Cat question...haha

Ok i fiured i would post this question in the lounge...but it may need to be moved....its not a health or care or breeding....or...well you know...type of question....

OK.....John wants me to ask.......

Why is it that sometimes a cats skin matches thier fur i.e. color/spoting..ect?

and at the same time why do some cats coats not match their skin at all...??

examples....Johns mom's cat yinny is a calico, when shaved for surgery her skin was the same colors as her fur, she had white with brown and peanut butter spots on her skin......

whereas Doofus' skin is completly white under his black fur????

John is very curious

That's a good question.

hmmmm!

No idea.

Good question. I was wondering the other night when I had to clean Ellie (she got into some mud) and she looked really strange when wet, as her skin is pink/white under her black fur.

I think absolute colors are different than other colors, is part of it.

Also, it could be something similar to the piebald gene.

What I mean-Ghibli, my turkish van, would be red tabby all over if it weren't for the fact that he is a Van cat-Vans carry what is called the piebald gene, which basically masks their other colors in white. His fur is white but underneath, his skin is like his pattern all over. I hope that makes sense?

From what I know, white is almost always a mask for their true pattern, and the skin underneath is not masked, maybe that is true in black kitties as well?

Originally Posted by turtlecat

I think absolute colors are different than other colors, is part of it.

Also, it could be something similar to the piebald gene.

What I mean-Ghibli, my turkish van, would be red tabby all over if it weren't for the fact that he is a Van cat-Vans carry what is called the piebald gene, which basically masks their other colors in white. His fur is white but underneath, his skin is like his pattern all over. I hope that makes sense?

From what I know, white is almost always a mask for their true pattern, and the skin underneath is not masked, maybe that is true in black kitties as well?

Click to expand...

yeah that does kinda make sence...I getcha....so doofus "would" have the Piebald gene then??...hmmmm

thanx everyone else for responding...I had no idea it was such a tough question.....I feel better for not knowing.....

Originally Posted by Nebula11

yeah that does kinda make sence...I getcha....so doofus "would" have the Piebald gene then??...hmmmm

thanx everyone else for responding...I had no idea it was such a tough question.....I feel better for not knowing.....

Click to expand...

Well I think it's something similar to it.. something about a "pure" color covering the natural tint of the cat. I'm only but so up on feline genetics... Though for a proper answer, you might ask a breeder.. that's how I learned about the piebald gene.