Do black cats have black whiskers? Some black cats have black whiskers and some don’t. The majority of cats, in general, have white whiskers, however, cats with a solid black coat appear to have darker whiskers.
White Whiskers
Why do most cats have white whiskers?
Cat’s whiskers differ from their fur and are thicker, the roots are deeper and denser.
Cat’s whiskers do not access melanin in the same way that fur does resulting in the whiskers having a white or light appearance.
It appears that the whiskers may initially receive melanin but don’t retain it meaning that the whiskers lose their color.
Cat Accessories
Cat accessories are the cat’s paw pads and whiskers and are nothing to do with something that you can buy that is cat-related from a store.
Black cats can be completely black including its accessories.
Many Bombay Cats are entirely black and therefore may be one of the most likely black cat breeds to have black whiskers.
Black Cats with Black Whiskers
Black cats with black whiskers must retain more melanin in the whisker than other cats.
Black cats have high melanin content which is what makes them black but even black cats lose this melanin in their whiskers in general.
Cats Whiskers Turning Black
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Our boy Coco 1Upon doing research for this blog post I found that cat’s whiskers may change color over time.
On a forum, somebody asked why their ginger cat’s whiskers were turning black.
The person asking the question was reassured by Alexandra M. Burtt (a Cat Guardian) that there was nothing to worry about.
Apparently, if a cat has dark-colored whiskers in its ancestry, the cat’s whiskers may change color according to the cat’s DNA.
Alexandra advised that if the person was concerned to contact a veterinarian.
My Thoughts
Our American Shorthair called Coco has dark whiskers, they definitely don’t appear to be white but as they are so shiny, in the light they can look a gray color.
The confusing thing is, whenever I’ve found one of his whiskers on the floor or on the sofa, the look jet black in my hand.
When I look at photos of black cats, in general, their whiskers look dark but it depends very much on the lighting.
When a black cat has white whiskers it’s very clear to see!
The black cat will have a very striking appearance as the whiskers are so contrasting against the fur.
I suppose the info in this blog post can seem to be a little conflicting but I think simply, the color of the cat’s whiskers will vary from cat to cat.
Do Black Cats have Black Whiskers? – Summary
Do black cats have black whiskers? Yes and no and it seems to vary from cat to cat.
Most domestic cats, in general, have white whiskers and this is due to a lack of melanin retention in the whisker.
Black cats with black whiskers appear to retain more melanin in the whisker than others.
A cat’s accessories are the cat’s whiskers and paw pads and it is possible for a cat to be completely black, accessories, and all…
Cats whiskers may change color over time based on their DNA.
Our black cat called Coco has dark whiskers that appear to be quite light in color in certain lighting but when they have fallen out look completely black in my hand.
Resources
Why most cats’ whiskers are white
Why are my ginger cat’s white whiskers turning black?
Hey all! Was curious if anyone could give me some info on why Chippy-boy has black hairs on him. He obviously has lentigo, and I’ve read that it can affect whisker colour, so that makes sense, especially given that, from what I can tell based off his old photos, he didn’t have them in the past.
I’m unsure if something like this can be caused by lentigo (and I’ve not really heard of it occurring outside of the head all that often), so I’d appreciate any insight :>
I do not believe it is lentigo. A Red/orange/buff colored cat is a rule of, not exactly sure if I have it correct.. but a black cat and a calico... You need to look into genetics... My Geoffrey, buff colored, has a few black whiskers, as does yours; and a steak of grey fur gong down his spine... He is definitely a buff colored cat... Artie, who was a true Red/orange cat, had one black whisker... This is Geoffrey:
I do not believe it is lentigo. A Red/orange/buff colored cat is a rule of, not exactly sure if I have it correct.. but a black cat and a calico... You need to look into genetics...
I've not really heard of lentigo spotting occurring on the body (it's mainly talked about on the head), outside of a case report on a silver cat from 1990, which is why I was asking about how likely it is to be the cause.
Sorry, you know so much more about this than I do.. I thought I was helping.. sorry..
I just love the coloring of Geoffrey.. He has an unusual coloring.. and I love him for it..
His fur is so soft..softer and longer than Artie's.. like a soft pillow..
Red cats are prone to "freckles", I've noticed. I assume that's all it is, but I'll be following the thread to see if anyone else knows more about it.
Red cats are prone to "freckles", I've noticed. I assume that's all it is, but I'll be following the thread to see if anyone else knows more about it.
My first cat, Jum, is his daughter (2 y.o atm), and despite having quite a bit of freckling appearing around her nose, mouth, and even her pawpads, she's yet to grow any dark whiskers or hairs like her daddy.
It's pretty normal for red and cream cats to have a few dark hairs. It's not known exactly why this is.
It's pretty normal for red and cream cats to have a few dark hairs. It's not known exactly why this is.
Wonder if Jum will end up growing some when she ages a bit more, will have to keep an eye on it.
I also suspect it's the same reason orange cats get "freckles," I wonder if the skin at the base of the dark whiskers and fur is dark/freckled as well. My orange girl has one black cheek whisker and two black eyebrow whiskers, as well as scattered dark hairs, and she's had them since I adopted her at 8 months, so they can sometimes happen on young cats. My flame point boy has all white whiskers, but does have some dark hairs throughout his tail. I'd also be interested if anyone knows anything else, although I think it's probably just the lentigo.
I have a red female, about 2 1/2 years old. About half of her cheek whiskers have turned black and she has a dusting of black hairs on her muzzle. She looks like she has a dirty face. She's also developed a couple of freckles on her gums in the corners of her mouth.
I always attributed it to the pigmentation of her supposed mother, a neighborhood feral. Mom's a dark colored tortie.
Yes, some red cats have been observed to have a "dirty face" appearance due to black or gray hairs. These hairs tend to appear on the face and paws.
It's not clear what causes this, my best guess is that it could be some kind of breakthrough effect where the orange mutation isn't completely effective (similar to tarnishing on silvers) but this is all speculation. These dark hairs or freckles can occur even in cats with red siblings and parents.