Markings in Skin Folds

[eva_jae]

About two months ago, what looks similar to bruising appeared in Caesar's back neck folds. At first I wondered if it could actually be bruising as he and his sister sometimes bite each other on the neck in play, but the marks are straight and all follow the crease of his folds. They don't go around the neck, only on the back of the neck/top of his shoulders. I have waited for them to fade, but they haven't gotten better or worse for that matter. They don't seem to hurt him at all or cause him any discomfort in the way a bruise would. I have never seen this before on a Sphynx and while I'm really not concerned, I am wondering what it could be.

I tried to take a picture of it with my macro lens, but it wasn't easy to do with him not sitting still! I hope it's not too hard to see in the photo.

The little brown spots are freckles. I wish I had a before shot, but as I don't all I can say is there was no blue on him at all! Also, these are definitely not like the occasional spot that shows up later... these are all in the creases only.

 

[kalliee129]

I've seen that on Meecho once when she had been playing especially hard with the dogs (aka beating them up) and after a few days they went away. I just figured it was bruising.

 

[eva_jae]

I'm hoping it does go away, but it hasn't changed at all in a couple months. He and Ruby do play hard and do bruise one another often, but the shape of these marks are not from that at all.

 

[Brooke]

Hi Eva_Jae,

How old is Caesar? If these marks have been there for months, I don't think they're bruises either, but sometimes certain shades and markings will develop (or fade) as the cat gets older. Then again, this is kind of a weird spot. What is his overall coloring?

PS- cute freckles!

 

[eva_jae]

Hi Brooke -

He's a one and a half year old red and white harlequin. His sister Ruby and their father are partly seal sepia, so dark coloring does run in the family, but they are definitely not of that color or pattern.

Unfortunately I think those couple of freckles are a result of a minor sunburn he had a little while ago Bad me!

 

[AngelSphynx]

Wow I can't say I've ever seen anything like that before. How strange. He is still young so his color could still be changing. I think one of my girls (Lily) is about a year and half now and she has gotten darker recently and her red coloring more brilliant (she's a red/white tabby.) You can see her striping on her body more now too. With your kitty I would def think it is purely markings since it is only in the folds. It's kind of funny because when I got my blue/white tortie, people kept commenting how her blue spots look like bruises! I had never thought of that or even thought they looked like that. I think the blue parts are so beautiful. I love blue coloring on Sphynx's.