5 LESS WELL KNOWN THINGS ABOUT BLACK CATS

Black cats are often associated with good or bad luck and there are many articles written that refer to the superstitions and folklore that surrounds them. Less well known and interesting characteristics of black cats are often overlooked and below are five things that you may not have known about them.

Golden Eye Factor

A black cat’s eyes are typically golden, or yellow, in colour and this is because the over-production of melanin that makes their fur so black often causes the cat’s irises to reflect this melanism and produce the pigment that gives this golden or yellow colouring.

Gene Factor

To be a true black cat both of the parents need to carry the black colour gene. Though this sounds a fairly simple equation, what you may not know is that the dominant cat fur gene is actually tabby and it is only the added presence of a recessive gene known as a non-agouti that suppresses these tabby markings.

In a cat where this gene is not fully suppressed you may notice that close up, or more especially in bright sunlight, you can make out the faint tabby stripes on the animal’s tail or legs and also perhaps see the M marking on the cat’s head that is more often characteristic of a tabby cat.

There are said to be around twenty breeds of cat that can produce a black offspring but the only breed of cat that is all black is the Bombay cat and they are often referred to as miniature panthers.

Appearing To Rust

A high degree of exposure to sunlight can lead to a black cat’s fur to temporarily take on a rusty reddish- brown appearance. This rusty appearance can also be seen when the cat has an absence of an enzyme called tyrosine.

Interesting Immune System Quirk

Early studies have indicated that black cats may very likely be more resistant to certain diseases such as Feline HIV and that their genetic makeup may well be of benefit to their immune system

Worldwide Appreciation

There is a growing appreciation of black cats around the globe and this is shown in the fact that there are days designated to the celebration of the dark furred feline. What may be less known is that some of the better-known celebration days actually have different dates and this has caused some confusion on social media amongst the black cat loving fraternity.