It's hard to tell from the picture, but is that in his elbow area? It might just be that the fur separates there because his leg is flexing and causes it to swirl that way.

 

This is his shoulder, but it does this everywhere, back, legs, head, chest.. I just think it's weird, my other cats don't do this.

 

One of my cat's fur does this as well. I think it's just because his fur is longer and fluffier, but I'm not sure.

 

I think it is loose fur from shedding that gets caught in the remaining fur. Try brushing your kitty and see if that helps. My cats fur look just like that around shedding season.

 

^Exactly. Cosette's fur gets like this, especially near her bum as the loose undercoat hair tends to get caught up there. The tufts of fur that separate out will eventually turn into snarls if you don't brush them out. I try to remember to give Cosy a good once over with the Furminator every once and a while to prevent the clumps from forming, but she doesn't like being brushed, so I often end up just pulling loose fur off her pantaloons before it has a chance to turn into a snarl.

 

I wondered about loose fur as well. Has this always happened or is something new?

 

He's always been like this, he is shorthaired, but his fur is twice as thick if not more so than my other cats, he hardly sheds at all, even when I brush him

 

I brush him once a week..

 

i don't think it has much to do with not brushing enough at least, i brush my longhaired girl every single morning (and furminate once a week as well) to make sure she nevers develops bad tangles and her fur still separates like this all the time. my short haired guy's fur does this too sometimes so i never worry about it. as long as there are no mats, it's all good!

 

Hm, brushing once a week should be sufficient. Is it possible that you're not getting some of the loose undercoat hair when you're brushing? I honestly had no idea how much undercoat hair could hide under that top layer of fur until the first time I "furminated" Galileo--it was like shearing a sheep! 8-O

 

What did you bathe him in? Which shampoo? I'm thinking it is excess oil from his skin. One of my cats has this and I brush him every day and run a wipe across those spots and I don't see them quite as often.

 

Lots of our cats at the shelter do this. If her diet is good and there are no health issues I would not give it a second thought.