What can be the cause of my cat's nose turning black in hours?

Question

My cat went out this morning at 7am and all seemed fine. When I came back home, I notice her nose was dark. I thought it could've been dirt, but after checking I noticed not only it is black, but also the hair looks shorter in the area. She was diagnosed with stomatitis a while back, but was checked recently and it all seems fine.

Her behaviour is the same as always, she's eating and using the toilet normally. She loves sleeping in sunny spots.

I'll be bringing her to the vet but all I want to know for now is whether it's an emergency.

The first photo shows her after and the second before I noticed the change on her nose.

khu · Accepted Answer

It doesn't look like an emergency given a lack of behavioral differences but you should still contact your vet.

Double check that it isn't a stain; you can dab gently with a moist cotton ball to see if the cotton ball picks up any color. If so, you'll want to clean the fur.

Otherwise, given the hair looks shorter than before, it may be from physical trauma; maybe your cat ran into a wall or door, leading to internal bruising (hematoma) and possibly chipping the fur.

Sunburn is also a candidate given your cat likes to sunbathe, and animals with white or lighter fur color are more susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer, but it seems less likely.

trond hansen · Answer

Most likely your cat has run into a window or similar object and gotten a bruise on the nose.

The cause might be trying to attack its own reflection; cats are often very territorial, so when they see another cat they will try to chase it away even if it is their own reflection.

It does not look serious to me, but a vet will have to take a look at it.

What can be the cause of my cat's nose turning black in hours?

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