Will The Gray Turn White? Pretty Kitty Thread!

[Julieghoulie]

I’m

Hey guys! My tortie mated with a very strange looking Tom. My son mistook him for a bobcat one morning. I’ve never seen him up close, but photos of his profile almost look like a British shorthair. Anyway, my tortie had a beautiful litter. A black, a gray tortie, a tabby, an orange, and my favorite little smokey gray. The black kitten has some gray on his face and little gray boots. The gray on the face has spread since his birth, he was almost completely jet black at first. Will that turn white? They’re three days old today!

 

[Julieghoulie]

Oh, here’s mom and dad if that helps at all!

 

[Kieka]

The smokey grey one looks more like a fever coat so there is a chance that the colors on the other kittens are also affected by a fever coat. Fever coat basically makes the pigment a little uneven and lighter at birth but the coloring will even out with age as pigmemt comes in with their kitten and adult coats. And will completely settle by they time they are adults. With the black one, what you might be seeing is called ghost striping. Which is where the underlaying tabby stripes are sometimes visible in solid black kittens when they are young. That will usually not stick around and they will be solid black as adults. Time will tell on both cases.

I personally think it is unlikely that the lightening will turn white. That is too dramatic of a change and also there isn't any coloration that I am aware of that works that way. From solid white to another coloration due to a pointed gene or darkening of colors due to fever coat or ghost stripes on kittens. Those are the only three dramatic color changes that I am aware of.

Also, it's never to late to schedule your females spay. She should be spayed after the kittens are weaned so you can call your vet to schedule an appointment for 9-12 weeks out just to be ready for that. Please keep her in side until that point as she can become pregnant again while nursing and that can be detrimental for her current litter.

 

[Julieghoulie]

Interesting! I looked into fever coat because I was surprised by little gray, but the “boots” are very defined, so I thought maybe they’d lighten to white like a normal tuxedo. Mom was a stray we took care of in Virginia and moved her to Alabama with us, and only allowed us close and stayed inside once she got pregnant. Working with her a lot on snuggling and affection while I can and we already have a vet ready to spay when the babies are older. Whichever kitten we choose to keep will also be getting fixed. A litter was the last thing we wanted as our house is full of rescue dogs because of overpopulation in the south. Our finances with the move just didn’t line up in time with Julia.

 

[Kieka]

7 gorgeous kitties all born with 'fever coat' have blossomed into gorgeous cats

This link will show some really dramatic fever coats. My gut instinct is that you have some fever coat going on. But I could be wrong. Cat coat genetics really do some amazing things sometimes. It is really great to hear that you have everything set up to get Mom spayed. I know it feels like a broken record sometimes to have people ask about it but it really does come from a loving place.

 

[Julieghoulie]

This is the whole gang this morning!

I don’t mind the spay question! I understand the importance of education in these scenarios. Both my dogs were dumped strays and Julia was a stray as well, all of which could have been avoided if someone showed their owner the importance of spay and neuter. I certainly didn’t want kittens but, more negligence than lack of education, they’re here, so I’m embracing their sweet little faces until we can find them all suitable homes.

 

[Willowy]

White spotting is visible from birth, that doesn't change. So if the black one has any different color that isn't fever coat, I think the only other option is that he's a chimera and merged with a littermate in utero. I've seen some really cool pictures of chimerical cats. But I also think it's probably fever coat and he'll end up being pure black.

 

[StefanZ]

I agree with Kieka. But I also see some of daddys pattern. Little blackie will prob get his pattern.

 

[Julieghoulie]

The only thing surprising about fever coat is that Julia had a textbook beautiful pregnancy and birth. She was happy and snuggly with my seven year old right up until she jumped off the bed, under the other, and had all the babies in less than an hour. She was cleaned up and in the crate nursing and cleaning within twenty minutes. If she in any way was sick or stressed, she hid it well.

 

[silvertortie]

He looks like he could be what I believe is called black smoke? Not particularly common but I have seen it pop up a few times in rescues and feral populations!

 

[Julieghoulie]

Mom let me take a couple better pictures in the light.

 

[Julieghoulie]

A strange update with this little guy, he’s getting lighter and lighter by the day.

 

[laughingduck]

He is adorable! I bet he will look a lot like dad.