Are Black Cat Whiskers Normal?

Whiskers are among a cat’s greatest tools to check what goes on around it. We are generally used to seeing white whiskers but sometimes we see black cat whiskers. They may change their color to black or the cat may have black whiskers since it was born.

The most important thing about a cat’s whiskers is their functionality rather than the length or the color of it. However you may get worried when you see your cat’s whiskers turning black or realize that most of the other cats have white whiskers while your cat had black whiskers all along.

Why Do My Kitten Has Black Whiskers?

Cat whiskers come in all lengths and colors. When it comes to colors, whiskers are not that different than your cat’s fur. The biggest difference is they are generally rooted deeper under your cat’s skin, deeper than where the pigment is stored. As with all hair, if there is not pigment, there is no color hence the white whiskers.

Sometimes the whisker roots don’t bypass the pigment layer and get the color of the fur. Although, this is not something that is rare, cats born with black whiskers somehow draw people’s attention. Cats can even have all their whiskers in one color and a few whiskers in another. They may even have color variation in one whisker such as half black half white whiskers.

You should know that this is not a health issue and you don’t have to worry about it because black whiskers can be and are as healthy as white whiskers. As the whiskers get their color from pigments just like their fur, generally black cats are the ones to have black whiskers. You can even see a black cat with white whiskers and it is OK.

Under no circumstances should you cut your cat’s whiskers!

Color Change in Whiskers

Just like us, humans, cats fur and whisker colors change as they get older. A white whisker may turn black or half black half white. This is a natural process in a cat’s life and is not a health issue. There are researches that show not only your cat’s whiskers but also its fur can change color as it ages. Generally below given colors and ages are consistent among black cats:

Kitten: White whiskers

Adult: Black

Senior: White or Black

Let’s admit it! We don’t like thinking about the age of our beloved friends but this is one of the rules of Mother Nature. Every living being ages, even the trees that are thousands of years old and as they age there are physical changes in their bodies. For cats, one of these changes is the color change in its whiskers. So if you see a color change in your cat’s whiskers, do not panic.

Cats even shed their whiskers as part of their aging process and then regrow them. The newly grown whiskers might be black, white or any other color. As long as you don’t suspect any medical condition, stay calm and let your friend age with dignity. In my opinion black whiskers look amazing, too,

Also, a cat that was born with black whiskers may have white whiskers later on. These changes in color may happen with the regrowth after shedding or the whisker can change its color without any shedding. The important thing here is that you know your cat is going through a change.

I know that you love your cat no matter how it looks and sometimes we can get over protective and get worried over nothing. You can be sure that the color of the whiskers do not change anything when it comes to the whisker functionality and your cat’s health.

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Do you have a cat with whiskers that changed color? Why don’t you share your experience as to what happened? There may always be another cat friend who needs to know what you think. Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

Have a purrderful day!!!