Expert: Tina - 1/29/2007

Question
I adopted a kitten off the street, I have had him for about 6 months, taken him to the vet, all of that stuff. We guessed that he is about 8 months old. He is a full black cat but recently he has been turning gray under his front arms. Is this normal? Why is he doing this?  

Answer
Hi Hanna,

It is possible for cats to change color as they mature - there is a beautiful color that starts out black and the kitten gradually gets more grey fur underneath in the undercoat until when they are mature they appear a pewter or silver color, like this cat:

http://catnet.stanford.edu/happytails/s_ollie28.jpg

It is also possible for black cats to get white markings especially on the underside that grow bigger when they are adults.

There are soem vistamin deficiencies that can cause loss of color in the hair, but if your kitten is eating a good quality food this would be a very rare issue. It's most likely a natural color change. If you are concerned you could try changing his food or offering another type in case the brand you are feeding has some deficiency - I recommend Wellness canned food and Nature's Variety canned fod very highly.

Good luck with your new pal, and bless you for rescuing him :)