by RS
(New York)

QUESTION

Over the last couple of months I noticed white patches and hair popping up on my 9 year old black cat. She appears to be fine. Is this something I should be concerned about or is this just her getting older. My concern is that this is happening in a rather quick pace and seems to be spreading.



Hi, RS,

This is common during aging. It also can occur after a major shedding (which occurs at the beginning of the summer) and new hair starts to grow back in. The same thing happens if a cat comes in for surgery and we clip an area of fur. When the fur grows back in, some cats end up with a totally different color of fur.

Unless your kitty is showing other signs of illness (less appetite, lethargy, constipation or diarrhea, less or more urine, less or more drinking), I don't believe you have a problem.

Thank you for writing.

Dr. Neely