Why is my gray cat's fur turning rusty brown under his neck?

A common cause of light colored hair turning orange or rust colored is from saliva staining. This can occur when a cat or dog is licking excessively. In cats, this can be cause by a range of medical things, including fleas, mites, ringworm, and allergies. It can also be a stress response. I would recommend that you have Zelda checked out by a vet to make sure that her skin is healthy - sometimes we will see something that you may not have realized was abnormal. If they do not find a medical cause, they can discuss Zelda's home environment and help you identify things that you could change to help with feline stress. Here is an article that discusses overgrooming in cats: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2565 Here is a product that can help stressed out kitties if other causes of itching have been ruled out by a vet: http://pet-supplies.drsfostersmith.com/search?view=grid&cartcount=0&wishcount=0&division=dogs&w=feliway&x=0&y=0

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely just a normal coloration change and nothing to worry about. There can be changes in the coat coloration throughout their lifetime. I do not think there is something you need to do at this time. Best of luck!

It’s difficult to say without doing an exam but these could be normal hair pigment changes. This sometimes will happens as a cat ages. I would also be concerned that something may be going on with the skin. I would make sure that it is just the hair that is discolored and the skin in that area look normal. I would be looking for an scabs, discoloration or redness of the skin and whether she is licking or bothered by those areas. If you are not sure, I would have your vet take a peak to ensure it looks normal. Your vet will be able to start her on the proper meds if needed. I hope this helps!

It's not uncommon for the black parts of the coat to turn reddish with sun exposure. That's the most common cause and it's a benign change. A poor diet could also potentially do it as well. Make sure you are feeding a high quality cat food. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi Laura! The changes in Jasper's coat color could be due to a variety of causes, including endocrine/metabolic diseases (hyperthyroidism is one example), cancer, nutritional deficiencies, or steroid administration (prednisolone is one example). I realized that I mentioned both cancer and hyperthyroidism as possible causes of coat discoloration, but these are highly unlikely given Jasper's young age. If Jasper's diet has changed considerably or if he has received steroids as a part of his soft stool management, it is possible that these changes could be related. Make sure that Jasper is eating an appropriately balanced diet, such as a commercially prepared cat food. Many home cooked diets lack an appropriate vitamin and mineral balance, and these deficiencies can cause coat discoloration. Also, speak with Jasper's vet to determine if he is currently receiving a course of steroids or has taken steroids recently. If he is comfortable and not itchy, the coat changes may not be a cause for concern, but it is still worth mentioning to your vet.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see a flat, dark brown spot on Mewtwo's neck. It is somewhat concerning that the spot has gotten darker, so you should definitely keep an eye on it and have it checked out if it gets bigger or starts bleeding. Your vet can either remove the spot completely or take a needle and collect some cells from the area to send off to a lab. I hope this helps!

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). The following products can be found online and can be tried as a first line approach: Douxo PS Calm shampoo, Essential 6 spot on by dermoscent, Krillex Krill oil chews. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!