Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: AllShookUp on November 25, 2010, 16:00:30 PM
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Took wee Elvis for his jags today and to get microchipped. The vet had to call in the head vet to have a look at his markings as she wasnt sure what to put in the microchip forms...
The head vet specialises in cats and had said Elvis was very very unusual in his markings... They have classed him as a melanistic bengal from what they can see.
This is an alien term to me tho as I am just new to the ins and outs of cats. Can anyone help me clue up on this at all?
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A "melanistic" cat is one where the color of his/her hair has become black or nearly black due to an increase in the amount of a chemical called melanin in the cat. In an albino cat the opposite situation has occured. Changes (mutations) in the Agouti gene is the driving force behind the increase in melanin. Lots of cats and other animals have this condition. It seems though that not a lot is known about how it exactly occurs.
A "black Panther" is actually a melanistic leopard!
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aaah thanks!! OH is quite pleased with this recent finding. I would love Elvis in any way tho :):):):)
Thank you! :hug:
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they have a bengal look though, I've a common spotted one! there is a bengal forum if you'd like to take a look at others
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aah nice thanks! Would be interesting to see if he looks kinda like any of them!
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I have seen a couple of melanistic Bengals and a melanistic Savanah :Luv2: and I did wonder about Elvis when I saw his photo - what is his history Hun?
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To me he looks like a black moggy with 'ghost' tabby markings. Riley is a dark grey and when he was a kitten he had 'ghost' tabby markings (darker stripes than his dark grey) which were very prominent. They disappeared as he got older and now, apart from his tail, you only see them in bright sunlight.
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I agree with Helen about moggie with ghost markings.
Elvis has pink paw pads doesn't he? Don't most bengals have black paw pads?
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His paw pads look purple to me, I think the flash has just made them look lighter than they are.
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It's hard to tell without actually seeing him but my Chilli looked strikingly similar as a kitten, she had very distinct tabby markings.
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Ahhh didnt notice his lovely little pads - yes Bengals have black pads and normally webbed feet too - its so sweet :Luv2:
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my tilly has really long toes, bit alien really :naughty:
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Needs some pictures :shify: :shify:
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This is really interesting I think. My Malachi is a moggy with shading too. You can see definite stripes in his coat in certain lights.
Quite clear here I think:
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b353/Gillb/Cats/IMG_0856.jpg)
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Cat colours are quite weird in a way.Take Daisy,from certain angles her black markings look shiny & black but from others they look a deep,bottomless matt black,almost like the night sky.
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I dont have many decent pics of him :( he doesnt seem to like the camera hahahaha. I will see what i can do tho! He has striping in his back end that you can see very faintly and spotting at the front, the light doesnt need to be very bright for them to show through when hes twisting and turning etc. Hes a black cat and the markings come through even blacker (if you know what I mean! heehee sorry im terrible at describing things!) His paws are a very deep purpley colour. :hug: :hug: