Hey everybuddy. For my selfie this week, I thought I would do another back-of-the-head one. But when I took the selfie, I discovered something really strange happening to me.
You guys, I’m changing colors.
Look! The furs around my ears are turning redish brown. The mom was a little concerned so she googled it and found out that sometimes us kitties with black furs can turn this color. It’s called “rusting” and there’s various reasons why this happens. The most likely is too much exposure to the sun. And while I may not be an outside cat, I do like to sit in the sun…a lot. So much so, that the mom is always telling me I’m gonna burn up.
Other causes can include:
- lack of the amino acid called Tyrosine which is needed to create melanin that gives us cats our wonderful coloring
- a copper deficiency
- excess zinc which leads to a copper deficiency
- thyroid, kidney or liver problems
The mom also asked the vet about it, and she said it probably was because of too much sun exposure. But don’t expect me to spend less time in the sun. I love my sun puddles! I wonder how long it will be before I turn all redish-brown.
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55 Responses to “Easy E Rusting Selfie Sunday”
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Well, it is a handsome shade… makes you look even more dashing.
Those are darn good selfies Ernie! Hey, don’t feel bad, my Dad is rusting too.
Ernie what an interesting discovery! I purrsonally love your copper highlights. Mom said humans pay mega bucks for what you have naturally
Hugs
Madi your bffff
You still look adorable even if your fur color changed. Our Spooky has similar changes in his fur too.
I’ve never heard of this!! Simon, who is also solid black, is still black. He loves sun puddles, too but I don’t see him rusting!!
Ernie, our black cat, Black is doing the same thing. We just figured that was happened when kitties got a little older and we think it is mainly from the sun. So not to worry, your furs look great.
Hey Ernie! I think that reddish tinge is very nice actually……….and who would want to give up sun puddles to avoid having a bit of a reddish HUE to their furs??? Not me (of course I’m ginger!).
Love, Sam
Kitty highlights! I think your rusting is beautiful, Ernie. Mom says she always thought that was from the sun and didn’t know it could be from those other causes.
Well it’s like having a streak of grey in your hair. Makes you more distinguished! If you ever turn into a “red cat” we’ll be right over. We’re “into” red and orange and think your streak looks great.
I think I have seen Spitty appear reddish in some areas sometimes too………glad it is nothing to worry about!
Even Julie has a bit of red 😉
Good to know it is not anything to worry about.
On Katie Isabella’s blog, she calls it her “cinnamon underwear” 😉
MOL
Purrs Georgia and Julie,
Treasure and JJ
I see that coloring show up on Boo when the sunlight hits her fur, but I hadn’t notice any of it changing color. This is good information.
Ernie you sure do look great this morning.
Happy #sundayselfie
Annabelle,Boo,Ping, & Mr Jinx
Hmmm. I rust, too. Just got down from sitting in a sunpuddle and looking outdoors on the tippy top of Mommy’s (mine) chair!
Diego-San turns reddish during the summer.
Hey Rusty! Sorry, I mean Ernie, those are great selfies. My mum said two of the cats who came before were house panthers, and they always went rusty in the summer, but went back to black in the winter.
Selfies sometimes reveal strange things ! My black cat Kim also had brown stripes but now they have disappeared. I thought it would be her age, but apparently I was wrong. She turned black again !
There are changes in melanin as a cat ages but browns are lovely too!
Yes, Kozmo is rusting too. He will gets more black in the winter. And Ernie, yous is still as handsome as yous was before!
Kisses
Nellie
Maybe you can turn it into a fashion statement, Ernie!
Ernie, you look so handsome with your highlights. Enjoy your sunpuddles!
You are turning into a brown kitty! I think it’s totally fine as long as it’s not because of health issues 🙂 You are handsome in any colors, Ernie 🙂
I’m turning brown with the sun too ! But you remain a pawsome mancat, Ernie ! Purrs
Ernie, it’s good that your momma looked up that information! Forewarned is forearmed, but sunshine is a glorious thing!
Rusting? Oh noes! I like what Flynn says about it being a summer thing – that way, it probably IS from your sunbathing.
You know, Ernie, there are peeps that would pay a lot of green papers to get highlights like you have 🙂 our mom had a black kitty before us and she had similar brown furs, our mom thinks especially behind the ears like you have.
pip, smidgen, minnie, hollie
I think the rust is furry becoming!
Ernie, we think look quite dashing with your ‘rusty’ highlights!
Mindy
Moe
Mike
Cookie
A rusty black cat…sounds attractive to me Ernie! You should have done a terrible thing when you were a kitten cause now they wouldn’t recognize you with reddish black fur……MOL many times.
(((Shoko)))
MOL! Dood, you’re too young to get all rusty an’ stuffs!
It sure is a beautiful color but I like your black coloring too. The lady is surprised my fur hasn’t changed color (not sure if that happens to orange kitties) the way I sun bathe, but I really didn’t have an opportunity to sun bathe until later in life. Anyway, either way, you look good, Ernie!
My human assistant spends lots of money to get highlights like yours!
I’m rusting too, Ernie, since two years… I think it looks good on you…especially on your Selfies 🙂 Pawkisses for an Easy Sunday 🙂 <3
I wish my hair was “rusting.” Instead, it has to turn white. 🙁
I’ve never heard of rusting…but it looks good on you!
Yep. It is the sun. It happens to black dogs, too. We love you just the way you are!
Oh Ernie weez sure glad it’s nuffin’ serious. Maybe just a little less sun okay? 🙂 Have a blest day.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi
Mee-you Ernie wee can rust??? Burmese can rust?????
Mee iss goin to stay out of thee Sun then…mee likes mee sleek SEAL brown looks black look!!
Mind you that color looks good on you….
Fine *easy on* also…
***nose bumpsss*** Siddhartha Henry xxxx
Wow….that’s super interesting…we didn’t know furs could change from the sun.
The Florida Furkids
Rusting? Maybe it’s just a tan dood…
Not for nothing, Ernie, but humans pay LOTS for that kind of stuff. Mom said they’re called “highlights.” 🙂
We like your new reddish brown furs, Ernie! You know that the human ladies pay lots for those kind of highlights!
We have seen the “rusting” from a few cats too, we’re glad it’s nothing. You have a perfect selfie btw.
I tell Spitty all the time about laying in the sun that it’s gonna dye his furs. My furs are changing color too. My stunning Russian blue furs are getting ticked so I look like an ordinary tabby.
You look really good with all that red! I’m sure all that sun is really good for you, too.
Check out my cat blog for archived stories about the abandoned/feral cat colony I manage.
http://homelesscatcare.blogspot.com/
Lovin’ your new highlights, Ernie!
We think the reddish furs look GREAT on you! Whatever the reason. But we hope they are good reasons…
Learn something new each day!! Even something about rusting…the water here would do that too; way too much iron, we need spawsial filters…white shirts do not stay white, and if you had to get regular washings your whole pelt would be turning reddish, MOL! Good thing you wash yourself…
Hey Ernie, Katie Isabella and me both have red underwear! It’s all good, Buddy. I see you’re concealing your giant mitts today.
It’s a nice colour! Our human thought it’s age when our 18-year-old Tanya’s black fur turned to this colour, and some to white! Purrs and headbutts from all of us!
Trixie gets red highlights in summer. But in winter, it all turns black again.
My black dog Lilah always seems to have red in her fur when the sun shines just so. I never even thought about it until I read your post. Turns out, dogs can “rust” too! I think it’s pretty. And Lilah doesn’t care; she loves being outside — though she does prefer shade.
–Purrs (and wags) from Life with Dogs and Cats
We’d never heard of rusting before. Very interesting. Thanks for being part of our Sunday Selfies, Ernie. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
I’m “rusting” as I get older too. I think it adds character to my furs.
Rusting eh? Is that what it is? We are glad we dropped by and found this out!!
Sam has some of that rusting too….she also loves the sun!