Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Tiggy's Mum on November 15, 2007, 23:04:31 PM
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I was wondering do cats coat colours patterns change in winter? I never noticed it with Tiggy but Riley had what I'd call ghost tabby markings when he was younger ie the tabby stripes/spots were a darker grey than his coat colour. I don't know if they've gone because he's got his adult coat now (they'll be 9 months on Monday) or because he's got a winter coat. You can still see a very faint markings in certain lights but for them ain he just looks grey.
I love him no matter what colour he is but here he is when he was younger...
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z202/Lucas_Riley/LucasRiley027640x480.jpg)
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z202/Lucas_Riley/LucasRiley068640x480.jpg)
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z202/Lucas_Riley/LucasRiley250640x480-1.jpg)
One I just took of him.... no stripes :-:
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z202/Lucas_Riley/028640x480.jpg)
A recent one that shows very faint markings still
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z202/Lucas_Riley/01092007151Small640x480.jpg)
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Your boys are absolutly gorgeous, what lovely pics. Archie is black and white and is 17mths old. His coat just looks much shinier at the moment and obviously thicker. IT might be because he is B and W but his coat has not changed colour.
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He is definately darker and glossier, which might disguise his markings a little. It could also be that the difference in shade between the background grey and the tabby-markings grey is less in his adult coat than in his baby fur - that seems to happen a lot in B/W Grey cats - I suppose it's the kitty version of what happens in panthers (ie thst they are not solid black - they have "leopard" patterns on their coats, but at very low contrast so it's hard to see. Gorgeous boy! :drool; :drool;
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He is definately darker and glossier, which might disguise his markings a little. It could also be that the difference in shade between the background grey and the tabby-markings grey is less in his adult coat than in his baby fur
Aaah, I see what you mean. You're right, the grey base colour is darker now than it was so that would mean that rather than the stripes disappearing they just can't be seen now as they are almost the same colour now as the base grey colour.
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I love the way Riley is always giving little Lulu a cuggle :Luv:
I think it could just be the light Helen. My B&W's have tabby markings but I can only see them in a certain llight. Ollie is a chestnut colour underneath but it only comes out in summer, I suppose he gets sunbleached lol.
OMG Lulu is so like Harry now they could be twins ;D
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The markings could be disapperaring now that he's growing up. Ghost tabby markings are quite common in solid coloured cats while they are young, but tend to be less visible as the cat grows older. Many breed standards allow such markings in kittens but don't allow them in adult cats.
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I think it is due to age rather than winter HElen, it is normal for ghost tabby markings to fade with age. He is gorgeous though!!
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Hi Helen,
With the arrival of the colder weather I've recently switched from my casual man-about-town denim late spring/summer/autumn look to my heavy brown donkey jacket winter look, the similarity being in both cases that they are equally covered in cat hair, oh you meant the cats :doh: ;D well Suzie's got a new full-length number, Alfie's now switched to wearing his tan coloured duffle coat although the toggles remain problematical for him and Frankie's now sporting a rather fetching blue quilted parka. ;D
I'll get my coat ;D
Leigh
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That's why Frankie gets stuck under things - he's wearing his parka in the house :rofl: :rofl:
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No, I think it's his "blimp"-like physique that's the problem, I've seen smaller barrage ballons, in fact the quilted parka makes him look even more like a Graf Zeppelin ;D