Since ancient times, it was believed that cats with different eyes bring good luck to every home. Now modern scientists are constantly arguing and do not agree on what this interesting phenomenon is connected with. Some argue that different eyes in a cat are a mutation, others believe that this phenomenon indicates the presence of some hereditary disease in the animal.
It is worth looking at this phenomenon in more detail. On the one hand, we are faced with the so-called difference of eyes (scientifically called heterochromia, from the Greek geteros - different, different, and chroma - color). This is what they call eyes with different colors of the iris of the left and right eyes, or different shades and colors of different parts of the iris on one eye. This phenomenon can be found in people and some animals, most often in cats. Heterochromia is complete when one eye is bright blue, and the second can be, for example, golden, green or another color. Less commonly, cat eyes are partially heterochromic.
Which color can be called the most stylish and royal? Opinions will be divided, but, perhaps, the leading position will be taken by white. White cats look the most regal and beautiful. In combination with a pink nose, the same color ears and pads on the paws, they look unusually elegant.
Let's look at several of the most popular breeds today, among which there are often cats with eyes of different colors.
Turkish Van
This breed of cats with different eyes is not very famous in Europe and is popular only in Turkey itself and some Asian countries. The Turkish district of Van is the birthplace of these beautiful white animals, which is why they were given this name.
One of the main features of the Turkish Van is the color of the iris.
. As a rule, the eyes have complete heterochromia - one eye is blue, and the other is orange or amber. Cats of this breed have soft and silky fur. Despite the fact that they are quite fluffy in appearance, cats of this breed do not have particularly long hairs. Turkish Vans are quite smart and easily amenable to simple training techniques. Even at home.
Cats of this breed are playful and love various pranks. They can find their own entertainment in the house. For example, a high point will be a peak that they will constantly conquer. By nature they are hunters, so they are not at all afraid of bodies of water. Thanks to this feature, the bathing process will only bring pleasure to both the animal itself and its owners.
How to determine the degree of deafness?
People who decide to have a white kitten need to know all the nuances associated with the peculiarities of its development. Not all kittens are equally deaf. Before buying a new family member, you should find out what type of hearing he or she has already at the stage of selecting an applicant. After all, it may well be that not everyone is able to provide a normal life for a deaf child and teach him to understand a person.
Everyone knows that kittens meow. It turns out that if a cat is deaf, then he screams in a higher voice than his brothers and sisters. To determine hearing, a simple technique is used: they create noise stimuli to which a deaf animal will not react in any way. For this purpose you can:
- clap your hands loudly;
- turn on the vacuum cleaner;
- slam the door;
- rustle with something that makes a loud sound, for example, chocolate foil or a regular bag.
Khao Mani
Another white cat with different eyes is Khao Mani. Kittens of this breed are commonly called “diamond eyes.” This breed of cat was bred in Thailand by order of the royal families, so the price of Khao Mani is quite high, and not everyone can buy it. This is especially true for representatives of the breed with different eyes. Thais are convinced that an odd-eyed cat can bring wealth, good luck and peace with tranquility to the house.
Khao Mani - short-haired cats with a small body size
. Their main feature is the fear of loneliness, so they are extremely active and friendly. Cleanliness is also a hallmark of this breed, making them easy to care for.
Are they albinos?
One misconception is that some white cats are albinos, and albinos often have hearing impairment. This is wrong. All albinos have red eyes, and most cats are born deaf with white fur and blue eyes.
The fact is that 30-40% of white cats with blue eyes have a mutation in the epistatic gene W, due to which its carrier may be deaf. But this doesn't happen often. If at least one of the parents has this gene, then one should not exclude the possibility that the kitten, even if its eyes and fur are of a different color, will inherit the deafness gene.
Turkish Angora
Another cat breed with different eye colors is the Turkish Angora. This animal is small in size, has small bones, and has a long body with round ribs. The weight of the animal is on average 5 kg. Angoras quite often have representatives of the breed with a similar phenomenon. The head has long erect ears. The body of the animal may be covered with fur
:
- cream;
- white;
- black;
- blue;
- even red.
Felinologists say that this particular breed is the most common white-colored individual with different eyes. These kittens were first bred in Angora, in Byzantium, from which they got their name. Already in the sixteenth century, the breed was brought to continental Europe.
White animals are very popular. They sell them at a higher price. Those individuals purchased from nurseries, as a rule, live longer - approximately 18-20 years.
To ensure that Angora does not get sick, is active and mobile, it is recommended to include food with biological additives in her food. The animal must be brushed regularly. She also urgently needs her ears cleaned and her nails trimmed.
Angoras have an active temperament. They simply love to be the center of attention, are excellent at training, and love physical activity. So smart that they can learn simple tricks. Photos of such an animal will decorate any photo album.
Cat breeds with different eyes have always attracted special attention. Some consider them mystical creatures, while others love their pets without attaching much importance to the color of their eyes, just for who they are.
Different eye colors are usually found in completely or partially white cats, but there are colored and black animals with heterochromia. This feature is a consequence of a lack or excess of melanin pigment, which also affects the color of the animal’s coat and skin.
Heterochromia also occurs in humans, but is much more common in cats. Moreover, one eye is blue, and the other can be orange, yellow or green. This feature often indicates existing health problems, for example, deafness, but this is not the rule.
Different cat breeds with different eyes
Special breed of cats with different eyes
and doesn't exist.
Heterochromia occurs in Persian, Scottish, British cats, Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Canadian and Don Sphynxes, Maine Coons, Kurilian Bobtails and others. However, there are some cat breeds that have different eyes
.
One of the most famous cat breeds with different eyes
- Turkish van. Not all, but many of its representatives have this feature. One eye is yellow and the other is blue. The color is dominated by white in combination with red, cream, blue or black. In addition, there are tortoiseshell-white cats.
The Van cat has very soft and pleasant-to-touch fur; you want to pet this cat for a long, long time; you literally don’t want to let it go. Among the household members, she usually chooses one for herself, the most beloved, and follows him as if tied, looking languidly into his eyes and taking advantage of every opportunity to jump onto his lap. The Van cat is very sociable, inquisitive and active; she easily jumps onto the highest cabinet or refrigerator in search of treats or toys. It can even be taught simple commands, such as “give me a paw” or “fetch.” Van cats love water and will never refuse to take a dip or swim in a pond or bathtub.
In the homeland of this breed of cats with different eyes
, in Turkey, they are valued extremely highly, and in the city of Van itself there is a monument to her.
The Turkish Angora is a small, graceful cat with surprisingly soft and fluffy fur. The roots of this breed go back to the ancient Byzantine city of Angora, from where these beauties were brought to Europe in the 16th century. There are various colors: white, black, cream, blue, marbled and others. The Angora cat is very friendly, enjoys playing and communicating with its owner. Like the Turkish van, he chooses only one person for this role. Most of the odd-eyed representatives of this breed have hearing problems, which is partly compensated by the presence of a stable immune system in such cats.
Khao Mani
Khao Mani is a rare and expensive short-haired white cat native to Thailand. Even the kings of this country were among the fans of Khao Mani. Its other names are “white pearl”, “cat with gold and silver eyes” and “diamond eye”. It is believed that Khao Mani brings good luck and prosperity to the home. According to the breed standard, they must be exclusively white, but colored kittens are also born periodically. In some cases, the spots disappear within a year, in others they remain forever. Cats of this breed are excellent companions and are well suited for keeping in an apartment due to their cleanliness and unpretentiousness.
Everyone associates the color white with something new, pure and innocent. They say that white cat breeds are chosen as pets by people who are exceptionally neat and organized in everything.
Such pets have several interesting features, which will be discussed below.
White individuals do not have melanin, which is responsible for the pigmentation of the skin and coat. Scientists know of three hereditary reasons why animals are born white.
- Albinism. There is no pigmentation at all. The cat is born with white skin and pale blue eyes, which can sometimes even appear red. A weak immune system, as well as hearing and vision, cause albinos to die quite early. The gene that is responsible for this pathology is recessive “C”. It is curious that Foreign White cats have this gene to some extent, but they are not deaf and cannot be considered albinos.
- The white spot gene, or “S” gene, appears as white spots of varying sizes. The spots may be next to each other. If they merge, there are no boundaries between them, so it may appear that the pet is completely white. The shade of the eyes can be anything.
- The dominant “W” gene determines the white coat color of a cat. Kittens are born exactly this color and with blue eyes. If there is an excess of pigment, the eyes may be yellow, and if there is a deficiency, the eyes may be blue.
Traits of white cats
Genetics is a very complex science, and sometimes completely unpredictable. And today it is not clear how the genes responsible for color affect the behavior of the animal.
However, one of the main distinguishing features of white pets is their strong devotion to the owner, similar to dependence.
Naturally, individuals belonging to different breeds will also differ in character, so Persian cats will be independent and have their head in the clouds, Oriental cats will always follow their owner, and British cats will remain calm, but in need of communication.
It is believed that white cats with different eyes sometimes behave very unusually and strangely. A white cat with blue eyes and short hair, belonging to any breed, can sit in your arms all day.
The white pet will become very unhappy if the owner treats her rudely and scolds her, and she is also oppressed by noisy parties and loud scandals.
If you don’t want to keep an overly attached and sometimes intrusive creature next to you, pay attention to pets of other colors.
Deafness
The main disadvantage of white cats is deafness from birth, however, yellow-eyed or green-eyed individuals are not born deaf so often, which cannot be said about animals with blue eyes.
Almost 50% of all white kittens born are deaf, except those belonging to the Burmese or Siamese breeds.
Breeds of white cats with different eyes may be deaf in only one ear, on the side of the blue eye.
If a white kitten was born with a spot on its head, for example, and turned into a black and white cat of some breed, most likely it will not be deaf.
Deafness does not cause cats any particular discomfort. Focusing on smell, touch and vision, he does not feel somehow inferior.
Looking at a deaf and a normal kitten playing, you are unlikely to distinguish the one that cannot hear.
Wool that gets dirty quickly
White cats are not suitable for lazy owners. If your house is dirty, you can tell by your pet. After such an animal appears in the house, you will have to constantly clean the apartment and carefully care for the pet, cleaning its ears, tail, paws and face.
Allergy problems
There is no need to experiment by offering your cat food from your own table. The animal will be happy, but the treat will affect its body, causing itching, sneezing, changes in the skin, and so on. When choosing ready-made food or creating a natural diet, you should also be careful.
One of the most common breeds is the Turkish Angora - a small and elegant cat with long white hair. Her eyes can be of different shades.
These animals are intelligent, inquisitive and energetic. They like it when all the attention is focused on them, but loneliness is scary for them. They prefer one of the owners.
Foreign White is a fairly rare breed, so finding such a pet is difficult. These cats have white, very smooth and shiny fur. They are elegant, always confident and even mysterious.
The white Turkish Van most often has spots of a different color on his coat: on the tail, head, and muzzle.
The Thai cat Khao Mani was born more than a century ago. Kittens are born with spots, but they disappear with age. These cats love their owners and follow them everywhere. They are curious, intelligent and playful.
Some breeds also produce snow-white kittens. For example, white Persians are very rare, which is why they are highly prized.
Associated with a “bad sign”, white has always been considered its opposite - a sign of approaching happiness. was perceived as a symbol of purity and innocence. This affects the attitude towards owners of snow-white fur coats. In the old days, white cats often accompanied young girls. Such animals lived in aristocratic houses and were considered an indicator of “chic”.
Nowadays, white cats are especially loved by advertising creators - their grace can emphasize the beauty of the interior or the extraordinary cleanliness created by the advertised product.
Snow-white beauties come in different breeds. However, the most popular is this small, very graceful cat, with thin long hair, a muzzle with expressive high cheekbones, fairly long legs and neat small paws. It must be said that this breed was formed naturally, that is, without the participation of breeders. It is the oldest in Iran and Turkey. White color is the main and most popular color for Angoras, although cats of this breed can come in a wide variety of colors.
White color is characteristic of many breeds. Breeders continually breed them based on a white undercoat with additional darker shades. Experts call this color “silver.” Everyone is well aware of the “Siamese” color - all the cat’s fur is white, except for the face, paws and tail. Completely white cats are highly valued by experts and are found in almost all known and popular breeds. Persian cats are considered the most spectacular. Their long snow-white fur makes the animals absolutely charming.
White cats are also born to the most ordinary domestic cats, who inherited genes from an “aristocrat” cat who mysteriously ended up in their pedigree.
Many experts believe that snow-white beauties are more vulnerable and timid than their purebred counterparts. They should be protected from stress and unnecessary worries; when changing their “place of residence” they should be given time to adapt. The attention and care of the owners of “Snow White” is greatly appreciated and they are rewarded with good manners and affection. Usually these cats are affectionate, but not intrusive.
White cats need careful care, especially if they walk outside - their white coat gets dirty very quickly. This is why cats of this color bathe much more often than others.
White cats (photo No. 2) are a rather rare natural phenomenon. According to some data, there are only 5% of them in nature. Despite the fact that Turkish Angora cats firmly hold the first place in popularity, white Persian cats can be considered true aristocrats. The long, thick, snow-white fur makes these animals charming.
In recent years, the number of white cat lovers has been steadily growing. There are even special societies for the protection of snow-white cats. Specialist breeders are breeding these. They are inspired to do this work by a luxurious white cat. Pictures of him can also be seen in our article.
Most often, when it comes to snow-white cats, a person has an association of something beautiful, pure, kind and unusual. And if Snow White also has blue eyes, few people can remain indifferent to such a miracle of nature. Our ancestors also said that seeing a white cat in a dream is a sign of success and good news. Well, how could it be otherwise? After all, not everyone can admire a cat with such aristocratic characteristics in a dream. Such pets used to be kept to protect their home from evil spirits.
White cats
Many people confuse white-blue-eyed cats with albinos.
.
However, there is a significant difference: albinos have no color genes at all, while a snow-white cat with blue eyes has a melanocyte pigment
, which has a low percentage.
Increasingly, there is information that white cats with blue eyes are deaf. However, geneticists have their own statistics for this, which say that more than half of all white cats have excellent hearing. This is confirmed by the owners of these pets.
Why are white cats deaf?
Deafness in white cats is explained by certain genetic characteristics. The white color gene, which is dominant, specifically affects the processes that occur in a small organism at the stage of embryonic development, and it also affects the development of hearing. This has been proven through numerous experiments.
If the kitten has Siamese cats or Thais in its family, then the presence of blue eyes does not fully guarantee that the grown cat will be deaf. This is explained by the fact that the gene with this pathology was taken from Siamese cats that do not have this problem.
Kittens of many breeds are born with blue eyes, but their color later changes. Therefore, when you see a blue-eyed white kitten, do not be alarmed: it is not a fact that he will remain with that eye color and will not hear. Wait a little, let him grow up, and everything will fall into place.
Popular breeds of snow-white cats
Turkish Angora
This is probably one of the most famous breeds of snow-white cats. It is called Turkish because this breed was originally formed in Turkey. It is worth recognizing that this breed is still highly valued in those places.
There are angoras with multi-colored eyes. True, such cats, as a rule, are deaf in the ear on the side of which the blue eye is located.
The Turkish Angora is an elegant cat with wide-open pupils and a long tail. White angora kittens, like adult cats, have a very affectionate and peaceful character. Angora is one of the most expensive cat breeds.
Scottish lop-eared
A white, blue-eyed Scottish kitten is probably every child's dream. The Scottish Fold cat is quite valuable because it is distinguished by its uniqueness. Her snow-white fur is the personification of innocence and beauty.
A cat may have dark spots on the top of its head, which may mean that the kitten had blue or black ancestors. As the cat gets older, these spots will lighten.
The eyes of a kitten of this breed can be blue, orange or multi-colored. The cat of this breed has a gentle disposition
, he is conflict-free and can get along with children and older people.
White kittens of this breed may be born with a small spot on the head, but by the age of one year it disappears. They are long-haired and short-haired
. Their fur is very white. There are cats of this breed with multi-colored eyes. Oriental cats are very attached to their owner and are prone to suffering in his absence.
Persian breed
Cats of this breed are quite large and fluffy. They have a quiet character and love their owner.
. As a rule, their eyes are dark blue, but there are cats with multi-colored eyes. The second eye is orange. The friendly and affectionate snow-white beauty is very calm, loves her home and owner.
Khao Mani breed
Khao Mani is translated as diamond eye. And indeed, representatives of this breed have brightly outlined eyes and sparkle like diamonds. This breed was bred in Thailand. Kittens of this breed have short fur, which is very easy to care for. Previously, the eye color was only blue, but now individuals appear with green and orange eyes, as well as multi-colored ones.
This is a very rare and expensive breed
, not everyone can afford to buy it. Khao Mani cats are similar in character to Siamese cats. Kitties love home and their owner very much, and they tolerate loneliness terribly.
Kittens of this breed were bred in Australia by hybridizing a snow-white Siberian cat with a blue cat. Animals of this breed have blue eyes, dense and short hair, and are in good health. They are very calm and peaceful
, can be left without an owner for a long time.
Cats of this breed are easy to train and are very artistic.
. They have blue and multi-colored eyes, and there is also a pink tint. Sphinxes have an amazing and controversial appearance. They are smart, smart, affectionate, funny, funny, playful and friendly.
Causes of deafness
Indeed, statistics show that some cats with blue eyes have little or no hearing because they have inner ear degeneration.
Moreover, such a pathology can be:
It is difficult to understand this fact: a truly deaf cat is usually blue-eyed. But cats with white fur have not only blue eyes, but also green (like most cats) and yellow (sometimes even bright orange). But there are also such handsome men who have eyes of different colors. And if one of them is blue, then the white cat will be deaf in the ear on the side of which this eye is located. Paradox? But it is so.
Scientists have known about this feature of albinos for a long time, starting from the 19th century. Even Charles Darwin wrote about them. Over time, more and more specialists found a direct connection between:
- coat color;
- blue eye pigment;
- lack of ability to hear.
Caring for snow-white fur
In order not to spoil the aristocratic appearance of a white cat, you must adhere to some rules of care
after them:
Lazy people are not recommended to have a white cat, as it requires special care. 70% of white cats are partially or completely deaf. Such cats need to be carefully looked after and not allowed outside alone. Such cats do not feel very confident and need an owner. They have a very gentle and affectionate character.
Pragmatic and neat people prefer snow-white cats. For a kind attitude, a white cat will repay its owner with boundless love. When getting white kittens, it is necessary to keep the house perfectly clean, because the kitten will immediately find dirt and stain its snow-white fur.
White cats should be kept away from dust, air fresheners, and cleaning powders. All this causes allergies. Food can also cause an allergic reaction. Before purchasing, you need to find out from the seller the nuances of feeding such a pet.
