Why is my cat changing colors?

[KittyKatKay]

My cat, LunaMoon, is 2 years old. She’s as healthy as can be. She hasn’t had any changes in her appetite, she’s playful and happy, her fur is thick and full.. she’s always been solid black, but 3 weeks ago I noticed she started changing colors.. starting on the base of her neck, a light grey color is growing in, it’s also coming in all over her body from the roots.. can someone please give me some sort of reasoning as to why she’s changing colors so late in life? She’s not old by any means and she’s already passed the kitten stage. (You can see the grey in the body picture I posted, but the other picture is to show how cute she is lol)

 

[Meowmee]

She could be a black smoke and maybe you never noticed her roots? They have white roots. Sometimes their colors change, it could be a health issue too.

 

[Falena]

Have you had her since she was a kitten? This could be a seasonal thing, some cats go through a bit of a change when shedding from summer to winter coat or vise versa. I think it's more noticeable in indoor outdoor cats as opposed to soley indoor cats as the weather change is more dramatic outdoors and thus is the coat change.

But you know her best, and as meowmee said coat change can be indicative of underlying health issues, so if you are concerned at any point maybe have her looked at by a vet.
She is gorgeous btw

 

[KittyKatKay]

Falena, thank you for your response. I’m very new to this webpage, I actually came across it for the first time last night & made an account, so hopefully I’m replying to you correctly! Yes, I’ve had her since she was born, she is the baby to my older Mama Cat.. Mama cat is a tuxedo cat but in the sunlight her fur looks like it has a tint to it, like an brownish tint.. but LunaMoon has always been completely solid black, she has never had any amount of color or tint. Her winter coats have always been thick and full and solid black.. this grey color she has coming thru is brand new and it’s worrying me. But like I said I don’t see any changes in her appetite, she still plays a lot, sleeps normally, she’s an indoor/outdoor cat, I let her free roam as she likes.. at first I thought it was dust or powder or dirt from outside and then I realized it’s all over her at the roots.. this sounds cheesy but have you ever seen someone dye their hair a super dark color and then when their natural color comes thru at the roots it looks awful, especially if their natural hair color is very light.. well that’s how LunaMoons fur looks when you split her long hairs to see the roots. I thought I’d get a few opinions in hopes of solving this mystery lol, but I may need to take her to the vet just to make sure she isn’t going thru something internally..

 

[KittyKatKay]

She could be a black smoke and maybe you never noticed her roots? They have white roots. Sometimes their colors change, it could be a health issue too.

Hopefully it’s not a health issue I’ve had her since she was born, she’s the baby to my older cat. She’s never had any color to her and this grey ashy color has came out of nowhere.. I don’t mind her changing colors, I’ll love the sweet girl regardless, I just want her to be okay.. it’s just so strange, I’ve always assumed cats get grey hairs when they’re old (and she’s only 2 years).. I also have heard that cats can change color from the sun?? Idk how true that is lol but it wouldn’t surprise me if it is true. I appreciate you’re feedback!! Every little bit helps

 

[Falena]

Falena, thank you for your response. I’m very new to this webpage, I actually came across it for the first time last night & made an account, so hopefully I’m replying to you correctly! Yes, I’ve had her since she was born, she is the baby to my older Mama Cat.. Mama cat is a tuxedo cat but in the sunlight her fur looks like it has a tint to it, like an brownish tint.. but LunaMoon has always been completely solid black, she has never had any amount of color or tint. Her winter coats have always been thick and full and solid black.. this grey color she has coming thru is brand new and it’s worrying me. But like I said I don’t see any changes in her appetite, she still plays a lot, sleeps normally, she’s an indoor/outdoor cat, I let her free roam as she likes.. at first I thought it was dust or powder or dirt from outside and then I realized it’s all over her at the roots.. this sounds cheesy but have you ever seen someone dye their hair a super dark color and then when their natural color comes thru at the roots it looks awful, especially if their natural hair color is very light.. well that’s how LunaMoons fur looks when you split her long hairs to see the roots. I thought I’d get a few opinions in hopes of solving this mystery lol, but I may need to take her to the vet just to make sure she isn’t going thru something internally..

That's perfectly fine and you're most welcome! You can quote messages to directly respond or add an @ before name to respond or ping a specific person, but as I commented here people who have responded will get a notification anyway!
Sounds like Lunamoon's mama gets what's called rusting, I believe. From the sun! It basically bleaches their coat a little, like how our hair can lighten with sun exposure y'know? So yes cats can indeed lighten with sun exposure, but the rusty brown colour is what you'd expect rather than greying as with her daughter.
I understand what you mean about the roots yes
Meowmee above mentioned a coat colour called black smoke in which the roots are stark white in comparison to the tips, I haven't heard of it showing up in adulthood, but I guess nothing is impossible? This could also be her first fully adult seasonal shed too, as she's only 2. Have you ever parted her coat to have a look? It is worth checking out and maybe posting a pic! I've got a black smoke kitty myself and she definitely has the grown out roots look! Does she look anything like this when you part her coat?
That's what you'd expect on a black smoke more or less on the amount of white (my girlie is quite light)
I sincerely hope it isn't a health related issue and this is just a new coat phenomenon for her in her adult stage of growth. But if you are genuinely concerned it is definitely worth consulting a vet, even if just for peace of mind

 

[KittyKatKay]

That's perfectly fine and you're most welcome! You can quote messages to directly respond or add an @ before name to respond or ping a specific person, but as I commented here people who have responded will get a notification anyway!
Sounds like Lunamoon's mama gets what's called rusting, I believe. From the sun! It basically bleaches their coat a little, like how our hair can lighten with sun exposure y'know? So yes cats can indeed lighten with sun exposure, but the rusty brown colour is what you'd expect rather than greying as with her daughter.
I understand what you mean about the roots yes
Meowmee above mentioned a coat colour called black smoke in which the roots are stark white in comparison to the tips, I haven't heard of it showing up in adulthood, but I guess nothing is impossible? This could also be her first fully adult seasonal shed too, as she's only 2. Have you ever parted her coat to have a look? It is worth checking out and maybe posting a pic! I've got a black smoke kitty myself and she definitely has the grown out roots look! Does she look anything like this when you part her coat? View attachment 431021
That's what you'd expect on a black smoke more or less on the amount of white (my girlie is quite light)
I sincerely hope it isn't a health related issue and this is just a new coat phenomenon for her in her adult stage of growth. But if you are genuinely concerned it is definitely worth consulting a vet, even if just for peace of mind

Oh goodness, your cats fur is gorgeous!! I absolutely adore how bold the roots are! Maybe that is what’s happening to Luna? Let me see if I can figure out how to upload this picture.. okay I figured it out, I think as you can see it looks similar but not as bold as yours.. and I kinda assumed that’s why Boots (mama cat) has the tint she does, she looks sun bleached especially since she’s dark but maybe LunaMoon is a black smoke kitty and it’s taken this long for her to get the lighter color?? Maybe she produces too much melanin and that’s why it’s took so long for the lighter color to come thru??

 

[KittyKatKay]

Falena so I googled black smoke cats, and Luna definitely looks like one!! I will continue to monitor her to make sure she has no problems arise, but I think this mystery has been solved!! omgoodness I can’t believe I never heard of a black smoke kitty before!! They’re gorgeous!

 

[Falena]

Oh goodness, your cats fur is gorgeous!! I absolutely adore how bold the roots are! Maybe that is what’s happening to Luna? Let me see if I can figure out how to upload this picture.. okay I figured it out, I think as you can see it looks similar but not as bold as yours.. and I kinda assumed that’s why Boots (mama cat) has the tint she does, she looks sun bleached especially since she’s dark but maybe LunaMoon is a black smoke kitty and it’s taken this long for her to get the lighter color?? Maybe she produces too much melanin and that’s why it’s took so long for the lighter color to come thru??

Thank you so much! I got her thinking she was a black tuxedo and she ended up turning silver, then settling on black smoke. She was a little chameleon!
I'm going to be honest in that I don't think your girl's roots are light enough to be considered smoke as I think they must be entirely white as opposed to ligher grey, it's caused by a gene called the inhibitor gene that restricts all pigment at the root up to a certain point, so since there's some colour there I think it would be considered something else, I do know lots of black cats have lighter roots. But someone more experienced may correct me on that! I'm certainly no expert.
She definitely does have a lighter undercoat and I'm inclined to believe it just may be more visible now than it was before either due to seasonal changes or coat length changing with adult age.
I did read something about black cats lightening up like this due to stress such as moving home or adding another animal or child to the household etc, if that's a possibility?
If her coat is still glossy and soft and there isn't any other concerning signs, though just keep an eye on her! Hopefully all is well

 

[cataholic07]

No shes not a black smoke. Black cats always have grey roots and she's just getting it more prominently. My longhair cats always poofed out more once they hit close to 3 years old so it might just be longer or thicker fur and you can notice the grey roots more. If she's playing, eating and no litter box issues she wouldnt be sick. But if she hasn't gone for a yearly exam I would recommend it. It's important cats get a yearly exam to ensure they are healthy

 

[KittyKatKay]

My cat, LunaMoon, is 2 years old. She’s as healthy as can be. She hasn’t had any changes in her appetite, she’s playful and happy, her fur is thick and full.. she’s always been solid black, but 3 weeks ago I noticed she started changing colors.. starting on the base of her neck, a light grey color is growing in, it’s also coming in all over her body from the roots.. can someone please give me some sort of reasoning as to why she’s changing colors so late in life? She’s not old by any means and she’s already passed the kitten stage. (You can see the grey in the body picture I posted, but the other picture is to show how cute she is lol)

Thank you, I had never heard of black smoke cats until yesterday and when I looked them up, she had the facial features of them (plus they’re gorgeous, so I was just hoping she was one ) but the grey part isn’t as bold as the black smoke cats. It definitely makes me feel better knowing that it isn’t happening to JUST my cat. She’s the first solid black, long haired kitty that I’ve had. Her Mama has long hair as well but she’s a tuxedo cat. Thank you for your input, it definitely helped. I’ve got her an appointment for tomorrow at 3 cause she hasn’t been seen since her 6 week checkup after I got her fixed.. and that’s been about 10 months ago. And yes, she eats great, super lovable and playful, bathroom use is normal and looks normal, her coat is soft and thick and shiny, she seems as healthy as can be. The grey coming in had me worried tho until each of y’all put my mind at ease, so thank you again!

 

[CuriousKittens]

Thank you, I had never heard of black smoke cats until yesterday and when I looked them up, she had the facial features of them (plus they’re gorgeous, so I was just hoping she was one ) but the grey part isn’t as bold as the black smoke cats. It definitely makes me feel better knowing that it isn’t happening to JUST my cat. She’s the first solid black, long haired kitty that I’ve had. Her Mama has long hair as well but she’s a tuxedo cat. Thank you for your input, it definitely helped. I’ve got her an appointment for tomorrow at 3 cause she hasn’t been seen since her 6 week checkup after I got her fixed.. and that’s been about 10 months ago. And yes, she eats great, super lovable and playful, bathroom use is normal and looks normal, her coat is soft and thick and shiny, she seems as healthy as can be. The grey coming in had me worried tho until each of y’all put my mind at ease, so thank you again!

Black smoke is a coat colour, so it has nothing to do with facial features. If she has the same facial features as them that's just because she's a cat.