Judging by the title, one may think that I have taken up the habit of Victorian-era expletives. Dash it all, it’s not true. I use ‘ruddy’ in its literal sense: reddish.
Renn has always had a red tinge to his fur, at least that along his flanks. But most of the time, one had to have light shining upon it at an angle to discern the hue. Now, his fur’s colour has changed. As one can see even in the photograph below, the red is now more obvious; it seems to go through several shades, as well.
When Renn was much younger, he had grey hair behind his ears, grey hair of a different texture than most of his hair. And once more, a contrasting colour, red in this case, is of a different texture than the surrounding fur. The grey hair eventually disappeared - how many of us envy that reversal of the aging process? - and I wonder if the same will occur with the red.
Perhaps the red itself is a sign of advancing years. My big boy is only nine years old; with good care and continued health, he could have as much time yet remaining. If the colouring trend continues, I may end up with another orange cat, without even another adoption.
Renn, you're a stunning mancat, no matter what the colour of your fur, now and in the future.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I Googled for Victorian expletives and found a site listing medieval swear words -- quite interesting (except for the video clips swirling around the page).
Medieval swear-words, eh? I think swear-words and some form of alcoholic beverage are two articles found in every society, no matter how advanced or primitive.
DeleteI noticed with our black and white cat Sam in certain light her fur had a red tinge to it too. It will be interesting to see if Renn's fur continues to change colour.
ReplyDeleteI suspect it will, though it changes slowly.
DeleteRenn, you are one handsome boy. I wonder why the gradual change in his colouring - he isn't visiting the hairdresser's is he? Holly has a marked red tinge to her black coat.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if he himself notices the changing texture, if not the colour. No, no hairdressing visit for him - not unless he pays his own way.
DeleteRenn is a cutie no matter what color :)
ReplyDeleteI think so, too.
DeleteRenn is a handsome boy. I once had 3 brothers, 2 black and one tuxie. They all had a reddish tinge to their fur when the sun shone on them, but it wasn't noticeable in any other light.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how different siblings can appear. It's like their colour-dna is a jumble.
DeleteWhen reddish tinging develops on black fur it's called rusting. It can come with age, lots of sun exposure or sometimes a it's a vitamin issue, ie: tyrosine deficiency or other vitamin imbalance. With some " mixed heritage " black cats it can be an expression of that heritage. I have noticed thst my Spirit is a rusting after a summer in bright sunlight. My other black cats are not. He sees the vet this month. I'll ask her about it then.
ReplyDeleteLots of net articles on cat rusting that would be good reading on sleepless nights.
I think it may be time for Renn to see the veterinary. He is, so far as I can see, in excellent health, but he is nine years old now, and hasn't had a check-up for a while. So he may have to go. Cammie, too, for that matter, just to be safe.
DeleteRenn you are a looker. I know both Angel Abby & Boo have a reddish tint to their black fur in the sunlight. Interesting that Renn's has grown more pronounced.
ReplyDeleteOf all my bunch, Renn's fur changes the most. In fact, I don't think the others' has altered at all through the years.
DeleteRenn you could do worse than join us of the Red Headed League MOL
ReplyDeleteTimmy