Our 7 month old purebred black Maine Coon's coat has started having a rust color tinge to it. When we got her, the breeder wasn't sure if she would turn out to be black smoke (which it appeared she would be) or solid black. We registered her as black smoke because that was what she appeared to be.
Up until the last week or so she clearly looked black smoke - you could see the silver tones in her ruff area and britches and when she got spayed her belly fur was clearly a grayish color. I'm wondering now if she is indeed solid black and the smoke tone was instead a fever coat.
Anyway, in the past couple of weeks I've noticed an almost chocolate tone to her when the light hits her fur in specific ways that I didn't notice before.
I know there are a few reasons why this could happen but none really make sense to me.
First, is a deficiency of tyrosine but she's eating a balanced diet so I find this doubtful.
Second, is fading from sunlight. Our home gets terrible light in it - very few of the windows get direct sun and the ones that do for very few ours at a time. She doesn't tend to hang out much in the windows anyway so I'm tossing that one out also.
The last one is hybridization - but I have her pedigree already and it goes back many generations. Her father is black smoke, her mother solid black. I find it hard to believe that there was any chance of a rogue mating in the line especially since the breeder has been in business for decades and is well known and well respected with several grand champions to her credit (a few, in Luna's background).
So, wondering if our community breeding experts and genetic buffs might know about this; if it's something which I should mention to the vet - perhaps it is some kind of nutritional deficiency?
Up until the last week or so she clearly looked black smoke - you could see the silver tones in her ruff area and britches and when she got spayed her belly fur was clearly a grayish color. I'm wondering now if she is indeed solid black and the smoke tone was instead a fever coat.
Anyway, in the past couple of weeks I've noticed an almost chocolate tone to her when the light hits her fur in specific ways that I didn't notice before.
I know there are a few reasons why this could happen but none really make sense to me.
First, is a deficiency of tyrosine but she's eating a balanced diet so I find this doubtful.
Second, is fading from sunlight. Our home gets terrible light in it - very few of the windows get direct sun and the ones that do for very few ours at a time. She doesn't tend to hang out much in the windows anyway so I'm tossing that one out also.
The last one is hybridization - but I have her pedigree already and it goes back many generations. Her father is black smoke, her mother solid black. I find it hard to believe that there was any chance of a rogue mating in the line especially since the breeder has been in business for decades and is well known and well respected with several grand champions to her credit (a few, in Luna's background).
So, wondering if our community breeding experts and genetic buffs might know about this; if it's something which I should mention to the vet - perhaps it is some kind of nutritional deficiency?