Pink cat facts for kids
Cats come in many different breeds and fur colours. But a pink cat is not a colour you usually see in nature. However, there have been news stories about several pink cats. Sometimes, a cat's fur has turned pink because of chemicals or dyes. There are also many famous pink cats in popular culture from movies and TV shows.
Real-Life Pink Cats
In September 2005, a cat named Brumas wandered away from his home in Launceston, Cornwall. When he came back, his fur was pink! No one ever found out why his colour changed. Brumas was taken to the RSPCA for tests. Luckily, he did not have any harmful chemicals in his system.
In September 2010, a cat with pink fur was found in Swindon, South West England. The RSPCA thought someone had dyed the cat's fur as a bad joke. Even after they tried to wash the colour out, the cat stayed pink. The cat did not seem to be hurt or have any bad reactions. This story was reported all over the world.
Soon, the owner told the truth. She said she had dyed the cat pink using food colouring. She loved the colour pink and thought it would be fun to have a pink animal, like her own pink hair. She said she read the instructions carefully. She believed the food colouring was safe because humans can eat it. The RSPCA decided not to charge her with harming her pet.
In May 2011, four kittens were found in a concrete factory in Redruth, Cornwall. One of the kittens had pink fur. A cat rescue group called "Cats Protection" tried to wash the colour out with shampoo. But they could not remove the pink colour.
Sometimes, pollution from a steel factory in Port Talbot, Wales, has made cats turn both pink and grey. This shows how pollution can affect animals.
Cats with pink patches have also been seen in Bulgaria. This colour is probably a genetic mutation. It is very similar to orange fur. These cats are usually pink-and-white. They can also be pink-blue-white or pink-black-white calico cats.
Famous Pink Cats in Fiction
The Pink Panther is a well-known cartoon cat. He was created by Friz Freleng. You can see him in the opening parts of the Peter Sellers movies. He even has his own special music. The Pink Panther also had his own cartoon TV show. Animation historian Jerry Beck has said the cartoon cat is "anti-authority – he's cool yet he's pink".
The character from the children's TV series Bagpuss was a pink cat. The Bagpuss puppet was actually meant to be an orange marmalade colour. But when the puppet was made, it was dyed pink by mistake!
Another children's TV show, Roobarb and Custard, featured a pink cat named Custard. Roobarb, the dog, was yellow. This program was shown on BBC television in England. The characters often acted like the animated cat and mouse, Tom and Jerry.
In 2014, a Dutch artist named Florentijn Hofman made a huge pink cat. It was 30 feet (9.1 m) tall! He made it for an exhibition in Century Park, Shanghai.
