Black cat that acts white......

We have a black cat that is all black on top, but if you brush his hair
backwards (against the grain) his entire undercoat is white. people say
this is "special" but im trying to figure out if this is special "YEAH
SPECIAL" or special "YEAH HE EATS PASTE"....can anyone tell me what
this "condition" is called?

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)...

Sir Thomas was a tuxedo kitty, but his undercoat was white
under the black part, too. Someone told me that was called
"smoke".

dtesdall...

Thanks so much for your answers!, i have also had people call it
grizzly, like grizzly bear, They said that grizzly bears hair was
exactly the same way and they where called Grizzly because of this
"feature" however i think this person is also full of ...... Thanks for
the answer ... (smoke)

define grizzly (one of them) = grey: showing characteristics of age,
especially having grey or white hair; "whose beard with age is
hoar"-Coleridge; "nodded his hoary head"

John F. Eldredge...

Most of the dark-furred cats that I have had over the years have had
light undercoats, so I don't think the situation is all that rare. My
current cat, Cinders, is a calico. She doesn't seem to have the light
undercoat, but her skin color is very white, and, if you brush the
hair against the grain, you can see the pale skin. Her ears are only
thinly furred, so the pale skin shows through the fur, which looks
odd.

MaryL...

Holly's skin is white and shows readily if she is brushed backwards, but the
actual fur is coal black -- every part of her, with no hint of white or even
"lighter" fur.

John F. Eldredge...

Oh, I forgot to add, Cinders has a small area forward of each ear,
symmetrical on the two sides, where the facial fur has become thin
enough for the pale skin underneath to show through the fur. Last
time I took her to the vet for a rabies shot and general checkup, the
technician commented upon this, and the vet said, "Yes, that's feline
pattern baldness." I hadn't heard this term before, but I suppose

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt...

LOL!

I don't know about other colors, but every black cat I've ever seen
has this, no matter how old they are. The area right in front of their
ears is sort of bald. I don't think this is "pattern baldness" since
they seem to be born that way.

Adrian A...

Every cat I've known the hair in front of their ears is thinner, I thought
it must be normal for all cats.

William Hamblen...

I think it is just more noticeable on black cats. Cats usually like
to have that spot scritched.

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)...

As with ALL cats, the term "usually" is relative. (Mine
enjoy being scritched BEHIND the ears, but if a hand
approaches that sensitive area in front, they're off my lap
and half a room away!)

Jo Firey...

My Siamese cats are all thin in front of their ears.

MaryL...

This has also been my experience, with all cats. It just shows up more on
black cats because the white skin shows up so distinctly against the black
fur.

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)...

FWIW, I think all cats have thin patches in front of their
ears (and what fur there is, there, is slightly longer, to
catch sound vibrations). Since a cat's skin color often
follows the pattern of its fur (tabby cats usually have
tabby skin, as well), the skin in front of the ears may not
always be light colored, and if it's dark, it wouldn't be as
noticeable.

middle-aged cats can get a bit thin on top, just like middle-aged
humans (it has certainly happened to me). I don't know Cinders exact
age, as I am not her original slave, but I think she is about 11 years
old.