Colour change

Question
Our 8 month old striped ginger cat has been missing for almost 4 weeks, I received a call from somebody who thought they had him. The cat acted and looked the same except the coat was a little longer and the coat had a lot more white in it. Is it possible our cats appearance could change that much?

Answer
Hi Rob.  It's safe to assume that, unfortunately, this is not your kitty.  There is a rare disorder called vitiligo that will cause the fur to lose pigment, but this is a slow process.  Also, a cat may grow a thicker coat if exposed to cold weather, but I wouldn't expect this to happen in 4 weeks at this time of year.