Why is my black cat turning brown?

dorks

I have a 11 year old cat who up until about a month ago was black in colour. For some bizarre reason, it is starting to go brown

What is going on? Is it suffering from liver failure or something weird like that? It has always been an obscenely thin cat if weight has anything to do with it?

Help???!?

ellawood

Hi i dont know why they can change colour but my cat who is about 15 is also more brown than black he was untill about 2 years ago all black he is fine I have just put it down to old age

eira

Black cats go brown in the sun and as they age. You could take it to the vet if it's thin just to get it checked out.
If you show black cats one of the 'problems' is a 'rusty'coat or white hairs. Very few cats are truly black-show cats have to have 'sound' coats ie densely black with no trace of rust or white hairs. A truly black cat is a highly prized animal.This is very hard to achieve.
As I remember, during the witch craze of the 15/16th century any cat that wasn't truly black was exempt from being branded as a familiar.
I think the thiness might be more of a reason to take it to the vet-just in case. As animals get older they should be checked over anyway.
Totally irrelevant -but a valid point for animal lovers is that black cats and black dogs are the least likely to get adopted-particularly in the US. A big black dog is the least likely to get a home and a number of black dogs are 'put to sleep' in the US-including pure bred Newfoundlands. And if you want a huge infinitely loveable dog you can't do much better than a Newfie.

cinnabar

My cat has a tendency to go brown - seems to be related to the spring/summer when she really starts shedding her long fur. However the vet did once say to me that it can be a sign of liver trouble, so maybe it's worth taking yours to the vet?

nealallen

Black cats do go go browner at an older age, it's something to do with the pigments in the folicals of the hair.

Only know cause a vet once told me when in happend to my cat.

NAR

I thought it was because the witches' spell went wrong! :rolleyes:

walwin

eira wrote: »

As I remember, during the witch craze of the 15/16th century any cat that wasn't truly black was exempt from being branded as a familiar.

Good heavens, eira, are you really that old :rotfl:

eira

Nearly!!!!!!!!!

ellawood

my cat does love to sunbathe so he lies outside on the doorstep you have to walk over him he will not move :rolleyes: so that it is poss why his coat has changed colour his head is the most black and he keeps that tucked in when he is snoozing he is a very soft much loved old boy who has aged and not the mouser he used to be he was a resuce cat we have had him about 11 years now so we are not sure of his real age but think he about 15 now

dbelle

I reckon it could be the sun, my (tabby) cat gets ginger ears in the sun.

HelzBelz

dorks wrote: »

I have a 11 year old cat who up until about a month ago was black in colour. For some bizarre reason, it is starting to go brown

What is going on? Is it suffering from liver failure or something weird like that? It has always been an obscenely thin cat if weight has anything to do with it?

Help???!?

Sounds like I've got your cat's sister - 11 years old, eats like a pig, but is built like a siamese and looks black until the sun hits, you've probably got nothing to worry about, but if the weight loss is recent I'd go to the vets