Cat's fur is red / brown

My black cat's paws seem to be turning red on the inside -- just around where the nail is.   I don't want to go to the vet in case it is just normal and I just haven't noticed it before. I have done some preliminary searching and mostly... reasons for it seem to be nutritional.

That is a possibility. I have had my cat on a diet for a while. But I felt like I was giving him enough (he lost 3 lbs in 10 months) -- starting at 20. Also, it says it can be an amino acid.  But I have been feeding him high quality protein -- Earthborn -- fish and chicken.

I saw that it can also be failing kidneys and or liver but 10 months ago the tests came back normal.

He is 10 years old. Could it be aging? Litter? I use worlds best and that is golden color.

Honestly, if I had an inkling of kidney issues - after losing two cats to kidney disease in 6 months time - I would get them checked out. Even if the blood work was only one month ago, as my Lucky's blood work was fine at the end of September, then had stage 4 acute renal failure a month later.

NOT saying that is the case, but better to be safe than sorry. And in the meantime, they can actually get a look at the paw. I've never heard of the fur changing color, except perhaps to grey/white in aging cats. Or, it can redden after being in the sun.

Donutte said:

Honestly, if I had an inkling of kidney issues - after losing two cats to kidney disease in 6 months time - I would get them checked out. Even if the blood work was only one month ago, as my Lucky's blood work was fine at the end of September, then had stage 4 acute renal failure a month later.

Click to expand...

No... at some point I can't spend my life at the vet in fear of kidney issues.  Been there far too often and each and every-time... no problems.   He doesn't seem to have any other signs of kidney failure... such as dry hair or lethargy.  It is also only near his paws and I feel like if it was an organ issue it would be more all over.

I will monitor and see.