- Joined
- Mar 29, 2015
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Hi all!
I'm new here. I've got some foster kittens at the moment and I'm just looking for feedback on their colouring. These kittens are siblings, of no fancy breed or mix. Both kittens initially appeared solid black and then I noticed what I thought was balding, turns out it's just that the base of their fur is light grey. (so when it parts it almost looked like bald patches)
I have read really conflicting information about black smokes so I'm not sure if they are or if this is a kitten coat that will grow out.
I have had the kittens 6 weeks now, they are nearly 4 months old. One long hair and one short hair.
The hair is not consistently pale at the base, in some areas it is beige rather than grey and in some areas it is black almost to the base. It is pale on the body, top of the legs and especially around the neck, it seems to get gradually darker towards the face, tail and feet. Does the inconsistency mean it's not black smoke? Both have what looks like tabby ghost markings, on the longhair it just looks like rusting though. The shorthair appears totally black in artificial light, you can only see the tabby markings in daylight, so it is very slight.
What is confusing me most is that from what I've read, a fever coat would grow out, and end up white/grey on the tips? Most fever coat photos I've seen have had white on the tips rather than base. Their grey is not growing out to the tips, it's staying at the base. I've also read that it's common for kittens to have a pale undercoat that grows out as they age. But this is not a pale undercoat from what I can make out, each individual hair is actually white/grey on one end, and black on the other.
So what do we think, black smoke or kitten coat that will grow out? I'm guessing it's more likely a kitten coat.
Unfortunately it has been impossible to get these guys to stay still for a photo! I will try to get pics to add soon but they are WIGGLY and my camera isn't great.
Thanks!
I'm new here. I've got some foster kittens at the moment and I'm just looking for feedback on their colouring. These kittens are siblings, of no fancy breed or mix. Both kittens initially appeared solid black and then I noticed what I thought was balding, turns out it's just that the base of their fur is light grey. (so when it parts it almost looked like bald patches)
I have read really conflicting information about black smokes so I'm not sure if they are or if this is a kitten coat that will grow out.
I have had the kittens 6 weeks now, they are nearly 4 months old. One long hair and one short hair.
The hair is not consistently pale at the base, in some areas it is beige rather than grey and in some areas it is black almost to the base. It is pale on the body, top of the legs and especially around the neck, it seems to get gradually darker towards the face, tail and feet. Does the inconsistency mean it's not black smoke? Both have what looks like tabby ghost markings, on the longhair it just looks like rusting though. The shorthair appears totally black in artificial light, you can only see the tabby markings in daylight, so it is very slight.
What is confusing me most is that from what I've read, a fever coat would grow out, and end up white/grey on the tips? Most fever coat photos I've seen have had white on the tips rather than base. Their grey is not growing out to the tips, it's staying at the base. I've also read that it's common for kittens to have a pale undercoat that grows out as they age. But this is not a pale undercoat from what I can make out, each individual hair is actually white/grey on one end, and black on the other.
So what do we think, black smoke or kitten coat that will grow out? I'm guessing it's more likely a kitten coat.
Unfortunately it has been impossible to get these guys to stay still for a photo! I will try to get pics to add soon but they are WIGGLY and my camera isn't great.
Thanks!