Dr. Dan Christian specializes in small animal medicine, with special interests in behavior and nutrition. He has been instrumental in establishing animal behavior residencies for veterinarians at leading veterinary schools and developing innovative programs with veterinary organizations in the United States. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, and the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association. During his professional career, Dr. Christian earned the American Association of Feline Practitioners Award. He has also appeared as a guest on television and radio pet health programs nationwide, and to has authored numerous articles for pet health magazines.

Q: I have a one-and-a-half-year-old Siamese cat and I was wondering if the type of food that she eats regularly could possibly change the color of her coat? When I found her about a year ago her coat was mainly cream colored, but now she is a darker brown color.

A: Natural color changes in haircoat are not uncommon, in cats as well as dogs -- and even human hair color, for that matter. While diet has long been suspected of causing the color changes (black hair to a red tint, or light hair to dark), there is no evidence that this is the cause.

Rather, it is a normal hair color change from light to dark in younger animals. Often kittens are born very light and creamy in color, only to mature to a darker shade with age. This is all part of the hair's genetic makeup, and as the softer, lighter kitten hair is replaced by adult hair, the change is detected. And at times we will see hair color changes with the neutering process, likely due to hormonal influences. Because shedding cycles normally last about six weeks (time may vary widely based on factors such as environment and stress), it may take awhile for you to notice these gradual changes.

But since hair is composed of 95 percent protein, you will want to make sure your cat is getting high-quality, nutritious foods, because the haircoat is major protective layer that should be healthy for the life of your cat.