Brown Fur - it used to be black

[TrickyD]

My dear old black and white boy is nearly 15. Our previous cats have, in old age, started to have a brown tinge to their fur, but evenly spread. He, however, is developing a distinct patch of almost auburn fur along his back. He has no fleas, no sign of irritation and it does not seem to bother him.

Is this just a sign of old age or could it be a symptom of something?

I think it's the cat version of going grey - along with a few white hairs and whiskers.
My old boy (previously all black) is now distinctly ginger on his chest in sunlight.

Pretty sure black cats go red/brown in the sun

If he is lazy and always sits in one spot, it will be a patch of colour rather than all over

Actually I think this can be illness too, I'd go to the vet to be on the safe side.

No, Emochild, he has different spots to snooze in and is not lazy, so I don't think it is sun on his back.
Fluffy, what sort of illness were you thinking of? He's due for his jabs soon so will ask the vet then, but I would be grateful to hear of possibilities in advance.

I have been googling and it appears that as well as old age, it could indicate a lack of Tyrosine in the diet. Meat, eggs and dairy are recommended before embarking on supplements. Those are what he eats, though, including squirty cream and beaten eggs. Chat with Vet called for.

We do love thrm, don't we?

Just to say, my mum's 18 year old black cat's fur has increasingly been turning a reddish brown. A sign of age.

Ages ago there was a similar situation on here & one of the vets said it could be illness.

I can't remember what the illness was but its worth booking him in.

You just never know with these cats.

If he otherwise seems fine, I suspect it's an age issue - but it would still be no bad thing to give him, say, a senior health check at the vets when he has his shots. He's not what I would call really old but he could still benefit from a look over - maybe some tests - especially if he hasn't been vetted since last jabs, say.

We have elderly cats going gradually brown more or less all over before, this seemed different because it is just one clearly defined area on his back.
We will check with vet at shot time.