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Cats/kitten's hair changing color

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Expert: - 4/27/2009


Question
This past fall, I adopted two abandoned kittens. (Yes, I have had them neutered.) They are now about 6 mos. old.  The black & white "tuxedo" patterned kitten's black hair is now turning grey (on its topside, so far).  Although I've had many cats over the years, including an almost identical black & white one, I've never had a coat change color.  I just want to know if this can be normal and not some sort of deficiency.

Answer
Mary Ann,

Is this a long haired or short haired kitten?  Is the hair at the roots white, especially on the front legs and behind the ears?

Without knowing the above, I would guess that what you are seeing is kitten coat beginning to be shed out. This we see, especially in long hairs.  As for the white at the roots, there is a hair pattern called smoke where the hair is the normal color for most of the hair shaft and silvery white at the roots.  When these get more white as kittens you often get that smoky grey color, especially when they are changing coat.

If it is neither of these, it could be fever coat (the kitten had some kind of illness at some point and the hair got ticked with white).  This would disappear on the next coat change.

I would not be overly concerned as many kittens do go through coat changes on their way to becoming adults.

Best regards... Norm.

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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