Cat's Face Has Turned White After Illness

tedcat

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Hello,

I recently rescued a nine year old male Siamese cat from a well-run shelter. Many of the cats kept there had colds, all seeming to originate from their exposure to the shelter. I was warned of this, and after a week my cat rapidly developed what I would call a "heavy" cold. He experienced about twenty days of constant sneezing with much mucus, wheezing at all hours, and thick pus around the eyes prohibiting him from opening them more than 10%. Extremely concerned, I brought him to my vet who gave me an immune pill and an ointment for his eyes. His appetite was normal throughout the illness and he remains hungry (at all hours) today.

My question: The ointment I spread over the cats eyes dried in a way that kept his face glossy for a two week period. When his health returned I stopped applying the ointment and cleaned his face to find he had gone grey - that's the only way to explain it. Thousands of white hairs had developed all over his face, head, and chin. Even very minute hairs on his nose had become bright white. When I first brought him home his face was fully black, the smooth powdery-black one would associate with Siamese. I am at a loss for what caused this. I know it had nothing to do with the ointment, but am very concerned that this visible change could be related to something much more dangerous. Its important to note that the white hairs developed in a perfectly symmetrical way, to the point where one could easily believe his natural coloring was such. I have posted a before picture of him and two after pictures. I would very much appreciate anyone giving letting me know if they have experienced this or if they know of any condition (brought on by the cold) that would have caused this.

Before:   I took this a couple of days before the cold set in.


After: I couldn't replicate the light but this contrast is true to what the eye would see. (Note the color contrast between his face and front paws in the picture below.)


 

kittylover23

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Oh goodness! I haven't seen anything like this before. I will do some research and pop back in, but I just wanted to send some good vibes to you and kitty. :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 

mrblanche

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Keeping in mind that the dark hairs on a Siamese are caused by cooler temperatures, I wonder if this is a facet of "fever coat."
 
 

speakhandsforme

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I vote fever coat as well. It is a temporary change in coat color caused by fever... he should go back to normal in a few weeks.

I thought it only occurred in kittens, but apparently it does in adults too!
 
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tedcat

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Interesting. Fever coat is a new one for me. You all mentioning it prompted me to do a bit of online research. I should say that five weeks have passed since the illness ended and he went white. I've not seen a change/decrease in the white on his face. Should his coat have begun the change back to black by now? Has anyone experienced fever coat affecting only the front of the face, especially in an older cat?
 

catspaw66

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I noticed in the third picture that his tail looks like there are grey hairs there, too.  Am I right or is it just the light. 
 

speakhandsforme

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Interesting. Fever coat is a new one for me. You all mentioning it prompted me to do a bit of online research. I should say that five weeks have passed since the illness ended and he went white. I've not seen a change/decrease in the white on his face. Should his coat have begun the change back to black by now? Has anyone experienced fever coat affecting only the front of the face, especially in an older cat?
As Mr. Blanche said earlier, the pattern of the fever coat probably has something to do with him being a colorpoint cat.

Colorpoint cats are born white, and they develop their darker areas around their paws, face and tail because those areas are cooler while they grow older. It has something to do with the genetics of their hair color, I don't know exactly how it works (that would be a good question for the breeders' forum!) but that's the basic idea.

Since he likely had a fever during his illness, those areas would have increased in temperature, causing the lighter hairs you see now. Like I said, I've never personally heard of it happening in an older cat, and I'm no cat authority, :lol3: but that seems to me to be what it looks like.

From what I'm reading now online, fever coat can take months to grow out back to normal, so five weeks maybe isn't such a long time for your boy. :rub:
 
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tedcat

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I noticed in the third picture that his tail looks like there are grey hairs there, too.  Am I right or is it just the light. 
Good call. It is just the light. I tried to post pictures that best represented the actual color of the white on his face. In that one, his tail must have reflected a bit. The white spread only around his face - I've checked very closely.
 
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tedcat

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As Mr. Blanche said earlier, the pattern of the fever coat probably has something to do with him being a colorpoint cat.
Colorpoint cats are born white, and they develop their darker areas around their paws, face and tail because those areas are cooler while they grow older. It has something to do with the genetics of their hair color, I don't know exactly how it works (that would be a good question for the breeders' forum!) but that's the basic idea.
Since he likely had a fever during his illness, those areas would have increased in temperature, causing the lighter hairs you see now. Like I said, I've never personally heard of it happening in an older cat, and I'm no cat authority,
but that seems to me to be what it looks like.
From what I'm reading now online, fever coat can take months to grow out back to normal, so five weeks maybe isn't such a long time for your boy.
Thank you for he information. Your post helped me understand this a bit better, and i will certainly be looking into learning more - the fact that he is an older cat still worries me. Thanks again.
 

catspaw66

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My RB kitty Psy would turn darker in the winter and lighter in the summer.  She loved going out on the back porch no matter what the temperature.
 

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A similar thing is happening to my Siamese too! I have been searching online and I can't find any answers. Right now it's just a lot of hairs around his right eye turning white, it looks similar to the close up that you took. The only thing I can think of, is that he was a verry sick kitten when I got him. He was found at about 5 weeks old with no mother and a terrible respiratory and eye infection. He was extremely sick for a couple weeks and recovered well, but that was almost 2 years ago. He is a very active, healthy cat. Very loving and playful. I am hoping this is nothing too serious, but he is my baby, so of course I'm concerned. Have you gotten any other answers? I wish I had a better pic, but he wasn't liking the camera in his face..lol
 

siamesemommycat

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This recently happened to my beautiful Sealpoint cat....he got a cold and his dark face has turned speckly due to the fever....same thing....ivory hairs all mixed in with the black.....i think it will take almost half a year to change back.

I'm quite annoyed because the cold was the fault of the vet. But too late....have to wait and see....his is not quite as bad as yours....but still noticeable.....
 

simbabuddy

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I have been searching this topic online, so happy to find similar posts. My siamese cat had a cold(runny nose, sneezing) but no infection. I even took him to the vet to be sure. He was sick for about 3 weeks. Now 2 weeks after getting better, the right side of his face changed colour?? I don't think he had a fever. I find it very usual that only one side changed? Anyone know why this would happen? Or if I should take him back to the vet?
Thank you so much,
Worried mommy

Ps here is a picture, he looks a little mad cause I woke him up to take it.
 
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tedcat

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Hello all,

As the original poster, I should have long ago followed up on the situation. (I certainly forgot to until now, over a year later.)

All is back to normal after a three month period of the cat's fur slowing changing back to black from white immediately following the end of the illness. I had never heard of this happening before, and your ideas certainly calmed my worries.

Thanks to all for their advice and thoughts about fever coat; this has not occurred since, and I am sure this was a one-time, illness-based situation.

Thanks again to all who contributed their thoughts.

 

nola sue

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I have a Siamese who is fiv positive and he was vaccinated with fvrcpc, rabies, and feluk, and he is turning grey. Started with the face and is now getting grey all over. It all began after the vaccinations which made him very ill. Vet vaccinated him before finding out the test results and in hind site it never should have been done like that. Also could have been the chlamydia vaccine but too much stress on his immune system with fiv. The greying has gotten worse as time goes on even tho he seems fully recovered, I almost lost him he was that sick and he would not eat much with a lot of overall weakness. I was worried there was something wrong now, but maybe the acute illness is the coloration growing out.
 

nola sue

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Nebraska in Omaha has a really great humane society, interesting to see your reply. We got a grey cat from them thru pet smart when living there. He is the best.
 

purrrrrs kittys

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I have two seal point cats. I had one of my cats at the vets to be groomed.were he picked Up some kind of a cold. I had him back at the vets and he told me he had a URI. So he gave him a shot of convenia sc. I got him home and went right to bed were he &my female sleep. Well 3 days later my female was sick so on the 5 day she was at the vet. She had pheumonia. She got 2 shots...convenia sc & dex sc. Well both my cats got better after a few weeks. Then the white hairs started... all around the eyes... I bring them back. The vet can't tell me what's wrong.. I look crazy cuz I'm crying thinking my cats may be going BLIND. They sent me to a different vet.. She had no answer. I go home crying and call a friend. He googles it and found these post. You say that the cat is better and all the color has returned ? I hope this is true for my.. Thank you for your post! I hope my cats have a happy ending Also.
 

gardenandcats

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I have had this happen to two of my siamese over the years when they where sick. The face did darken back up to normal after a few months
 
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