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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Black cats and kittens

46 replies

FunkinEll · 27/02/2017 11:11

My 2 moggy kittens are black but with white roots. Is this what all black kittens have? Will the white turn black as they grow?
Here'a a pictures of Griff's belly where it is more obvious but all his hair has pale roots and black tips. His sister is simar but with short hair.

Black cats and kittens
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hapagirl · 27/02/2017 11:18

Is it white or grey? I have a black and white cat and was quite intrigued to see she was grey where they shaved her.

Wishiwasmoiradingle2017 · 27/02/2017 11:19

More gorgeous pics needed for full assessment!!

offblackeggshell · 27/02/2017 11:20

I'm pretty sure that ours were both black to the roots when they were tiny. One of them did have a sort of chocolate glow, but that went properly black when his fluffiness lessened.

hapagirl · 27/02/2017 11:21

Sorry meant to shave shaved her black bits for spaying.

QuestionableMouse · 27/02/2017 11:22

That's black skin. Mine is black and has the same colour skin. My tabby cat had pink skin, especially where she has white fur. It might darken a little as they grow but it's unlikely to change much. I'll post some pics if I can get hold of both cats!

Athome77 · 27/02/2017 11:24

My black kitten (born last July) his black hair is black all the way to his skin. He has a few white patches, round his neck and socks.

ExplodedCloud · 27/02/2017 11:25

One of mine was ostensibly black but his fur was a mixture of grey and black. If you parted the fur he was all white at the base of his fur. Never changed.
My other black cats have been black from the roots to the tips.

TheLittlePaperbagPrincess · 27/02/2017 11:28

Kitten tummy! Yay!

Original poster
FunkinEll · 27/02/2017 11:30

Most of the roots are white but it is grey in a couple of places.

His sister is black but has brown tabby markings in some lights. They're very excitable this morning so getting a good picture is difficult

Black cats and kittens
Black cats and kittens
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Chrisinthemorning · 27/02/2017 11:32

Will search the house to find my 2 and report back. Gorgeous kittens

Original poster
FunkinEll · 27/02/2017 11:33

And here is Pearl, you can just make out her stripes in the face picture. Her roots are grey rather than white.

Black cats and kittens
Black cats and kittens
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Original poster
FunkinEll · 27/02/2017 11:36

Her skin is white I think as she has a white patch where they shaved her for neutering

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DumbledoresApprentice · 27/02/2017 11:48

I think what you have there is a black smoke kitten. Smokes have a lighter under coat. The longhaired one may well develop a lovely smoky ruff as it gets older. Beautiful kittens. Envy

GerundTheBehemoth · 27/02/2017 11:50

Black fur with white at the root is known as 'black smoke'. It's rather uncommon among moggies and very striking as there is often a definite tabby pattern visible. Here are a couple of pics of a black smoke kitten (left) with her normal black sister/s (and their tortie sister too).

Black cats and kittens
Black cats and kittens
Original poster
FunkinEll · 27/02/2017 11:56

Oooh, black smoke, sounds very exotic Grin.

Isn't the variation in a litter of kittens amazing. There were 7 of them in the rescue centre. One was short hair, light tabby. There was Pearl who was black with short hair. Then Griff and another 4 kittens who were black with long hair.

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GerundTheBehemoth · 27/02/2017 11:57

Oooh, your pics appeared while I was still searching for the pics of my friends' kittens Grin Yes, they both look like black smokes. Beautiful kittens.

ExplodedCloud · 27/02/2017 11:59

Ooh the black smoke moggy is definitely what mine was :) He was like a teddy bear. Miss him :(

Okite · 27/02/2017 12:03

I had one of these! She was gorgeous but impossible to get a good photo of because her fur always looked weird in pics. Fur specially designed to show up on any colour of clothing!
It's quite unusual, I think my vet at the time said it was a Persian characteristic so she probably had some Persian ancestor somewhere way back.

fuzzywuzzy · 27/02/2017 12:05

Our boys have grey roots, I think they darken as they get longer but they are now going grey behind the ears a little.... must be the addition of two mad kittens turning the older boys grey!

GerundTheBehemoth · 27/02/2017 12:08

Often one litter of kittens will have two or more fathers... and there are so many colour mutations in the cat genome that could be hidden away as recessive traits, but be expressed in the kittens if carried by both parents. The whole thing is fascinating!

DumbledoresApprentice · 27/02/2017 12:15

It's also quite common in Maine Coons. Your boy definitely has a Maine Coon sort of look about him with those big triangular ears.

Wolpertinger · 27/02/2017 12:51

Mine is black as black can be - but hair has grey roots. Now getting the odd white hair as she gets old.

Love the subtle tabby pattern yours has.

Okite · 27/02/2017 13:41

Can I ask fellow black cat slaves owners, do your black cats have black whiskers and feet etc? I have a black cat now who is like a black hole, she is so dark. I've been trying to figure out why she looks so much blacker than a 'normal' black cat!

troodiedoo · 27/02/2017 13:44

So cute! Lovely cats.

Wolpertinger · 27/02/2017 14:19

Yes, black whiskers and black feet and black paw pads. We've lost her several times at the back of deep cupboards as she's invisible.

She also gets cross about us standing on her in the dark - but if her eyes don't glint, we've no chance Smile

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