What Color Is a Cat's Nose

November 24, 2021

What Does It Mean When Your Cat's Nose Changes Color?

If you are a cat owner, you may have noticed that the color of their nose changes occasionally. This may have been just a shade or two lighter or darker than their usual color, or you may have noticed a significant change. Some may also have a marking on their nose that is not usually there. When you have seen these changes, it is likely that you have wondered if this is something about which you should be concerned. Here is what you need to know about the color of cats' noses and the changes you may see.

Why Does the Color of a Cat's Nose Change?

The most common reason a cat's nose color changes is because of their emotions. If they are experiencing excitement or stress, they may get an elevated heart rate and blood pressure. This, in turn, can lead to the nose becoming a darker pink color. Similarly, changes in temperature can also affect the color of a cat's nose. Th nose is extremely vascular and the blood vessels contract in the cold and make the nose appear lighter. When a cat is hot, the blood flow is increased to the nose and it appears a darker pink. In some cats, feeling warmer can even turn their noses bright red.

Are Some Cats More Likely to Be Affected?

If you have several cats, you may have noticed that one seems to have color changes to their nose more often than the others and you may have a cat with a nose that never seems to change color. All cats have the same anatomy in their noses, so all cats' noses will experience color changes. It is simply that color changes are more noticeable in some cats than others. It is usually more noticeable in cats that have a naturally light-colored nose.

What About Nose Freckles?

Something else you may have noticed is nose freckles, which are officially called lentigo. These only appear on some cats and particularly seem to affect cats that carry the gene for red colors, such as calicos or orange or cream tabbies. Lentigo are brown spots that appear close to the mucous membranes. Therefore, they are found on the nose, eyelids, and lips.

The likelihood of a cat having these harmless markings increases with age and they are sometimes referred to as age spots. Like nose color changes, nose freckles are more noticeable in some cats than others and this will often depend on the shade of pink of the cat's nose. The darker the nose color, the less likely it is you will see the nose freckles even if they are present.

Despite the fact that they are usually harmless, they are something that you should keep an eye on and monitor any changes to them. One way to do this is to take photographs of the markings to see if they increase in size or if there are any changes to the surface texture. You can also ask your vet to monitor the freckles at your cat's annual examination.

Is a Color Change in a Cat's Nose a Cause for Concern?

In most instances, a change in the color of your cat's nose is not a cause for concern. However, you should keep an eye out for other symptoms if you notice a color change and you should always visit your vet for advice if you are at all concerned. Your vet can identify any potential problems and treat them accordingly. While a cat's nose changing color is usually a harmless phenomenon, one potential problem that a change in your cat's nose color can indicate is hypertension.

Is it Connected to a Cat's Blood Pressure?

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a potentially serious problem for humans and it can also be a serious problem for cats. One sign that a cat is suffering from hypertension is a pinker nose. However, you will need a trip to the vet to diagnose hypertension as this is not something you can diagnose yourself. Your vet can monitor a cat's blood pressure and treat it accordingly. Other symptoms of hypertension are yowling, pacing, and blindness. Hypertension is usually caused by either illness or injury.

Clarke Engs1958