Abstract
The aim of the study was to characterize the hair coat of domestic cats. The research material consisted of hairs of different fractions collected in winter from female cats with a uniform hair coat colour: white,cream, red, brown and black. The hairs were divided into individual fractions, i.e. underhair, bristle hair and guard hair, and the following characteristics were evaluated: thickness, length, long and short axis length, stress at break and elongation. SEM (scanning electron microscope) images of all types of hair were taken and used to characterize each hair type and to calculate the number of scales per mm of hair length. The content of ions of various chemical elements was determined as well. Underhairs, which accounted for the largest percentage in the coat, were the thinnest and shortest, and had the most regular and distinct scale pattern. Guard hairs were the least numerous, but were the longest and thickest of all hairs examined. Both guard and bristle hairs had irregular scales with jagged edges. The cross-sections of these hairs revealed the presence of all the layers, i.e. the cuticle, cortex and medulla. In the underhair fraction the medulla was observed only in red cats. In all hairs the share of carbon, oxygen and sulphur ions was largest; these are the main omponents of hair protein, i.e. keratin.
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