Has your cat started to grow white hairs? If so, don't worry: it's completely normal. As he gets older, gray hairs appear, just like people do, since the hair cells in charge of giving it color little by little lose strength and vitality.
Therefore, it is not a serious matter, much less serious. But If you are wondering why my cat has gray hair and it turns out that he is young ... then do not hesitate to read on.
Do cats go gray?
Of course yes. It may surprise us a lot, especially if our furry darling is black or dark in color, that he suddenly begins to have whitish or greyish hairs, because those are colors that stand out a lot on a dark background. And we may be tempted to cut them, but I do not advise it at all since it is part of them, in the same way that gray hair is also part of people, no matter how much we want to dye them 😉.
Black cats ... with white hairs
Mixed or common black cats usually have the occasional white fur from when they are very young. But These little hairs are not gray, but it is simply the fluff that they have under the original fur, that is, of the outer layer of the hair. In the vast majority of furry ones with black or dark fur we will find them.
Of course, they are very few, so much so that when we see it with the naked eye it will not be easy for us to see them.
My black cat is turning brown - My cat changes color, why?
Continuous exposure to the Sun
If it is a cat that spends a lot of time outside or in an area of the home where it can sunbathe, over the years you will see that his black hair turns brown or even reddish-brown. This is so because when the hair is exposed to the rays of the sun very often, the natural color is lost.
So that you understand it better, it is as if we left a black t-shirt for a long time in the open air; over the months we would see that it fades. Obviously, the hair of a cat is not the same as a shirt, but the result in the end is the same: there is a change in tonality.
In the case of the feline, it is because Melanin granules, found in cells called melanocytes, are oxidized. As a result, the cat's fur loses color.
Genetics
There are cats that change color because their genetics had it 'anticipated'. For example, cats that are born completely black and then turn a dark gray color, Siamese that are born light and with the passage of the months they become darker.
They are things that happen. Natural things, and of course they are not serious.
Stress
Although apparently unrelated, continued stress can cause a change in the coat, making it clearer. And that is not to mention that there may be bald areas on the cat's body, without any hair.
The cat does not tolerate stress or tension well. You have to make sure that your home is quiet, comfortable, and respectful.
Vitiligo
It occurs when the skin and hair change color. It is very rare for it to become a serious disease, but it has been linked to lupus and uveitis, the latter of which is inflammation in the eye.
Just in case, you have to take him to the vet.
Lack of tyrosine in cats
For the melanin we talked about before to be created, it is necessary that there be a series of amino acids, one of the most important being tyrosine. They get tyrosine from what they eat, -another- reason why it is necessary to give them high-quality food.
It is more common in dogs than in cats, but if you see that it changes from black to brown or reddish, and you have already ruled out the other possible causes, do not hesitate to take it to the vet.
When do the first gray hairs appear?
The appearance of the first gray hair in adult cats can occur at any time from the age of 8, which is when it is considered that they begin to age, and will be very visible from the age of 12. This is one of the signs of aging, but there are others such as loss of muscle mass, deafness, blindness or disorientation that can make us suspect that our friend is reaching the third age.
What to do when that happens? Continue taking care of it as before, of course. The cat must always live in a safe, comfortable and quiet environment, and it must also be cared for by its family. In this way, you can grow old being completely happy by our side.
Gray hair in young cats
My Cat Bug, November 4, 2017.
Although gray hairs are much more common in older cats from the age of 8, young ones can also be born with some or even have it at a very young age. For example, Bicho, who is a two-year-old cat at the time of writing this article, was born with some gray hair on his back and with a spot of white hair on his neck. It also has two »white feet, the ones on the back 🙂. Come on, it's not a 'pure' panther, but it has a heart… huge. But that is another issue.
If your cat was born with some gray hair, as long as he is in good health, my advice is that you continue to enjoy his company. Obviously, if you have any symptoms that make you suspect, as we always say, the vet. He will know how to tell you what is wrong with him and how to treat him so that he can return to a normal life.
I hope this article has been useful to you.