# Black kitten getting white hairs???



## JungliBillis

My all black cat, Billi is getting single white hairs all over. Is this normal for a 9 month old cat??? I mean, he is way too young to be getting gray hair, right? This started like a few months ago. He's also been getting split ends on his whiskers! :S

Hard to see with highlights, but you can see more on his lower body.


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## Mitts & Tess

My tuxy has that also. Very normal. They will get more and more the older they get!


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## JungliBillis

Oh good! Thank you so much for letting me know. I searched online to see if it was normal, but all I saw was old cats getting gray! And some said change in coat could be medical issues, so I wanted to know if others noticed this in their cats here 

I'm relieved to see he's not sick or anything!


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## cinderflower

my black cat did that too. she is all black with the teeniest little white spot on her chest. if her head is down, you can't even see it, but the occasional white hairs started when she was young. of course now that she's 16, all of her formerly black whiskers and eyebrows have turned white except for one or two.

she also has always had two hairs on her chin (curling toward each other, on opposite sides) that were white and really stood out. they look like catfish whiskers LOL.


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## JungliBillis

Billi also has a micro-sized white patch (of about 10 hairs) on his belly. I guess it's not even a patch xD

I am curious to see how many white hairs he will have as he grows up...


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## Lotu

Good info to know. One of our kittens (almost 4 months) is black with several white hairs on neck and some other random white hairs that are barely noticeable. She also has ghost tabby markings (but not white at near roots-which someone mentioned would be smoke). I am curious if she will also acquire more white hairs over the years/retain her ghost markings. She has black whiskers and I found cinderflower's comment interesting about the black whiskers turning white! I wouldn't have expected that, but now won't be concerned if it happens...very interesting stuff. Curious what others who have black cats in their lives have to say on this.


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## molldee

My black cat has that too. It's normal.


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## wallycat

I think total black cats have been bred out (stigma associated with it), unless it is a pure bred, like a Bombay.


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## cat face

My tux has that, I've noticed a few more as she's growing up. (she's 10 mo.)

B.B. (my 13 yr. old) only ever had two teeny tiny white hairs on the top of her head by her left ear. Never any more, even to this day. 

Now, whiskers are another story, she has one whisker that is gray... just one. 
It has fallen out once, then everything looked normal (LOL) but it's grown back in again. 

Makes her look like she has half of a 'foo-man-choo' (no idea how to spell it so its phonetic)
I call her "foo" sometimes. 
She just looks at me with that look that says, "Idiot"


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## CJinCA

Lidkorish is all black, to the naked eye, but she has some white hairs, which I consider her identifying features. There is a tiny cluster of white hairs above her left clavicle that I would consider her 'birthmark'. 

Probably nothing to worry about.


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## tezster

My 10-month old Newton has a loose patch of about 7 strands of white hair on his chest, and several single strands on the rest of his coat. His mom has a much larger patches of white, so I know where he gets it from


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## Venusworld21

I've got 4 black or mostly black cats. They've all got the random white hairs and all are increasing with age (they range from 16 months to 8 years old).


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## Arianwen

My white and black cat has white hairs sprinkled through her black splodges. Apart from whiskery bits, cats don't really go grey like dogs (or us!!) and so having this happen at less than a year is just as normal as if it happened later.


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## Marcia

I think it's common for black and whites. Our Billy started out sort of as a tabby but eventually turned into a true tuxedo and as he got older his fur developed a brown cast to it.


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## lovetimesfour

Those white hairs are called Angel Kisses. I don't remember why. My little black cat has them, too. She also has a secret white spot, from reading this thread, seems like many black cats do. Hers is a crescent on her abdomen. I love it, but she is very stingy with it, hardly ever lets me see it, just a quick glimpse now and then when she does a flop and stretch. It's so sweet I'm just dying to kiss and nuzzle it, but she's not having it.


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## tezster

I began reading about this online and the history is quite interesting (if true). Apparently, the genetic lineage of all modern black cats has been heavily influenced by superstition in the Middle Ages, when many pure black cats were killed, due to being associated with the devil and witches. White patches (no matter how small), called Angel's kisses (or Angel's mark), were the one saving grace, as they were considered to be 'touched' by God, so they were spared from death.

Hence, there is a larger population of black cats with white hair.


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## cat face

tezster said:


> I began reading about this online and the history is quite interesting (if true). Apparently, the genetic lineage of all modern black cats has been heavily influenced by superstition in the Middle Ages, when many pure black cats were killed, due to being associated with the devil and witches. White patches (no matter how small), called Angel's kisses (or Angel's mark), were the one saving grace, as they were considered to be 'touched' by God, so they were spared from death.
> 
> Hence, there is a larger population of black cats with white hair.


Very cool info, thanks for that! I love historical bits like that. 

I can easily see that being the case, but I have doubts that the all black cats (moggies) are being phased out unless they are pedigree. I've owned a half a dozen in my lifetime, all black, no tiny white patches. So I reckon there are still quite a few left out there, roaming our little planet


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## howsefrau32

Stephano had one little smidge of white on his belly when we rescued him, looks like someone had white paint on one fingertip and touched his belly. Now, he is starting to grow a little patch of white on his side, by his leg, and it seems to be getting bigger. Other than that he is all black. When he is in the light, you can see tiger stripes under his coat too, and he has a reddish tint to him, but only in a really good light. Funny how our black cats are such a big mix of lots of different kinds of kitties.


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## Arianwen

tezster said:


> I began reading about this online and the history is quite interesting (if true). Apparently, the genetic lineage of all modern black cats has been heavily influenced by superstition in the Middle Ages, when many pure black cats were killed, due to being associated with the devil and witches. White patches (no matter how small), called Angel's kisses (or Angel's mark), were the one saving grace, as they were considered to be 'touched' by God, so they were spared from death.
> 
> Hence, there is a larger population of black cats with white hair.


Luckily, where I live there was a clear distinction between a _gwraig hysbys_ (wise woman / wife) and a _gwrach_ (witch) and so there was no real problem with black cats or prejudice against them - it's sort of random whether people think they are lucky or unlucky.


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## Venusworld21

It seems like, besides what they're born with, damage to the hair folicles can also cause a color change. One of my guys came to us as an 8 week old kitten with a bald spot the size of a pencil eraser on his right elbow. He's a mostly black cat, but that patch of hair grew back entirely white. To this day (he's now 4 years old), it's white, though I'm willing to bet it was black when he was born. Perhaps normal grooming and licking can cause a hair to be pulled out ("traumatized") and grow back in white, and that would explain the random occasional white hairs??


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