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
Upon 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?
Lee Harris
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