SCOTLAND’S rarest kittens are looking for their forever home.
The six young cats have been born with an extremely rare condition called Fever Coat which will see their coats go from fifty shades of grey to fifty shades darker over time.
Scottish SPCA senior vet Jo Neilson who has cared for the 8-week-old kittens, says: “This is a very rare occurrence and something I have never seen affect a whole litter before.
“The colour change can take months and can be quite a shock for people who think they’ve rehoming a “rare colour” which then a couple of months later sees their kitten transform into a black cat! ”
Fever coat occurs when a pregnant cat develops a fever due to infection, illness or stress, which affects the temperature-sensitive black pigment production in the developing kittens.
The kittens are then born much lighter in colour at the tips of their fur giving them a distinctive frosted look.
Jo says; “There is no one infection that causes Fever Coat, it can be caused by anything that results in a significant increase in the mum’s body temperature which could be any kind of infection or could actually just be due to extreme stress.
“And it doesn’t happen in all cases where the mum gets an infection during pregnancy.
“It’s so rare the exact cause is not fully understood but it probably only occurs if the fever hits at a particular stage of the pregnancy.
“It doesn’t harm the kittens at all and these six are happy healthy and looking for their forever homes with a loving family.”
The six kittens came into the centre with their mother after they were found living in unsuitable living conditions.
If you or someone you know would like to give these kittens their forever home, please visit our website
