You are here:

Cats/Odd Colored Kittens

Advertisement

Expert: - 8/5/2009


Question

Kitten
We took in a stray that had been hanging around when we noticed that she was very pregnant. We fed her and gave her the whole spare bedroom to sleep in and the other day she had 5 little kittens. I am no expert on cats, as I breed and show dogs, but from what I do know I have a 2 very oddly colored kittens. There is one female and one male. They are colored the same except the female has some tortie markings on its face. They both start with very dark black heads, which fades to light gray, but with black legs. I obviously don't know the history of the mom, and doubt she was given any prenatal care. Here is a picture of the little male so you can see what I'm talking about. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Oh, and by the way we plan on having mommy fixed when the kittens are weaned, and finding her a home as we had no intentions on keeping her, just trying to help her babies!

Answer
Taryn,

Wow, what a great question.  What you are seeing along the back and undersides is kitten coat.  You will probably have to wait a couple of months to see how they develop.  

Are they short hairs or longish hairs? Do the kittens have silvery white color at the roots, especially behind the ears and on the lower legs?

I am wondering if the male is a black smoke and the female a torty smoke?????  Smoke, means they are whatever color they are with silvery white at the roots of each hair as adults.

Best regards... Norm.  

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.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.