LOST CAT RETURNS With colour change?

On Jun 12, 8:21 am, "Clive Sherriff"
wrote:
In January my 3 year old Ginger and White cat, Tynes, went
missing following some snow. I'd advertised for his return but
got only vauge sighting in response.

Two weeks ago ( beginning of June) however I was contacted about
such a cat breaking into houses through catflaps and stealing
food, about a mile from my house on the other side of the
village.

After a lot of trouble we have now last night trapped the cat
(who has aquired a PhD in Escapology and Entrapment Avoidance)
and it shows almost identical markings to my cat confirmed by
photographs, though is rather thin. At first I was sure it was
Tynes.

But not quite now - in that some of this cats white fur areas are
just slightly larger, and a couople of small ginger spots on his
face have dissapeared. All my cat's other distinctive marks are
there ( Broad chubby face, off centre white nose streak, Ginger
spot on left leg, a thin white band over scruff of the neck etc
etc)

Otherwise, build, size, eye colour, ears etc etc are the same.
Though very hard to catch in the neighbour's houses, he has
apparently settled into my house, almost as if he knows it. ( he
has not been allowed out yet) He has probably been living rough
as he is very dirty and rather thin now.

THE QUESTION TO THE GROUP IS ======

After a winter moult, or perhaps poor diet during the
last few months, how likely is it for a cat's "definitive" colour
pattern to change in these subtle ways?

Is this Tynes ? -- or do I need to rename him ???

Tynes

With apologies for posting this to a few other Cat groups too).

If cats are like rabbits then patterns do change in size and color may
also change. What was a black rabbit takes on grayish and brown
color. What was a white X on the head becomes a y.