Tufts behind his ears?

Granny Goose

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Mar 13, 2022
Messages
1
Purraise
0
I have googled many a time TUFTS BEHIND EARS as I adopted two gorgeous kittens a year n half ago and as one was growing he started to get quite noticeable silvery tufts BEHIND his ears along with a fluffy Maine. I found this absolutely amazing and unique when I realised there was hardly any pics of cats with them behind their ears. Yes on the tips and inside ears but not many behind. I came across the Nebelung online and thought hangon, Zeke (aka: Tufty) for obvious reasons really appeared to look like a Nebelung. When I adopted him from Rescue Angels he had whisky grey fur with white/silvery random hairs throughout which stood out. He did not have ear tufts as a tiny kitten but they did start to become pronounced by the age of about 5 months. Thy were so tufty and like silvery down a few months after that then summer came and they appeared to become less obvious. I was thinking NOOOOOOOO, please don’t fall out. I’d not even let anyone play with his tufts incase they hairs kinda got pulled out, ha ha...it became a bit of a silly joke/reaction when people would tease me by going to fiddle n caress the tufts. I’d reply don’t tug on them just gently touch...lmaoHeading into this winter around April the tufts starting growing back like crazy and are fullon gorgeous velvet looking lush ear accessories atm and his Maine is stunning along with his bushy silky tail down to the tufts between his toes also which I hear is another Nebelung trait. LOVE em so so much as I do him.
I’d really like to think he IS a Nebelung but the adoption agency simply noted on his records a grey long haired domestic. (Just as I’m typing this Tufty (Zeke) jumped up on my bed delivering his lil toy pipe cleaner ring to me. He fetches it when I toss it n brings it back to me for more play. Often he’ll bring it into bed when he cones to sleep with me which is just what he’s done. He’s very good at fetching toys n carrying those wand toys with things hanging on end around the house or bringing up onto bed, very clever young guy.
has any one ever googled that you can do a cat DNA test to find out what breeds are involved? If anyone knows of such let me know. I’ll be googling to see as I’d be very keen to know both of my cats background.
below is some pics of Zeke (his adoption photo which made me fall for him), with his toy ring, then some in last 6 To 12 months (including his brother Hudson who is “apparently“ a Russian Blue x Ragdoll )> sorry I got carried away adding pics lol.
View attachment 346967View attachment 346969View attachment 346972View attachment 346973View attachment 346980View attachment 346981View attachment 346977 Take care all n snuggle your kitties 💙💙💙
Got ear tufts behind ears?
 

Attachments

a gneiss guy

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Aug 28, 2022
Messages
1
Purraise
1
Our family recently adopted 2-year old Tony, whose vet papers indicate he is orange DLH. It was confirmed that his mom was Maine Coon, but unsure of what the dad was. He has several Maine Coon characteristics. One I had a question on is long hair behind each of his ears. In researching this hair I came across this forum. We really enjoy Tony and his tufts or “ear muffs” as some people call them. Just thought I would share a couple photos as well.
 

Attachments

epona

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
4,663
Purraise
949
Location
London, England
I’m so happy I found this thread, because I wanted to see if there exists any other cats as mine. I have a young boy named Felix, which is almost 1 year and a half and got the same tufts behind his ears like the other cats above my comment. The funny part is that we didn’t even notice when they grew up, we had to look through camera roll to find pictures lol. We discovered that soon after 1y the tufts started to appear, growing bigger and bigger. Every person that meets Felix says that they have never seen such a cat and laughs so hard at his tufts. I am so curious what kind of breed has this kind of hair behind their ears lol. I will leave here some picsView attachment 393820View attachment 393821View attachment 393822View attachment 393824
Your kitty is gorgeous, but please do not let him play with the gladioli flowers as they can be toxic to cats!
 

Meowmee

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 2, 2018
Messages
2,874
Purraise
3,605
Our family recently adopted 2-year old Tony, whose vet papers indicate he is orange DLH. It was confirmed that his mom was Maine Coon, but unsure of what the dad was. He has several Maine Coon characteristics. One I had a question on is long hair behind each of his ears. In researching this hair I came across this forum. We really enjoy Tony and his tufts or “ear muffs” as some people call them. Just thought I would share a couple photos as well.
He is gorgeous 😻 love the behind ear tufts ❤ My Zeena has the typical ones coming out of the ears for lh cats and Merlin a fluffy sh has some little ones… Zena has long paw tufts 😀


35372BA4-3738-4EF1-B5F0-5E51C31CD189.jpeg

AF5E1E3E-A54A-4CED-9A71-FDB0AE339B40.jpeg
 

lefa7474

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Jan 26, 2023
Messages
3
Purraise
4
I’m so happy I found this thread, because I wanted to see if there exists any other cats as mine. I have a young boy named Felix, which is almost 1 year and a half and got the same tufts behind his ears like the other cats above my comment. The funny part is that we didn’t even notice when they grew up, we had to look through camera roll to find pictures lol. We discovered that soon after 1y the tufts started to appear, growing bigger and bigger. Every person that meets Felix says that they have never seen such a cat and laughs so hard at his tufts. I am so curious what kind of breed has this kind of hair behind their ears lol. I will leave here some picsView attachment 393820View attachment 393821View attachment 393822View attachment 393824
my boy has the tuffs behind the ears, no idea where they come from! F92A9A8A-8601-4B82-ABDC-6511496FF016.jpeg F1BFC781-0759-4DF2-8305-791ADC0FDEDF.jpeg
 

thefiresidecat

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2017
Messages
928
Purraise
2,626
Location
Tacoma, Wa
amazing. what a pretty boy.

I just went back to look and see if my maine coon had them when she was younger. (her coat got pretty sparse as she aged) she did. but not as dramatically as some of these pretty kitties. and they were kind of easy to overlook because over all her coat was so long and fuzzy already. her mane was seriously impressive. the behind the ear tufties kind of blended in. you have to enlarge the photo to really see em
004.JPG
 
Last edited:

thefiresidecat

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2017
Messages
928
Purraise
2,626
Location
Tacoma, Wa
on the subject of unusual tufts. has anyone seen under eye tufts before. it seems like clawd is developing those. it might just be his coat coming in. but it's funny.
 

Kateness

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Jan 15, 2024
Messages
2
Purraise
1
We adopted 2 med-long haired Russian blue mixed kittens. (The mother was said to be a mixed Russian blue and the father a long haired solid black cat). So whatever that makes them. I've heard there are not many REAL long haired Russian blues/Nebelungs in the USA. But whatever, They're cute and sweet!

Well at 22 weeks old, the boy who has always been a little more pointy and scrappy compared to his beautiful sister - (she truly looks like a Nebelung) is starting to get tufts BEHIND his ears not at the tips/points. I have only been able to find cats with tufts at their ear tips and IN their ears. None behind the ears. Keep in mind, these tufts just started growing 2 weeks ago. What do you think? Will they get long or stay firecracker looking? I think they are cute they way they are now. He reminds me of rafiki from the lion king.

Here's a pic of him at 12 weeks when we adopted him -- before his hair got longish and before his ear tufts began

Here he and his sister are as very young kittens before they went up for adoption. Jet, the boy is on the left

Here's his lovely sister now. This pic doesn't do her justice. She's got a real royal presence when she's sitting- the lion chest thing

She didn't develop tufts but about a month ago, a weird cowlick presented itself on the top of her neck. (I couldn't get a pic of it) It's like a swirl cowlick, but no tufts behind her ears. It's truly just a cowlick though - not as strange as the tufts

2 more shot of the tufts- they just appeared over the past 2 weeks - right at the 5 month mark


So what do y'all think? Is it some sort of recessive trait ??
 

Kateness

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Jan 15, 2024
Messages
2
Purraise
1
About the posterior ear tufts ...
It's new to me but I happened to see a cat on Insta with AMAZING tufts like this today.
Screenshot_20240115_195329_Instagram.jpg
 

Zara12345

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Sep 2, 2021
Messages
219
Purraise
266
We adopted 2 med-long haired Russian blue mixed kittens. (The mother was said to be a mixed Russian blue and the father a long haired solid black cat). So whatever that makes them. I've heard there are not many REAL long haired Russian blues/Nebelungs in the USA. But whatever, They're cute and sweet!

Well at 22 weeks old, the boy who has always been a little more pointy and scrappy compared to his beautiful sister - (she truly looks like a Nebelung) is starting to get tufts BEHIND his ears not at the tips/points. I have only been able to find cats with tufts at their ear tips and IN their ears. None behind the ears. Keep in mind, these tufts just started growing 2 weeks ago. What do you think? Will they get long or stay firecracker looking? I think they are cute they way they are now. He reminds me of rafiki from the lion king.

Here's a pic of him at 12 weeks when we adopted him -- before his hair got longish and before his ear tufts began

Here he and his sister are as very young kittens before they went up for adoption. Jet, the boy is on the left

Here's his lovely sister now. This pic doesn't do her justice. She's got a real royal presence when she's sitting- the lion chest thing

She didn't develop tufts but about a month ago, a weird cowlick presented itself on the top of her neck. (I couldn't get a pic of it) It's like a swirl cowlick, but no tufts behind her ears. It's truly just a cowlick though - not as strange as the tufts

2 more shot of the tufts- they just appeared over the past 2 weeks - right at the 5 month mark


So what do y'all think? Is it some sort of recessive trait ??
They look a little like maine coons with the face structure and all. Gorgeous!!
 
Top