child; You are watching the budget and want one of the cheaper cats to run. Think again if: You cannot live with hair on the sofa, the car and your clothes.

🐾 Find your best cat match 📚 Full cat care guide ✅ Am I ready for a cat?

📚 Where this comes from

We check our care advice against vets, animal charities, and government health guidance. Here is what this page is built on.

Vets, charities & official guidance

Keeper & species-community guides

Checked August 2026. These are other people’s websites, and none of it replaces your own vet — if a pet seems unwell, call one.