Pink cat facts for kids
Cats can be many different breeds and fur coat colours. A pink cat is not a colour found in nature. But several pink cats have been reported about in the news media. Sometimes the cat colour has changed to pink with chemicals or dyes. There are also several fictional pink cats in popular culture.
Real pink cats
In September 2005, a cat named Brumas roamed away from his owners in Launceston, Cornwall. When he came back after a short time, his fur was coloured pink. No one ever figured out the cause of the colour change. Brumas was taken to the RSPCA to be tested. He did not have any toxins.
In September 2010, a cat with dyed pink fur was found in Swindon, South West England. The RSPCA said the dyeing was a "sick prank". Even though they tried to wash the colour out of the cat's fur, it stayed pink. The cat did not have any signs of side-effects or harm. The event made worldwide news. Soon the owner told the truth. She said that the cat had been dyed pink using food colouring because she was a fan of the colour. She said the act "seemed like a good idea. I always wanted a pink animal - a bit like my hair". She said she read the instructions carefully and the food colouring could not be harmful because it was safe for humans to eat. The RSPCA decided not to arrest her for harming her animal.
In May 2011, four kittens were found in a concrete factory in Redruth, Cornwall. One kitten had pink fur. A cat rescue group named "Cats Protection", tried to wash out the colour with shampoo, but could not.
Pollution from a steel factory in Port Talbot, Wales, has turned cats both pink and grey.
Cats having pink patches are found in Bulgaria. The color is probably a genetic mutation and is very close to orange. They are usually pink-white bicolor; or pink-blue-white or pink-black-white calico cats.
Fictional pink cats
The Pink Panther is a cartoon cat that was created by Friz Freleng. He is seen in the opening titles of the Peter Sellers movies with his own theme music. He also had his own cartoon show. Animation historian Jerry Beck has said the cartoon cat is "anti-authority – he's cool yet he's pink".
The character of the children's television series Bagpuss was a pink cat. The Bagpuss puppet was really supposed to be an orange marmalade colour. When the puppet was made, it was dyed pink by mistake.
Another children's television show, Roobarb and Custard, had a pink cat named Custard. Roobarb, the dog, was yellow. This program was shown on BBC television in England. The characters acted similar to the animated cat and mouse, Tom and Jerry.
In 2014, a Dutch artist, Florentijn Hofman, made a 30 feet (9.1 m) tall pink cat for an exhibition in Century Park, Shanghai.
