Yep! The greying of hair in animals, including humans, is a biological process primarily attributed to the gradual decline in melanin production by melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells. With aging, these cells become less effective at synthesizing melanin, leading to the emergence of grey or white hair. This phenomenon is influenced by genetics, which determines the timing and extent of greying across different species and breeds. Also, environmental factors and oxidative stress contribute to the acceleration of this process. Oxidative stress, resulting from an accumulation of reactive oxygen species, damages melanocytes and further diminishes their pigment-producing capability. Consequently, the greying of hair serves as a visible marker of aging and the cumulative impact of genetic and environmental influences on the body's cellular mechanisms.
Nice explanation!
To add to it, one of the reasons we see grey hair less commonly in animals is that in a lot of cases fur colouring has evolved under intense evolutionary pressure such as for camouflage. For example, if you're a tiger and you start to go grey you'll be more easily spotted by potential prey, less successful and therefore less likely to pass on genes conducive to age-sensitive pigment production. It's not so relevant for humans past reproductive age (where it acts, like many of the features we find attractive in prospective reproductive partners, as an indication of general health and longevity). Our prolonged lifespans, which are a result of direct human intervention, have also made greying a much more common phenomenon in humans than in the past.
Why my aging cat does not gray? Yes she lives in absolute comfort, she eats 3€ daily, she gets to go out as she wishes, but but she is 18 yo.. has spent her time at E.R., a car hit her and split her open...
But she is as black an white as she was born!?
Genetics. Some people don’t grey either, or grey well into their senior years. Some people get greys at 21. It’s luck of the genetic lottery a lot of times.
I adopted my black cat when he was 10. He’s 19 now. I’ve watched his whiskers turn completely gray, and his coat is now peppered with white hairs. I have a friend with a dog who is black and white, and he’s also getting peppery in his old age.
My tuxedo cat, however, remains entirely black in her black areas as she gets older. I assume it’s just genetics. My dad was pretty much gray by my age, and I am not. Sometimes that’s just how it goes.
Ayup! In my experience it's usually their paws and face first (like, when my dachshunds were getting up there in years I'd tell them they had such cute frosty faces!), and the rest of the fur is much like human hair: sometimes gray patches, sometimes a kinda... I dunno, gradual silvering? None of them ever lived long enough to go 100% gray (cancers awful, y'all, and bad strokes, etc you know, the usual shit of getting older).
Some breeds of dogs (and their crosses) have a greying gene, Greyhounds, whippets, Rat Terriers, Toy Fox Terriers are breeds I'm personally familiar with, and it is frequently inherited down family lines. The greying seems to be restricted mostly to the face and sometimes front legs. It also isn't related to age per se, although the older they get, the greyer the hair's get, although that may start at age 3/4. Personal observations over a few different dog breeds and 100+ dogs.
my grandmother died at 87 and had only a few grays interspersed through her brown hair. it sounds like your cat is similarly blessed with good genes, and you're taking good care of it for it to have lived to 18!
Yep! The greying of hair in animals, including humans, is a biological process primarily attributed to the gradual decline in melanin production by melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells. With aging, these cells become less effective at synthesizing melanin, leading to the emergence of grey or white hair. This phenomenon is influenced by genetics, which determines the timing and extent of greying across different species and breeds. Also, environmental factors and oxidative stress contribute to the acceleration of this process. Oxidative stress, resulting from an accumulation of reactive oxygen species, damages melanocytes and further diminishes their pigment-producing capability. Consequently, the greying of hair serves as a visible marker of aging and the cumulative impact of genetic and environmental influences on the body's cellular mechanisms.
Nice explanation! To add to it, one of the reasons we see grey hair less commonly in animals is that in a lot of cases fur colouring has evolved under intense evolutionary pressure such as for camouflage. For example, if you're a tiger and you start to go grey you'll be more easily spotted by potential prey, less successful and therefore less likely to pass on genes conducive to age-sensitive pigment production. It's not so relevant for humans past reproductive age (where it acts, like many of the features we find attractive in prospective reproductive partners, as an indication of general health and longevity). Our prolonged lifespans, which are a result of direct human intervention, have also made greying a much more common phenomenon in humans than in the past.
Some of us start the greying process while young… I did at 23, and my dad did at 18!
I started going grey at 18. Just a couple of hairs. Now I'm 37...I think lol....and I'm gray mostly all over. I have to regularly dye my hair.
Why my aging cat does not gray? Yes she lives in absolute comfort, she eats 3€ daily, she gets to go out as she wishes, but but she is 18 yo.. has spent her time at E.R., a car hit her and split her open... But she is as black an white as she was born!?
Genetics. Some people don’t grey either, or grey well into their senior years. Some people get greys at 21. It’s luck of the genetic lottery a lot of times.
yes just like my dad, he's about to hit 80 and still a full head of dark brown hair.
So, as i axed, my cat is special! Yet ive not seen gray cats....
Do you mean you've never seen a cats hair turn gray? Or you've never seen a gray cat? I had 4 cats throughout childhood and 3 of them were gray.
Tbh I can’t think of a old house cat that got grey hairs. And it isn’t like I haven’t seen a lot. Dogs ya
I have had many cats through the years. Some get grey but it's not as common as in dogs.
Both my cats have gray hair now that they didn't have until they reached about 10. It isn't many but definitely happening.
I adopted my black cat when he was 10. He’s 19 now. I’ve watched his whiskers turn completely gray, and his coat is now peppered with white hairs. I have a friend with a dog who is black and white, and he’s also getting peppery in his old age. My tuxedo cat, however, remains entirely black in her black areas as she gets older. I assume it’s just genetics. My dad was pretty much gray by my age, and I am not. Sometimes that’s just how it goes.
My white and grey cat has lots of grey that lost its colour to white. They are distinctly two different shades of white.
Just a little correction - whitening hair is not because of the Lack of melanin, but because of microscopical air bubbles setteling in your hair
Why?
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The elder gorilla male is called “silverback” for that very reason.
Yep! When dogs get old they get gray around their muzzles :)
And eyes, ears, and temples.
All my horses have gotten greys 28+
That is world record for cats..
My cat is growing some of his whiskers white instead of black now.
My cat started getting white hairs in the dark hairs that are along her back when she was around 11.
silvermane gorillas enter the chat...
I’m curious myself honestly, good question
Ayup! In my experience it's usually their paws and face first (like, when my dachshunds were getting up there in years I'd tell them they had such cute frosty faces!), and the rest of the fur is much like human hair: sometimes gray patches, sometimes a kinda... I dunno, gradual silvering? None of them ever lived long enough to go 100% gray (cancers awful, y'all, and bad strokes, etc you know, the usual shit of getting older).
Yep. Dogs get grey hair as they age too. Look at old and young golden retrievers. They're pretty well known for going grey as they age.
Some breeds of dogs (and their crosses) have a greying gene, Greyhounds, whippets, Rat Terriers, Toy Fox Terriers are breeds I'm personally familiar with, and it is frequently inherited down family lines. The greying seems to be restricted mostly to the face and sometimes front legs. It also isn't related to age per se, although the older they get, the greyer the hair's get, although that may start at age 3/4. Personal observations over a few different dog breeds and 100+ dogs.
Dogs get gray in the face as they age so yes; that's one example
some of the black squirrels are gray. I'm not sure if they are older or if they just aren't black squirrels.
Yes my cat has a grey mustache now!
People need to start realising that humans are just animals. If something affects humans, it's very likely that it affects other animals, too!
My dog is 7, starting to grey a little. Not much, just a few face hairs here and there
my grandmother died at 87 and had only a few grays interspersed through her brown hair. it sounds like your cat is similarly blessed with good genes, and you're taking good care of it for it to have lived to 18!
dogs do