Do Brown Cats Exist – Everything You Should Know!

There are a lot of different colors of cats, if not quite as many colors as are in the rainbow. But one cat color that seems missing is brown, which is strange considering how many mammals have brown fur. You’d think that domesticated cats would have this common color, right? So, do brown cats exist? 

Yes, brown cats exist, but brown is a relatively rare fur color in a healthy cat. It’s unclear why brown isn’t a more common coloration, but there isn’t a gene for brown fur in cats. Brown fur in cats results from a mutation to a different color. That means that there aren’t as many breeds with brown fur since not all breeds carry the mutation. 

Here’s what you need to know about brown cats, what the color means, and how rare it is. 

Are Brown Cats Real

Brown cats are very real, though not all of the pictures of brown cats are real. Photoshop and other photo editing mean it’s easier to make your cat whatever color you want them in pictures, but that doesn’t mean that every picture of a brown cat has been edited. 

Some breeds, like the Havana Brown, are always brown.  

The truth is that brown cats are relatively rare but not unheard of. 

What’s The Rarest Color For A Cat

The rarest color for a cat isn’t brown or even close. The rarest color for a cat is albino! 

Albino cats are rare because they don’t produce any melanin or have a mutation that prevents melanin production in the case of Siamese cats. That’s a lot harder to mutate albinism than the mutations that change cat color from black to brown. 

It’s also important to note that not all white cats are true albino cats. It’s possible to have white or very pale yellow fur without being an albino, especially in cats that also have colored patches like a calico. 

That means that truly albino cats are the rarest color, even though there are whole breeds dedicated to certain kinds of albinism. 

Why Is My Cat Brown And Black

If your cat is both brown and black, especially if they’re normally just black, you might be dealing with something more severe than a color mutation. 

The most common causes of a black cat starting to go brown are age and malnutrition, which is the more common cause. As black cats age, they tend to go gray rather than brown, which is essential because brown color can tell you that something is wrong with your cat’s diet. 

The kind of malnutrition that most often causes black cats to turn brown is tyrosine deficiency. If you suspect that your cat has tyrosine deficiency, you can consult with your vet on the next steps. Chances are, all you need to do is change their diet, and they will go back to their beautiful black color. 

The discoloration happens because tyrosine deficiency gets in the way of producing melanin, so once your cat has plenty of tyrosine again, it should go back to producing melanin without any trouble. 

However, if a diet change doesn’t work, your vet may want to check for other causes of tyrosine deficiencies and other nutritional problems. 

Is There A Brown Cat Breed

A few breeds have a large population of brown cats, but if you’re looking for a definitive cat breed, that’s got to be either the Havana Brown or the Yorkshire Chocolate. 

The Havana Brown is one of the only cat breeds where every individual is brown, but the Yorkshire Chocolate also comes close. Both breeds are known for beautiful rich brown coats, friendly personalities, and good health. 

Of course, that might make them ideal pets, but you should always investigate more than just coat color before deciding on the right breed for you, especially if you’re thinking about buying from a breeder. 

How Do You Get A Brown Cat

Well, this question could be interpreted in a couple of different ways. You can get a brown cat by buying one from a breeder or adopting one from a rescue shelter. But if you’re asking how did brown cats become brown, that’s a little harder to answer. 

The short version is that brown cats result from a mutation that makes black cats lighter, turning them brown. But how that mutation works and how it spreads is less well understood. 

Some breeds of cats are all brown because they’ve been bred for that color, but several breeds have brown kittens from parents with different colored fur. So, while it doesn’t seem like a dominant gene, the combination of traits that leads to brown fur isn’t fully understood. 

Are Chocolate Cats Rare

Also called cinnamon cats, chocolate cats are relatively rare, just like all brown cats. Chocolate cats are just brown cats called by a more descriptive name! 

Chocolate fur coloring comes from a mutation in the gene that makes cats black, and the mutation is still relatively uncommon. It’s possible that the color of your brown cat might depend on the kind of mutation they have and whether they have more than one mutated copy. 

For instance, naturally, dark chocolate cats, almost black, may have a normal black coat gene in addition to a mutated chocolate gene. 

Some breeds have this coloration exclusively, like the Havana Brown and Yorkshire Chocolate, but it’s less common in other breeds. 

Are Black Cats Really Brown

Yes, though only very technically. Black cats have very dark brown fur, not true black. That’s similar to human hair, which can be dark brown but never truly black. 

What Is A Werewolf Cat

Lykoi, commonly called werewolf cats, are popular for their famously supernatural coloration. They regularly have thin brown fur, bright yellow eyes, and look like classic movie werewolves thanks to their seemingly longer proportions and big ears. 

The truth is that Lykoi are mostly just cats with a genetic mutation for thinner coarse fur, and their proportions and other features are very similar to other cats. 

Lykoi are also usually black or brown, and some people associate werewolf cats with brown cats, even though Lykoi are pretty rare. The mutation that Lykoi are known for is a relatively recent one, and they’ve only gained popularity in the last few years. 

Things To Consider

While brown cats do exist, that doesn’t mean your cat turning brown is normal. Any time your cat’s fur color changes drastically, especially if the change happens quickly, it’s worth consulting with a vet to see if there is something wrong. 

Fortunately, brown cats don’t have any other common health problems, so they usually don’t need special care or attention.