Sometimes you see a very dirty street cat. It is noticeable when the cat is white and her coat has turned grey. It is as if she has given up because we know how fastidiously clean domestic cats are. It must become impossible under certain circumstances for a stray cat to keep her coat satisfactorily clean. It distresses me to see this and no doubt it is distressing for the cat.
The picture below shows a charming, young street cat. Initially I didn’t know whether her coat was dirty or grey. I’m still not quite sure. It would be very strange if it was a grey coat because you never see this sort of greyness on a cat. In this much more likely to be dirt and dust accumulated over perhaps the lifetime of this young cat.
She has a beautiful coat nonetheless. It is a classic Van-type coat by which I mean she has an inverted ‘V’ on her forehead and a dark tail. The well-known Turkish Van has this distinguishing coat type. She may well be a community cat in Turkey. That is quite likely although no doubt someone will tell me otherwise.
It is an interesting thought: the domestic cat grooms herself regularly. My cat is doing it at this very moment while he lies against my feet at the base of my bed. He needs to do it because it makes him feel good and it helps to keep them healthy. Why then does a cat stop doing it? It can only be because the conditions are so hostile and difficult that she is unable to keep up her standards of cleanliness and therefore accepts a dirty coat. The appearance is unusual. We don’t sit often even among feral cats.
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Tell me how to send you the link to my original photo at the website it was originally uploaded. I will ask you to put the link in your article as a source. I am not able to post links here.
Hi, please try and upload the picture. I think you failed to get it on the site. Thanks for sharing.
I am a little late, but this is my picture. I originally posted it on deviantart on 4th of Jan 2011, titled Snow Monster. I can provide a link.
The can was a small street kitten, white and black. It appears grey because, as you correctly mentioned the coat accumulated dust and dirt.
Thanks Harvey. It is an interesting subject. I might try and do some research on it.
Some cats just don’t groom themselves adequately. The reason is unclear. It can be assumed that their mother didn’t groom or lick them enough or they are sick and have become despondent. My Aysel doesn’t groom her self enough and her coat is usually greasy and unkempt but she is in perfect health and was well looked after by her mother. When I bathe her she looks great. No quick answer to this.