Can My Cats Coat Change Colors?

[Pinkbeam]

Hi everyone. So, I've had Crash for a year and a half now, and my husband and I both agree that her coat color changes pretty frequently. I've looked it up online but didn't find anything to explain it. She's an inside cat so it's not dirt. Some days she's bright white with a dark almost deep black color. Other times her white hair has a shade of brown to it and her darker color is gray. It changes enough that we make say, "look at Crash, she is dark today." Her blue eyes also change shades of blue. Can anyone explain this?
The pics show different times and there is one where she is laying on my lap and is exceptionally darker than usual.

 

[Kieka]

Part of it is perception. The surrounding lighting and colors make her eyes and coat appear lighter or darker. It's fairly common with lighter colored cats because their coats are a little reflective so the surrounding colors will impact how you percieve their color on comparison. It happens with clothing too and is why you will sometimes find dressing rooms with different color and intensity lights so you can see how the clothes (and yourself) will look in different situations. If you look at the surroundings and lighting in the photos you provided you can see it in the photos from the same time period. But there is a mix of time periods based on her coat development (which I will touch on at the end).

Blue eyes especially seem to change color in all animals with them. There are small changes over time of course, everything changes somewhat. But since blue eyes are technically pigmentless the surrounding colors impact the perception of their color more then other eye colors. Meaning that the environmental light and colors will make them seem more of less intense from their base coloration even though the actual eye color doesn't change. The amount the pupils are dilated will also change the intensity of the color.

You can kinda see it with my girl in the following two photos. Her eyes didn't change color but the surroundings and lighting is drastically different which plays off her eye color differently.

The other part of the answer is your cats coat is getting darker. She is a colorpoint; their fur is heat sensitive. It's a genetic trait similar to albinism (but without and medical issues) that came from the original Siamese cats. The gene is widespread in the general cat population at this point and a kitten just needs to get the recessive trait from both parents. It gives them the blue eyes from a lack of pigment and causing their fur to be heat sensitive. They are born pure white (because the womb is toasty) and will slowly develop their coat color and pattern as they age. Exposure to colder temperatures will darken their coats and age will impact them as well (as their bodies lose the ability to regulate temperature as well plus lifetime exposure to temperature). The change is generally gradual so you tend to notice a slow darkening during the winters and it either slows down or they will vet slightly lighten during the summer. Generally, they will get darker over time though. I have noticed that a fever will cause white hairs to appear so if you see that it is time to see a vet, if you haven't already.

Here is my boy as a kitten and now as an example of darkening over five years.

IMG_3933.JPG

• Kieka
• Mar 15, 2017
• 1

My boy, and girl, are both seal point with white. White stays white and seal point is from a natural black coloring so they get fairly dark. Your girl is a lynx, or tabby, patterning and might be chocolate instead of seal point. Honestly, the point colors are a little hard for me when they are younger but she seems more brown to me. Anyways, at a year and a half old she's still definitely developing the color. My boy tends to get darker on his points (legs, tail, ears) first but then his hip area and it spreads out from there. My girl has more white so it doesn't seem to spread as much as just get darker in chunks. It's rather interesting to look back on photos as you will probably see in time. The first few years are rather dramatic in the color progression. So for all practical purposes she is getting progressively darker over time, that part is not in your head. Your probably noticing it when the lighting and surroundings are emphasizing it more or when you have really "looked" at her for several days. I know I didn't really notice the darkening as it happened but when I look back on photos or the lighting is right to emphasize it I notice that someone's side is darker or the contrast with the white seems more extreme.

 

[Pinkbeam]

Ohhh, thank you so much for your reply. It's nice to know I wasn't just imaging things. I can't wait to read this to my husband.
Your cat is beautiful. I'm particularly fond of blue eyed cats.
Thanks again!

 

[Pinkbeam]

Kieka,
Your cats are beautiful, I meant to say. Plural.