is he a Black tabby? or is he melanistic?

[helsic]

Hello everyone! I'm newbie here!

I live in China and I found 2 newborn kittens abandoned in the street a month ago, I took them in and raised them (it was SO HARD because they were like 2 weeks old still blind and really weak). One of them is very special, it was totally black but its fur started to change weeks ago and it's becoming more like a tabby, a pretty dark tabby. I wonder if it's a 'black' tabby or if he is just a melanistic kitten. I have never seen a 'black' tabby before so I'm very curious. The other kitten is an orange tabby (I guess?).

PD: they aren't brothers I found them in different places.

P5291518.JPG

• helsic
• Jul 23, 2014

he has the 'standard' tabby marks in his body but it is black ^^

P6071534.JPG

• helsic
• Jul 23, 2014

this is an orange tabby right?

P6111543.JPG

• helsic
• Jul 23, 2014

He has the 'M' in his forehead just like regular tabbies.

sirius1.jpg

• helsic
• Jul 23, 2014

What do you think? is he melanistic?

 

[dan birchall]

I know very little about cats but I must admit that is one cool-looking one!

 

[bigperm20]

He may have what is colloquially called a "fever coat". When a very young kitten gets sick or malnourished their coat can lose it's pigment somewhat. As long as he remains healthy, it will eventually disappear.

It is possible too that his coat is a color known as "black smoke". It's pretty rare, so I'm leaning towards fever coat b/c of his age.

 

[pinkdagger]

If Sirius doesn't have "fever coat", he reminds me a lot of my Kismet, who is a black smoke tabby (smoke refers to the fur where it's white at the roots and black at the tips). As a baby,

View media item 229737
And as an adult,

View media item 229738
It's harder to tell with Godric since his fur is so sparse and light that stripes or spots are a bit harder to see on him!

 

[bigperm20]

Maybe @Stefanz can weigh in on the fever coat issue. He knows more than I for sure.

It is very possible that the OP's cat is a black smoke tabby, and the 2 listed afterwards are cute as well.

 

[StefanZ]

I think the previous posts come with these two main explanations possible here:   Black smoke tabby or fevercoat.    Which it is will come forward with time.   Either he will continue to be a black smoke - and may become even more beautiful when adult - or the fever coat will diminish and disappear - leaving him with natural colors.

Black smoke tabby isnt that common!  I would even say its rare.    Just black smoke is not common either, but not that unususal.

 

[bigperm20]

I had to look up pictures of blacks smoke tabbies, as I didn't think I'd ever seen one. I was right. I've seen a black smoke before, but not a BST.

By the time he's 9 months to a year, you'll know for sure.

 

[helsic]

And as an adult,

View media item 229738
It's harder to tell with Godric since his fur is so sparse and light that stripes or spots are a bit harder to see on him!

Yes YESS!!! it looks a lot like my Sirius, the stripes are quite similar and the colour too, he also has some stripes and dots like half leopard half tiger! haha

I'm so excited about how it would turn out to be after he reach puberty. 

About the fevercoat, I never heard about it but since this baby was found tossed on a street when he was just 2 weeks old, it's quite possible he suffered from malnutrition. Right now he is healthy and VERY active so I don't think he suffers from it anymore.

Thanks for you replies!

 

[bigperm20]

Here's a couple of fevercoat pics for reference:

 

[helsic]

Here's a couple of fevercoat pics for reference:

those pictures broke my heart! poor kitties! I'm  relieve mine doesn't have fevercoat!