Why don't cats go grey?

[Kazz]

Okay looking at my Cleo, Dawn's Jessie and others can someone tell me why cats don't go grey.....or do they and I am not looking at the grey cats?

[Fran]

Okay looking at my Cleo, Dawn's Jessie and others can someone tell me why cats don't go grey.....or do they and I am not looking at the grey cats?

With dogs they either inherit the gene for greying or they don't. Perhaps it's the same with cats? although, like you say I am struggling to remember if I have ever seen any cats that have gone grey in old age :? Maybe cats don't have the greying gene at all??

[Elaine]

Winston was always grey LOL, but in his older years he did develope a few white hairs round his mush, just one or two and I dont supose any one else noticed them.

[Kazz]

Now I'd have thought that if any cat was going to go grey it would be one over 20 regardless of colour.......but not seen one yet? isn't it an interesting thought, wonder if its because they live a stress freee life.

[Kazz]

Winston was always grey LOL, but in his older years he did develope a few white hairs round his mush, just one or two and I dont supose any one else noticed them.

Thats interesting Elaine, I wonder if my two have them and because they are mostly white around their faces I haven't noticed them????

[Fran]

Well as you know Lucky was eighteen years old and totally black. She didn't have any white hairs at all but her coat did go a 'rusty' colour as she got older

[Elaine]

Winstons coat also became more of a brown/grey in the last few years of his life but I dont know if that was more down to his illness or his age, maybe the few white hairs were to do with his illness too rather than his age.

[smudgley]

What an excellent question Kazz. No idea what the answer is, but it's very true.
My dog is only 6 & very grey around her muzzle.:shock:
Never seen a grey cat though. :?
edit to add ~ I've seen a grey cat! I've got one, what I mean is a cat that has turned grey with age.

[dandysmom]

This is something that I've noticed also, and have often wondered: have seen many dogs that grey as they age, but never a cat! And I've had some aged cats: 17, 19 1/2 and 20..with nary a grey hair at all. I know in people greying is caused by the gradual loss of melatonin which gives color to the hair: maybe cats don't lose it ( if they even have it which I don't know) ! Maybe a project for someone to delve into the cat genetics pages and find out,,,??

[dandysmom]

Whoops! Said melatonin in my post, what I meant was melanin !! Sorry!

[yola]

Well my Balie who is nearly 10 has developed a distinct lightening of the blue grey fur around his muzzle (if that's what you call a cat's face) to a kind of pale grey/white, it has become quite noticable over the last year.

Also, my ex-stray Ferdy who come to us black ended up a kind of rusty shade when he left us about 5 years later :(

[Sweet]

Ive noticed Jac has a rusty colouring around her nose/mouth area, I thought it may be because shes older at 12 yrs x

[dandysmom]

I vaguely remmber reading somewhere that black cats, if they spend a lot of time in the sunshine have a tendency to get a rusty tinge in their coats. I think that was referring to show cats, but suppose it could apply to others,,,and as blue (grey) is a dilute of black maybe they would lighten a bit also,,,wish I could remember where I reaad this.......

[Mags]

Hey Kazz, I just googled "Cats going grey" and your thread has shown up 5th on the first page!!! Well done girl, for getting Catsey one of the top mentions on Google! ;):D

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Do+cats+go+grey+with+age&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

[dandysmom]

Congrats, Kazz! Off now to read it...!!

[dandysmom]

Just did and it came up #1 on the page when I Googled! Way to go!!

[Mags]

Just did and it came up #1 on the page when I Googled! Way to go!!
Woohoo!! :-D

[Kazz]

Okay is that good.

[Mags]

Okay is that good.
Must be to get to the top Kazz! ;)

We ought to award you a Google Gong! :-D

[dandysmom]

Okay is that good.
As the kids say (or said, I may be out of date) way cool !!!!!