The cat's coat is often one of the most striking features of its appearance. Guard hair - the longer type of hair, which constitutes the topcoat. Secondary hair - the dense layer of hairs that make up the undercoat.
Secondary hair can be woolly or awn type, and often is a combination of both.
The variety of coat texture, found in cat breeds, comes from different combinations of hair types or from mutations in a specific hair type. With today's multitude of breeds, new and different types of coats are becoming less rare. Some need a different method of grooming than others. It is important to understand the build of the coat, and to groom it properly. Most domestic shorthairs need relatively little grooming.