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Author Topic: Do cats coats change colour?  (Read 3442 times)

Offline Desley (booktigger)

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #20 on: September 16, 2010, 08:19:10 AM »
Molly is 17 and hasnt' gone grey, altough she does have a few more white hairs than when she came - she doesn't go out anymore though. Ginger's tail went lighter as he got older, but the rest of him didn't. Zi doesn['t seem any lighter either, but again she doesn't go out anymore.
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Offline EffieHodgkinson

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #19 on: September 15, 2010, 08:43:36 AM »
Absolutely, Migs has gone from a very white cat when she was 9months old and has got so much darker it's unbelieveable!

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Offline Den

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #18 on: September 14, 2010, 20:06:51 PM »
Quote from: Janeyk on September 14, 2010, 19:04:23 PM
Ooh yep that's another thing, Schui started to grow 1 really thick white whisker  :Luv:

I remember seeing a picture of that whisker. It's impressive!  :Luv2:
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Offline Janeyk

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #17 on: September 14, 2010, 19:04:23 PM »
Ooh yep that's another thing, Schui started to grow 1 really thick white whisker  :Luv:
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Offline Feline Costumier

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #16 on: September 14, 2010, 18:32:19 PM »
Dizzy, the now getting on a bit at 16 family cat, has got all white whiskers where she has black ones before. She also has a lot more white hairs too but the whiskers are the most noticeable thing. She's nearly all black otherwise.

I'd never noticed the change in black fur with the seasons but now I think about it, Chilli sometimes looks more rusty with her tabby undercoat showing through in the summer.
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Offline Pinkbear (Julie)

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #15 on: September 14, 2010, 17:38:43 PM »
Yes, cats do turn grey with age. Tilly has a fair few grey hairs now.  :Luv2:
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Offline Janeyk

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #14 on: September 14, 2010, 16:41:59 PM »
Our black cat Squeaky became more rusty coloured as he aged and he also grew half a white tash when he was about 1

My sister's cat Thomas (who she took in as a stray) his fur totally changed in texture.
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Offline Den

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #13 on: September 14, 2010, 16:06:45 PM »
Just had a google and this popped up http://www.cat-world.com.au/why-do-some-black-cats-coats-turn-that-reddish-brown-colour

Black dogs go rusty too. Actually, on todays walk we saw a black cat all its back half was red and all its front was black.

What I would like to know is do cats go grey?  :scared: Was talking about this yesterday as a lot of my friends dogs have gone grey by the age of 7 and I really don't want Molly to do grey but as she's black she's going to go really grey  :( :( but I can't say I've ever seen a greying cat. So do cats go grey and should I expect Memphy to go grey.
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Offline Pinkbear (Julie)

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #12 on: September 14, 2010, 15:53:42 PM »
No, it can't be diet related, Den, because the feral group I work with are always fed the same diet, year in, year out.  :shy: This year the cats coats have stayed darker than they were compared to last spring/summer. Last year they looked like they had been rolling in fake tan.  :evillaugh:

It was Reynard who first explained to me about the reasons why black cats turn orange and vice, versa.... haven't seen Reynard in these parts for months and months.  :scared:
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Offline Den

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #11 on: September 14, 2010, 15:07:12 PM »
I thought black to rust was sun related and or diet/mineral related. Never heard of it being due to how wet spring is :scared:
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lay me down, let me go, feeling heavy the ground is cold,
lay me down take it slow I'm ready to stumble, sing & then swing low
~Use your mutant powers, just talk people to death~

Offline MrsR

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #10 on: September 14, 2010, 13:43:40 PM »
The black fur on my Sylvester (RIP) started turning ginger as he got older.
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Offline Gill (sneakiefeline)

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #9 on: September 14, 2010, 03:48:32 AM »
Yes Misas black parts on his back go rusty but not his head which stays really black but his coat goes black again over the winter.

Its very rainy here and he sits out in it........sigh
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Offline Pinkbear (Julie)

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #8 on: September 14, 2010, 00:02:22 AM »
I would imagine, this time of year when daylight hours are reducing, it'll look darker for quite a while. It'll probably take a few months to blend in with the rest of her coat.  :sneaky:

One of the feral colonies I work with are 80% pure blacks. When we have a wet spring followed by a few weeks of hot sunshine as summer starts like we did last year, all the cats have bright orange ears. It looks so funny.  :evillaugh:
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Offline Zenith (Liz)

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2010, 23:54:56 PM »
Thanks :)

I cant wait to see what there coats do next lol.  That dark spot in the middle of Luna's shaved side is dark coloured fur, exactly where the wound was
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Offline Pinkbear (Julie)

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2010, 23:47:26 PM »
... should also add, as winter comes and daylight hours reduce, cats coats get gradually darker again but you won't notice until spring when the new hairs have completely replaced the old coat.  :sneaky:
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Offline Pinkbear (Julie)

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2010, 23:43:05 PM »
If they are getting exposed to natural daylight and natural air humidity even for a short time, yes, the weather and seasonal changes will change the colour of their coats over time.  ;)

Compare a black cat thats never been outside to a black cat that's free to roam and you'll see it more clearly. It seems weird but yes, the sun does bleach a cat's fur just like it does with humans.   :innocent:
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Offline Zenith (Liz)

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2010, 23:35:51 PM »
Lol Julie what does that mean for my cats then?  They're indoor but do potter in the garden when its dry outside
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Offline Pinkbear (Julie)

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2010, 23:32:57 PM »
The weather has a big effect on fur pigments. A wet spring often means black fur goes 'rusty' and develops an orange tinge during summer months. It's a gradual process that some owners often don't notice. The existing fur doesn't actually change colour but the new fur which grows through to replace old fur can be darker or lighter depending on the weather. Cats which are indoor only are not subject to this change as their coats never become wet.  ;)
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Offline Zenith (Liz)

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Re: Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2010, 23:20:34 PM »
Yes they can change, isnt it funny!

Nova went from this:


To this:




He wasn't a silver tabby for very long but I adore my gingerbutt  :Luv2:


Oh and poor Luna's fur is growing back weirdly around her spay wound - look at my ginger blue cat!  :Crazy:

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Offline Guest

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Do cats coats change colour?
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2010, 21:59:48 PM »
Do cats coats change colour, Ella seems to slowly be getting more ginger?


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