Depends on what emo music you are talking about. Back during the time I straightened my hair I would listen to post hardcore and Metalcore, which I still do I just fell out of touch with emo fashion lol
My mostly white calico is obsessed with taking dirt baths. She once murdered a houseplant just so she could roll around in the dirt. I don’t keep houseplants anymore.
I'm so sorry your cat has a stripey butt. It's way too soon, I know, but I guess you just have to accept that she's a stripey butt for the rest of her life
Any chance you have radiators, steam powered heating or exposed pipes? Cats like warm places and sometimes they get too close for comfort on some of the heated pipes/radiators. Does her first feel different in that streak? My guess is she lied down with her back to the radiator and singed the fur.
My cat has done so many dumb things like this. One time her tail started smoking because she left it on a hot light bulb. She just turned around and sniffed it like it was nothing. The fur was brown and burnt where she did this for a while.
My childhood cat set himself on fire once a few years before I was born.
My parents said the dog started freaking out so they went to investigate and the little idiot was just sitting there with his tail on fire. Apparently, he got a little too close to a candle. Same cat also singed his whiskers, got candles banned from the house, got his head stuck in a soup can, fell out a window (that he knocked the screen out of), got stuck on a carpeted wall 9 feet in the air, and lived as a holy terror for 20 years. The best part is that he wasn't even orange. I miss that little furball. Dude just loved using his 9 lives.
I am cackling, thank you for this.
I have a black long hair goofball that is a complete nuisance and I’ve had to toddler proof my house but also, I love him.
Some houses have them.
This was decades ago in a house that was also outdated by decades. Half of the basement bathroom had really dirty carrot orange shag carpet and the other half had wood panel..... On the walls.
He was! He was a grumpy old tuxedo cat and very fun (even if he hated me with a burning passion. Which is fair because I did draw on him a few times)
My dad’s aunt used to always tell this story from when she was an accountant, obviously they were all working with paper back then and smoking inside, somebody’d left their burning cigarette on the ashtray and this cat came in and took the cigarette in its mouth and ran around the room, all the ladies freaking out that it would set all the papers on fire. I guess the cat just left eventually. It sounds so crazy but I can also see it. And she was completely of sound mind when she told that story.
I understand that Siamese cats’ coloration has to do with heat/temp/bloodflow, so this makes sense in my head but I’d love someone with specific knowledge to back me up that black cats might experience sudden heat bleach for similar reasons?
Edit : Your cat seems unbothered and I love the smoking tail light bulb story btw
Edit edit: it’s a cool concept but as others have explained in replies likely not what happened here
She didn't rub against any cleaner residue? Or lay in the sun oddly (Some black cats rust in the sunlight, but that's usually all over the coat, not just a line) Seems like an odd mark to randomly show up. However if she's acting healthy and frisky; well....you have yourself a stripey void now I guess, lol
What's this sun you speak of?
Yeh had a few people suggesting cleaning chemicals, I keep all mine away and I'm good at making sure there's no chemical residue on things as we also have a 2yo child. Unless she's been in someone else's house but I doubt that as she doesn't go out much and is quite timid.
It's also weird because of how straight and semetrical it is...
Yep this is definitely a thing. Some of my face creams have bleached dark gray towels. I also think my vitamin C serum could've partially caused it. They're not even the strongest stuff on the market either.
Can confirm, it's currently pretty sunny and mild during the day in the South-West of England . . . Rather depressing actually, we want snow and if we can't have snow then rain, lots of rain.
Does he goes outside ? The reason I ask is maybe some loser bleached the line on him. My friends cat was spray painted pink and green. What kind of losers does that. This is why it’s best to keep kitties inside away from harm
Thank you everyone fore the replys. I limit my social apps to 30mins a day and almost done for the day now so might update tomorrow after I take some of the advice.
Main things people are saying is accidentally came into contact with chemicals or malicious/accident by neighbour. I'd be surprised by both to be honest as she's timid and we are very careful with chemicals, but accidents do happen. The mark is also very central and straight so doesn't look accidental.
Other comments include she identifies as a skunk or going through punk phase. I feel these are more in line with her character.
I've been thinking of limiting my socials. Thanks for mentioning that as I'm inspired to start the new year that way. All the best to you and your sweet kitty for a happy 2023.
Is it actually a change in hair color? From the pictures it looks as though it has thinned. But if she arched her back and ran against the underside of a hard surface that had something on it then it might present with this "perfect" line.
Weird.
The most plausible is indeed accidental acces to a chemical. That would explain the straight line and the discoloration. It will grow out next shedding
Dumb question maybe but does the white part smell like anything? If it was bleach etc, it might smell. Are the hairs white at the root? If she pressed against something, it wouldn’t be even all the way into the roots.
The only time I’ve seen something like this is when a cat with a tumour had radiation/chemo etc and the cat developed a horizontal blonde stripe on that area. Do you have a neighbour playing with radiation…?
I would ask the vet, just to be safe.
I don’t know if cats can get that but one day my dog got a straight line of darker hair on her back. Vet said she likely hurt herself and we didn’t see it because of the hair and the darker colored hair is due to damaged hair follicles.
Vitiligo just doesn't usually look like this though. Cats with vitiligo tend to develop white splotches across their whole bodies [like this ](https://images.app.goo.gl/aig85cBfMmkKhXV87). It doesn't usually cause such perfect and localized discoloration for cats at least.
The hair also looks like it's thinned out where the line is, which is not something that happens when a cat has vitiligo.
Edit: another cat with [even earlier stage vitiligo](https://images.app.goo.gl/17QRx5AeiaEhtMBs9). Even the few cats I could find with localized spots still didn't have this weirdly perfect line, it was more like their ears, paws, or nose started turning white.
My void developed a white streak on one of her legs that definitely wasn’t there when we brought her home. I think the person we got her from had plucked her white hairs, because we kept commenting on how she was so black with no white anywhere but within a month it was there. She also lied about them being spayed. I’m just glad I got her and her sister away from the lunatic.
It was extremely bizarre. And she wouldn’t respond to any questions after I brought them home (I also adopted her tuxedo sister). They had apparently come from a hoarder house, but they are living their best lives here.
https://preview.redd.it/zwb9g0quv39a1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc7666f6fb05251c4d4129b0128e8752ffa18f48
Those little white hairs on her chest weren’t there either when I brought her home.
We fostered a litter of black kittens. Some were tuxedos, but some were solid black - until they weren’t. I don’t think it’s uncommon for black cats to have stray white hairs and small white patches pop up as they age.
Aww, she's lovely!
I live in eternal hope that nobody is insane enough to pluck white hairs off a cat just to make it look a certain way, but who knows.
One of my torties started out with white whiskers, but they became black whiskers. I've no idea if that's a normal thing or not, but cat hair colour can change and with all black cats I believe white hairs do come and go, particularly with age. It could be that maybe that's all it is. 😄
Is she outdoor? If so I may keep her in for a little as someone is perhaps trying to poison or harm cats. Some people leave bleach buckets or bleach tainted food out. Or perhaps a neighbour concerned she’s a stray and thought “oh hey I’ll mark her and see how often she comes round”
She is outdoor. It's a possibility as she doesn't have a collar at the moment (we get quick release ones in case she gets stuck but they always seem to come off).
It's a quiet area though with a lot of cats and she doesn't stray far or often so I'd be surprised if it was this. She's also in really good health and got a lovely coat so don't think she'd be mistaken for stray.
Lots of cats is something that would definitely imply a neighbour or even organisation keeping an eye. Some think they’re being good Samaritans by feeding or taking in outdoor cats without collars. I had a neighbour who each day would come outside, swap all the collars for the half dozen outdoor cats so she could claim ownership. She’d feed them KGF, bones and all, tuna, curry, pasta. They all had fleas, ended up poisoned or injured. She had them registered with vets and would take them for unnecessary treatments or for first aid from injuries she’d inflicted, wether purposefully or not. Owners were not happy to find out what was happening
Have you tried washing / wiping it and does it come off? Are any of the hairs half black, half blonde or fully blonde? Is it possible some bleach leaked somewhere and got onto her fur?
Bleach only if she's been in someone else's house. It does feel a little drier there though which would point to chemicals. Weird how straight it is though. I've tried wiping, will try with some water but when you get close it's obvious the hair is a different colour rather that it being dirt or paint.
From the picture, it looks like only the top fur might be discoloured. If you check the strands, and see if the roots are still black, it’s likely accidental bleaching. 😅
Ahem. I used to have an outdoor cat who used to visit all my neighbors homes like she owned them. It’s possible that someone from another household let her in and purposefully did that to your cat (with bleach or whatsoever).
It may be injury related, perhaps a fight with another cat. Almost any trauma to the skin can cause color change in the fur. Even something as simple as a small puncture, or scratch could cause pigment alteration... however, in case it is a chemical, a bath will help get rid of any possible residue. Either, way monitor the cat for any noticable changes to it's behaviour. Might warrant a vet visit.
The only person who could give you a proper answer is a veterinarian. I know they're expensive, but to expect an accurate answer from Reddit is, frankly, foolish.
I have a cat that did this. Turns out she had just scraped off a strip of fur squeezing under something. It grew back but it takes awhile. This can also happen due to an allergy, food, fleas or something else.
Did you see if the root of the hairs are black or white ? Could be an efficient way to determine if this is bleach or health-related. If it's vitiligo, it's not dangerous at all, it just affects skin and hair color.
Take her to the vet! Even though it looks like nothing serious, it might be. And I don’t want you to regret anything in hindsight some years from now like I have(I don’t know if this sentence makes total sense, English is not my native language).
I had to put down my 5 year old cat and now looking back I see she had symptoms of diabetes way before the end
If you have a good relationship with your vet give ‘em a quick call. Let them know what’s going on and and they will let you know how urgent it might be. My kitty would have quick hair loss and pissed off skin if even one flea bit her so make sure you rule out fleas as well.
Overnight? Hydrogen peroxide or bleach. For this to be a medical issue, you would have hair falling out or the bottoms turning the color. Black hair doesn't bleach overnight without bleaching. The only other plausible explanation is the cat was pet by a ghost.
If it’s not chemical it may be a scorch? My void got one white eyebrow whisker from a neighbour’s exhaust pipe. It grew back black. If she has access to outside it could be from a hot engine, a heat light, a heater. Sometimes they get to close to that sweet, sweet heat before they realise it’s too hot (and sometimes not even then. My childhood cat would lay so close to the fire you could smell his fur singe. We had to get a bigger fire guard because of him)
That is interesting as something similar happened to my cat this winter as he developed his winter coat. Not nearly as large of a spot but these white hairs showed up at the base of his tail. Have never seen them in all of his 11 years.
https://preview.redd.it/h8xc74v9759a1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc367a951e456a607030df7f53ba59d2b9658523
Any chance a twat in your area did this to her? My cats have thankfully been fine but there’s been a rise in teenagers messing about with cats :( but the idea that she’s rubbed against or run under some chemicals that people have suggested makes sense! Someone might’ve been cleaning when she came over to visit and they could’ve stroked her back end with gloves on and forgotten there was bleach residue
I'd be very surprised if it was a twat doing something malicious. It's a quiet area with quite a few outdoor cats and only issue we've ever had is someone that used to leave food and milk out for them (trying to be nice). I think it's unlikely she'd let a stranger get close to her too as she's really timid.
Had a cat whose ears turned from dark brown to white overnight when she was around 10 or 11 years old. My wife and I thought she had somehow dipped her ears into flour somehow or something. Vets were even baffled by it. They stayed that way until she passed away last year at 18 years old. Still a mystery. I miss my little white eared buddy. She was special.
I'm sorry. The evidence is clear. She must have gotten out during the last full moon and been attacked by a fiend. Your beloved Binx is now a wereskunk.
I'm not a vet or anything, but I have a cat who "mows" himself hairless in places like this and on his belly. It's almost always a straight line or a perfect square. The vet told me it is anxiety-related over-licking/cleaning (which checks out in my home, anyway) and not dangerous or an issue, really.
Has anything happened in the last few weeks that could have freaked your kitty out? Literally anything like a houseguest, construction nearby (loud noises), a change in diet, a change in kitty litter, anything like that?
if it actually did show up overnight then it's bleaching or colored ..because anything folicule baised would take time and come in gradually not all at one....I would give her a good wipe down with some Dawn and a prince just to make sure she doesn't "groom" off any chemicals she may still have there
My first thought is someone knows what happened but isn't telling you :) When I was 13/14 I was bleaching my hair and hadn't closed the bathroom door. My black cat came wandering in and got a blob of bleach on her back. I didn't realize until the color changed and by the time I washed her off it was very noticeable. She was fine, just a bit odd looking.
I thought if I pretended not to know what happened I wouldn't get in trouble, but my parents thought there was some kind of chemical spill in the house and were desperate to find it before the cats got into it any more. Eventually I fessed up. The cat was fine, we brought her to the vet to check. She hadn't licked any and there wasn't any skin irritation.
Really didn't expect so many comments on this but thank you everyone for advice, inputs and jokes!
Like I've mentioned in comments I really don't think it's chemicals, I also don't think it's malicious or marking by pet groups. I live in a quiet British seaside down and that stuff is really rare and groups don't have resources to go marking cats.
I've tried washing etc. But it doesn't come out so definitely not dirt.
Have had a few comments about possibility of her sleeping against a radiator and singeing the hair and I think this is the most likely cause. She was asleep in the bedroom under the radiator yesterday and that would explain how it's so straight. The fur does feel dry and 'burnt' which is why I first thought chemicals, so singed does make sense.
Anyway, thank you everyone for suggestions, I'll let Binx know the fuss that's been made out of her and I'll keep an eye on it to make sure it gets better.
Does the fur feel normal? Any chemical or burning from heat would cause the fur to feel like straw, crunchy, and it would be easily broken/falling out. It almost looks like matting but wouldn't make sense that it would appear suddenly and she's no chonk so just very unlikely all around....this is quite the conundrum! Lol she does look pretty cute in her new skunk phase though!!❤️
The area looks like the application of anti-flea medication, but farther down the back rather than the back of the neck.
Being an outside cat, I would be suspicious of other people applying things to the cat intentionally or unintentionally by petting.
Acids like lemon juice and prolonged sunlight can have a bleaching/lightening effect on hair.
Doesn’t necessarily have to be a caustic/dangerous cleaning chemical to impact melanin.
Stress/medication/age/illness can cause humans to get a streak of white hair. It tends to be permanent but benign.
The symmetry and placement of the area looks suspiciously like a genetic stripe. Perhaps measure the line with a tape measure and check again later to see if it extends farther up the back or takl.
That looks like exposed undercoat. Make sure to monitor your kitty and make sure she isn’t stress-grooming. Sometimes when they are under stress they will lick the same area over and over until the outer coat pulls out
My Cat had a very similar thing happen but under her tail. A straight line, completely bald. I sent pictures to my vet and when we had her checkup the vet didn't really have an answer. All of her vitals were fine and the fur grew back.
We never identified how it happened. It wasn't from excessive grooming as that usually leaves the skin irritated. My best guess is she got caught in something??
This happened with a childhood cat of mine. My mom accused us of shaving the cat. We're pretty sure she ripped the hair out herself because of stress but I'd be curious to know if we were wrong?
Stress. **Dark cats that have recently been through a very stressful situation, such as moving or a long stay at a veterinary office, can temporarily lose pigment in patches of fur**. This results in a gray color that may or may not go away with time.
Could be VITILIGO I had a black cat that had white fur appear on her back hips. It’s common in humans and animals.
Has that area been injured recently !
Pipers appeared after a hip fracture and pain injections. The fur turned white from the trauma.
But it can just change on its own. Vet visit definitely.
Did it stay?
Quite a lot of people suggesting she possibly rubbed up against chemicals, which was my first thought but it's so central and straight it doesn't seem accidental
Ok…. I do not think it was a chemical. I thought at first someone used a clipper of some sort on my cat, I thought it was the fur underneath not a ‘dye’.
I’m still baffled. ( she goes outside when nice out) then the stripe actually moved a bit down her tail.
I was thinking along the lines of an ‘allergy’ of some sort. I also thought maybe the top layer was somehow shaved from her maybe in a tight squeeze somewhere. Know what I mean?
Watch out for pepe le pew. He'll be showing up any minute now.
I'm not ready for her to bring back boys... Especially not french ones!!
*Fr£nch trigger warning*
Please use a censor when you talk about the fr*nch
What about the br#t$sh are also censored like the fr#nch
If that’s the case, we F#%%^\h 🇫🇮 have no hope…
If she starts making milkshakes, be afraid! That will definitely start bringing the boys to your yard.
pepe is very rapey so i hope not. literally won’t take no for an answer.
I opened the free coin box thing just for you haha
Rubbed under a sink or something that you've just cleaned and not rinsed all the cleaning product away.
Our first thought was bleach. But we keep everything shut away and not used any products like that since before Christmas..
Does she have internet access? A lot of stylists do home visits. She's probably just going through a punk phase.
Haha I was listening to my friends punk band the other day so this is a possibility.
I always joke that my boy went through a cat version of a phase like this when he was 3.
Gosh I wish I could keep this. It’s so me, except I don’t really look like I would enjoy emo music
Depends on what emo music you are talking about. Back during the time I straightened my hair I would listen to post hardcore and Metalcore, which I still do I just fell out of touch with emo fashion lol
Punk Goes Skunk, Volume Mew.
More like ‚skunk‘ phase
Hey OP does her skin have any irritation in that area? And does the blonde go all the way down to the root?
Is she an indoor only cat?
Usually it’s the white cats that are obsessed with getting dirty. I had one who liked to walk under cars and always had grease streaks on his back.
My mostly white calico is obsessed with taking dirt baths. She once murdered a houseplant just so she could roll around in the dirt. I don’t keep houseplants anymore.
She's trying to cosplay as a skunk
Pepe lePew has joined chat.
He's on a quest for love, and won't take no for an answer.
He's going to get arrested for harassment, you mean?
Romancing another cat
Pepe LeMew
Came here for this joke.
Came here to ask this
Or drip of bleach from laundry room
Yep - she walked under a freshly painted ladder
Maybe she’s half French
Its a go faster stripe
AeroDYEnamics
That’s my cat’s name!
I don't know why this has been flagged mourning/loss... She is fine.
I'm so sorry your cat has a stripey butt. It's way too soon, I know, but I guess you just have to accept that she's a stripey butt for the rest of her life
rest of her life? if it appeared overnight then it means shes just rubbed it on something
It’s ok, you’ll cope with the denial phase soon. 🖤
Soon will come acceptance over SBD (stripy bottom disease)
😂
Whoooosh
That’s good. That’s the “flair” option. It generally shows up before you post. Maybe you hit the wrong one accidentally?
Ah yeh it's definitely possible I accidentally pressed it.
You can edit it retroactively
It happened to me before too, I had a post on here that had “dead” in the title and the sub auto-flaired it. Glad your kitty is fine!
🤣 for a moment I thought the stripey butt thing had happened to you 😂
I’m sure it’s happened to more than would admit it
Or maybe the automod did it when it saw the word “dead” in the title
It’s coz the line died
I wounder if it auto tagged it mourning because you used the word dead
Reckon you might be right.. obviously not accounting for the north of England in that auto-tag
Your cat dyed
im genuinely dieing of laughter
Thank goodness! Glad Binx only has a new paint job, got sad for a second there
Anyone else come here expecting to be educated about this mysterious white line of death?
I am sorry for your lost color on your cat. Hope she will be black as see was ❤️ Edit: mixed a few words
You used the word dead in the title.
RIP to the black fur
I was sad and concerned for a minute, glad you clarified
Loss of black hair? Idk lol
I giggled. It's your reference to a 'dead straight line'.
It is because you used the word "dead" in your title, I am assuming 
Sorry for your loss...of hair
Any chance you have radiators, steam powered heating or exposed pipes? Cats like warm places and sometimes they get too close for comfort on some of the heated pipes/radiators. Does her first feel different in that streak? My guess is she lied down with her back to the radiator and singed the fur. My cat has done so many dumb things like this. One time her tail started smoking because she left it on a hot light bulb. She just turned around and sniffed it like it was nothing. The fur was brown and burnt where she did this for a while.
[удалено]
My childhood cat set himself on fire once a few years before I was born. My parents said the dog started freaking out so they went to investigate and the little idiot was just sitting there with his tail on fire. Apparently, he got a little too close to a candle. Same cat also singed his whiskers, got candles banned from the house, got his head stuck in a soup can, fell out a window (that he knocked the screen out of), got stuck on a carpeted wall 9 feet in the air, and lived as a holy terror for 20 years. The best part is that he wasn't even orange. I miss that little furball. Dude just loved using his 9 lives.
This was a rollercoaster of crazy cat scenarios and I love it. Also your childhood cat was an orange in disguise and you can't convince me otherwise
I am cackling, thank you for this. I have a black long hair goofball that is a complete nuisance and I’ve had to toddler proof my house but also, I love him.
Carpeted wall?! (Sounds like the best little terror in the world)
Some houses have them. This was decades ago in a house that was also outdated by decades. Half of the basement bathroom had really dirty carrot orange shag carpet and the other half had wood panel..... On the walls. He was! He was a grumpy old tuxedo cat and very fun (even if he hated me with a burning passion. Which is fair because I did draw on him a few times)
It was really funny. She also was missing her bottom left canine so she had this permanent sneer because the one tooth left would prop her lip up
My dad’s aunt used to always tell this story from when she was an accountant, obviously they were all working with paper back then and smoking inside, somebody’d left their burning cigarette on the ashtray and this cat came in and took the cigarette in its mouth and ran around the room, all the ladies freaking out that it would set all the papers on fire. I guess the cat just left eventually. It sounds so crazy but I can also see it. And she was completely of sound mind when she told that story.
I understand that Siamese cats’ coloration has to do with heat/temp/bloodflow, so this makes sense in my head but I’d love someone with specific knowledge to back me up that black cats might experience sudden heat bleach for similar reasons? Edit : Your cat seems unbothered and I love the smoking tail light bulb story btw Edit edit: it’s a cool concept but as others have explained in replies likely not what happened here
They’re not saying that mere heat caused a color change, but that the fur is singed and thus is lighter looking cuz it is burnt hair.
I think sometimes if the skin is scarred the fur will grow back lighter, but Im not going to bet the farm on that.
She didn't rub against any cleaner residue? Or lay in the sun oddly (Some black cats rust in the sunlight, but that's usually all over the coat, not just a line) Seems like an odd mark to randomly show up. However if she's acting healthy and frisky; well....you have yourself a stripey void now I guess, lol
What's this sun you speak of? Yeh had a few people suggesting cleaning chemicals, I keep all mine away and I'm good at making sure there's no chemical residue on things as we also have a 2yo child. Unless she's been in someone else's house but I doubt that as she doesn't go out much and is quite timid. It's also weird because of how straight and semetrical it is...
Does anyone in your home use benzoyl peroxide as an acne treatment? That can also bleach pigments
Yep this is definitely a thing. Some of my face creams have bleached dark gray towels. I also think my vitamin C serum could've partially caused it. They're not even the strongest stuff on the market either.
Any peroxide really. (Like hydrogen peroxide too)
I've read this su-n is a phenomenom related to li-ght and it can be experienced somewhere south.
He is probably from London. I heard they don't see sun much there. Some don't believe it even exist.
A previous comment mentions he’s in the north of England so pretty much the same thing..
Even worse lmao, up north is way colder
Can confirm, it's currently pretty sunny and mild during the day in the South-West of England . . . Rather depressing actually, we want snow and if we can't have snow then rain, lots of rain.
Yeppp.. sounds nasty man, I hate the sun
nippy shrill aromatic fretful society afterthought murky hat fade many *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Did your 2yo possibly get a hold of the cat and something to make a mark with, like chalk?
Does he goes outside ? The reason I ask is maybe some loser bleached the line on him. My friends cat was spray painted pink and green. What kind of losers does that. This is why it’s best to keep kitties inside away from harm
A sun? Overnight? Praise be!
*laughs in Antarctica*
Cries in Lapland
Mewls in New York
Thank you everyone fore the replys. I limit my social apps to 30mins a day and almost done for the day now so might update tomorrow after I take some of the advice. Main things people are saying is accidentally came into contact with chemicals or malicious/accident by neighbour. I'd be surprised by both to be honest as she's timid and we are very careful with chemicals, but accidents do happen. The mark is also very central and straight so doesn't look accidental. Other comments include she identifies as a skunk or going through punk phase. I feel these are more in line with her character.
I've been thinking of limiting my socials. Thanks for mentioning that as I'm inspired to start the new year that way. All the best to you and your sweet kitty for a happy 2023.
Is it actually a change in hair color? From the pictures it looks as though it has thinned. But if she arched her back and ran against the underside of a hard surface that had something on it then it might present with this "perfect" line. Weird.
The most plausible is indeed accidental acces to a chemical. That would explain the straight line and the discoloration. It will grow out next shedding
Dumb question maybe but does the white part smell like anything? If it was bleach etc, it might smell. Are the hairs white at the root? If she pressed against something, it wouldn’t be even all the way into the roots. The only time I’ve seen something like this is when a cat with a tumour had radiation/chemo etc and the cat developed a horizontal blonde stripe on that area. Do you have a neighbour playing with radiation…? I would ask the vet, just to be safe.
It's along her spine, go to a vet.
How about vitiligo? Cats can get that too, like humans! Can you check if the skin under the whiter hair is also different?
I don’t know if cats can get that but one day my dog got a straight line of darker hair on her back. Vet said she likely hurt herself and we didn’t see it because of the hair and the darker colored hair is due to damaged hair follicles.
Vitiligo just doesn't usually look like this though. Cats with vitiligo tend to develop white splotches across their whole bodies [like this ](https://images.app.goo.gl/aig85cBfMmkKhXV87). It doesn't usually cause such perfect and localized discoloration for cats at least. The hair also looks like it's thinned out where the line is, which is not something that happens when a cat has vitiligo. Edit: another cat with [even earlier stage vitiligo](https://images.app.goo.gl/17QRx5AeiaEhtMBs9). Even the few cats I could find with localized spots still didn't have this weirdly perfect line, it was more like their ears, paws, or nose started turning white.
My void developed a white streak on one of her legs that definitely wasn’t there when we brought her home. I think the person we got her from had plucked her white hairs, because we kept commenting on how she was so black with no white anywhere but within a month it was there. She also lied about them being spayed. I’m just glad I got her and her sister away from the lunatic.
Holy shit, poor cat. Glad you got them away too!
It was extremely bizarre. And she wouldn’t respond to any questions after I brought them home (I also adopted her tuxedo sister). They had apparently come from a hoarder house, but they are living their best lives here. https://preview.redd.it/zwb9g0quv39a1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc7666f6fb05251c4d4129b0128e8752ffa18f48 Those little white hairs on her chest weren’t there either when I brought her home.
I’m super dense, I read this and thought you were questioning the cat..”where did that white hair come from…answer me!”
We fostered a litter of black kittens. Some were tuxedos, but some were solid black - until they weren’t. I don’t think it’s uncommon for black cats to have stray white hairs and small white patches pop up as they age.
Aww, she's lovely! I live in eternal hope that nobody is insane enough to pluck white hairs off a cat just to make it look a certain way, but who knows. One of my torties started out with white whiskers, but they became black whiskers. I've no idea if that's a normal thing or not, but cat hair colour can change and with all black cats I believe white hairs do come and go, particularly with age. It could be that maybe that's all it is. 😄
We had a tortie that had a half-pale/half dark muzzle and the whiskers on the pale side were black, and on the dark side - white.
Once my black cat grew in a single white whisker. When it fell out a black one grew again in its place lol
Mine was all black as a baby but he has developed a white spot on his chest just like this. I think it just…happens sometimes
She reminds me of our Coco https://preview.redd.it/twhfk081p49a1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=900e994e4f09125770acaadd554feef50af5d029
Hoarder gave kitty a wash in black hair dye and it is fading...
My void has been growing her little white locket as she ages. It may just be normal age related coat change?
Christmas is a stressful time, maybe it's turned her blonde (vs going gray in humans) but I hear blondes have more fun!
Has Brinx been listening to The Clash and Blondie on vinyl lately?
This is a possibility. She's always been quite timid so if she got into Blondie she might just be expressing herself.
Perhaps sneak a little Patti Smith and Joan Jett?
Is she outdoor? If so I may keep her in for a little as someone is perhaps trying to poison or harm cats. Some people leave bleach buckets or bleach tainted food out. Or perhaps a neighbour concerned she’s a stray and thought “oh hey I’ll mark her and see how often she comes round”
She is outdoor. It's a possibility as she doesn't have a collar at the moment (we get quick release ones in case she gets stuck but they always seem to come off). It's a quiet area though with a lot of cats and she doesn't stray far or often so I'd be surprised if it was this. She's also in really good health and got a lovely coat so don't think she'd be mistaken for stray.
Lots of cats is something that would definitely imply a neighbour or even organisation keeping an eye. Some think they’re being good Samaritans by feeding or taking in outdoor cats without collars. I had a neighbour who each day would come outside, swap all the collars for the half dozen outdoor cats so she could claim ownership. She’d feed them KGF, bones and all, tuna, curry, pasta. They all had fleas, ended up poisoned or injured. She had them registered with vets and would take them for unnecessary treatments or for first aid from injuries she’d inflicted, wether purposefully or not. Owners were not happy to find out what was happening
Have you tried washing / wiping it and does it come off? Are any of the hairs half black, half blonde or fully blonde? Is it possible some bleach leaked somewhere and got onto her fur?
Bleach only if she's been in someone else's house. It does feel a little drier there though which would point to chemicals. Weird how straight it is though. I've tried wiping, will try with some water but when you get close it's obvious the hair is a different colour rather that it being dirt or paint.
From the picture, it looks like only the top fur might be discoloured. If you check the strands, and see if the roots are still black, it’s likely accidental bleaching. 😅
Maybe not “bleach” but rubbed up against a Drain-O bottle or something. I think you’re spot on about it being chemical. I wouldn’t worry though
Sniff it. Bleach or peroxide should leave smell.
perhaps one if your neighbours used bleach or something to clean their driveway/porch and maybe your cats fur got into contact with it
Ahem. I used to have an outdoor cat who used to visit all my neighbors homes like she owned them. It’s possible that someone from another household let her in and purposefully did that to your cat (with bleach or whatsoever).
Struck by lightning
It may be injury related, perhaps a fight with another cat. Almost any trauma to the skin can cause color change in the fur. Even something as simple as a small puncture, or scratch could cause pigment alteration... however, in case it is a chemical, a bath will help get rid of any possible residue. Either, way monitor the cat for any noticable changes to it's behaviour. Might warrant a vet visit.
The only person who could give you a proper answer is a veterinarian. I know they're expensive, but to expect an accurate answer from Reddit is, frankly, foolish.
I have a cat that did this. Turns out she had just scraped off a strip of fur squeezing under something. It grew back but it takes awhile. This can also happen due to an allergy, food, fleas or something else.
Maybe vitiligo ?
I've had a quick Google and that seems to be more patchy, but I'll keep an eye on it and see if it grows
Did you see if the root of the hairs are black or white ? Could be an efficient way to determine if this is bleach or health-related. If it's vitiligo, it's not dangerous at all, it just affects skin and hair color.
Take her to the vet! Even though it looks like nothing serious, it might be. And I don’t want you to regret anything in hindsight some years from now like I have(I don’t know if this sentence makes total sense, English is not my native language). I had to put down my 5 year old cat and now looking back I see she had symptoms of diabetes way before the end
Thanks, I'll definitely consider this. We have a great vets so I'm sure they wouldn't mind checking her over. They do get regular check-ups though.
If you have a good relationship with your vet give ‘em a quick call. Let them know what’s going on and and they will let you know how urgent it might be. My kitty would have quick hair loss and pissed off skin if even one flea bit her so make sure you rule out fleas as well.
I came here to say the same thing. Sudden overnight change like this warrants a quick vet visit, just in case! Always better to be safe than sorry.
Overnight? Hydrogen peroxide or bleach. For this to be a medical issue, you would have hair falling out or the bottoms turning the color. Black hair doesn't bleach overnight without bleaching. The only other plausible explanation is the cat was pet by a ghost.
If it’s not chemical it may be a scorch? My void got one white eyebrow whisker from a neighbour’s exhaust pipe. It grew back black. If she has access to outside it could be from a hot engine, a heat light, a heater. Sometimes they get to close to that sweet, sweet heat before they realise it’s too hot (and sometimes not even then. My childhood cat would lay so close to the fire you could smell his fur singe. We had to get a bigger fire guard because of him)
That is interesting as something similar happened to my cat this winter as he developed his winter coat. Not nearly as large of a spot but these white hairs showed up at the base of his tail. Have never seen them in all of his 11 years. https://preview.redd.it/h8xc74v9759a1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc367a951e456a607030df7f53ba59d2b9658523
Any chance a twat in your area did this to her? My cats have thankfully been fine but there’s been a rise in teenagers messing about with cats :( but the idea that she’s rubbed against or run under some chemicals that people have suggested makes sense! Someone might’ve been cleaning when she came over to visit and they could’ve stroked her back end with gloves on and forgotten there was bleach residue
I'd be very surprised if it was a twat doing something malicious. It's a quiet area with quite a few outdoor cats and only issue we've ever had is someone that used to leave food and milk out for them (trying to be nice). I think it's unlikely she'd let a stranger get close to her too as she's really timid.
Aw she sounds like a sweetheart! I hope you figure out the reason, please give Binx some love from me ❤️
Watch out! Pepe LePew may fall in love with her
Elsa struck her!
Oh no 😱😱😱😱
Had a cat whose ears turned from dark brown to white overnight when she was around 10 or 11 years old. My wife and I thought she had somehow dipped her ears into flour somehow or something. Vets were even baffled by it. They stayed that way until she passed away last year at 18 years old. Still a mystery. I miss my little white eared buddy. She was special.
I'm sorry. The evidence is clear. She must have gotten out during the last full moon and been attacked by a fiend. Your beloved Binx is now a wereskunk.
I'm not a vet or anything, but I have a cat who "mows" himself hairless in places like this and on his belly. It's almost always a straight line or a perfect square. The vet told me it is anxiety-related over-licking/cleaning (which checks out in my home, anyway) and not dangerous or an issue, really. Has anything happened in the last few weeks that could have freaked your kitty out? Literally anything like a houseguest, construction nearby (loud noises), a change in diet, a change in kitty litter, anything like that?
It brings character.
Yeh I love it if it's natural. Just weird how it's showed up overnight
if it actually did show up overnight then it's bleaching or colored ..because anything folicule baised would take time and come in gradually not all at one....I would give her a good wipe down with some Dawn and a prince just to make sure she doesn't "groom" off any chemicals she may still have there
Guess you're going to have to rename her in to Stripe now
Binx has 100% been in contact with bleach!
Looks like she went underneath something that had some bleach or peroxide on it, and that's where she rubbed against it.
My first thought is someone knows what happened but isn't telling you :) When I was 13/14 I was bleaching my hair and hadn't closed the bathroom door. My black cat came wandering in and got a blob of bleach on her back. I didn't realize until the color changed and by the time I washed her off it was very noticeable. She was fine, just a bit odd looking. I thought if I pretended not to know what happened I wouldn't get in trouble, but my parents thought there was some kind of chemical spill in the house and were desperate to find it before the cats got into it any more. Eventually I fessed up. The cat was fine, we brought her to the vet to check. She hadn't licked any and there wasn't any skin irritation.
She identifies as a skunk now. Respect…
Paintbrush with bleach. Kids?
Struck by Elsa?
Really didn't expect so many comments on this but thank you everyone for advice, inputs and jokes! Like I've mentioned in comments I really don't think it's chemicals, I also don't think it's malicious or marking by pet groups. I live in a quiet British seaside down and that stuff is really rare and groups don't have resources to go marking cats. I've tried washing etc. But it doesn't come out so definitely not dirt. Have had a few comments about possibility of her sleeping against a radiator and singeing the hair and I think this is the most likely cause. She was asleep in the bedroom under the radiator yesterday and that would explain how it's so straight. The fur does feel dry and 'burnt' which is why I first thought chemicals, so singed does make sense. Anyway, thank you everyone for suggestions, I'll let Binx know the fuss that's been made out of her and I'll keep an eye on it to make sure it gets better.
She's obviously going through a scene kid phase! YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND, MOM.
Does the fur feel normal? Any chemical or burning from heat would cause the fur to feel like straw, crunchy, and it would be easily broken/falling out. It almost looks like matting but wouldn't make sense that it would appear suddenly and she's no chonk so just very unlikely all around....this is quite the conundrum! Lol she does look pretty cute in her new skunk phase though!!❤️
The area looks like the application of anti-flea medication, but farther down the back rather than the back of the neck. Being an outside cat, I would be suspicious of other people applying things to the cat intentionally or unintentionally by petting. Acids like lemon juice and prolonged sunlight can have a bleaching/lightening effect on hair. Doesn’t necessarily have to be a caustic/dangerous cleaning chemical to impact melanin. Stress/medication/age/illness can cause humans to get a streak of white hair. It tends to be permanent but benign. The symmetry and placement of the area looks suspiciously like a genetic stripe. Perhaps measure the line with a tape measure and check again later to see if it extends farther up the back or takl.
Pepe LePew will be interested
Bleach or peroxide on the underside of a low pipe maybe?
it's obviously done in honor of the iconic Dame Vivienne Westwood
That looks like exposed undercoat. Make sure to monitor your kitty and make sure she isn’t stress-grooming. Sometimes when they are under stress they will lick the same area over and over until the outer coat pulls out
Well obviously she killed Laura Palmer and then eventually the guilt turned her hair white overnight
not really related to the question but i met a black cat named binx like an hour before seeing this post
I thought only scared cartoon animals got a yellow stripe up their back
My Cat had a very similar thing happen but under her tail. A straight line, completely bald. I sent pictures to my vet and when we had her checkup the vet didn't really have an answer. All of her vitals were fine and the fur grew back. We never identified how it happened. It wasn't from excessive grooming as that usually leaves the skin irritated. My best guess is she got caught in something??
Does the white go to the root or is the color change only on the surface?
It's a side effect of the new nip on the streets. She is probably caught up with a gang and had to take some to be trusted.
I was about to say, is there any areas recently bleached? Or spilt bleach/cleaners anywhere that she usually sleeps?
This happened with a childhood cat of mine. My mom accused us of shaving the cat. We're pretty sure she ripped the hair out herself because of stress but I'd be curious to know if we were wrong?
she got bit by a skunk (they’re like vampires or zombies)
Fever coat??? Check with a vet. When cats get sick their fur can change colors due to their higher than normal temperature.
any chance your 2 year old with a color changing marker might have developed their artistic abilities overnight? ☺️
Why the flair?
why is this flared as mourning/loss?
Stress. **Dark cats that have recently been through a very stressful situation, such as moving or a long stay at a veterinary office, can temporarily lose pigment in patches of fur**. This results in a gray color that may or may not go away with time.
Could be VITILIGO I had a black cat that had white fur appear on her back hips. It’s common in humans and animals. Has that area been injured recently ! Pipers appeared after a hip fracture and pain injections. The fur turned white from the trauma. But it can just change on its own. Vet visit definitely.
Hate to tell you, but cats are strange. That can include things like this. “Hey you need to pay attention to me human let’s grow a mysterious stripe!”
Your cat sees dead people.
That exact thing happened to my Siamese😹
Did it stay? Quite a lot of people suggesting she possibly rubbed up against chemicals, which was my first thought but it's so central and straight it doesn't seem accidental
Ok…. I do not think it was a chemical. I thought at first someone used a clipper of some sort on my cat, I thought it was the fur underneath not a ‘dye’. I’m still baffled. ( she goes outside when nice out) then the stripe actually moved a bit down her tail. I was thinking along the lines of an ‘allergy’ of some sort. I also thought maybe the top layer was somehow shaved from her maybe in a tight squeeze somewhere. Know what I mean?