Are All White Kittens With Blue Eyes Deaf

In white cats with mixed coloured eyes odd eyed cats it has been found that deafness is more likely to affect the ear on the blue eyed side.

Are all white kittens with blue eyes deaf. Up to 85 percent of them may be deaf but solid white cats are relatively few to begin with and blue eyed solid white cats are even rarer. Most kittens will be born with blue eyes which change color as they mature. Cats who are white with a dominant white gene marked as w are commonly deaf because that gene is associated with deafness. This gives them some vulnerabilities like sensitivity to uv light.

The deaf ear is usually on the same side as the blue eye. Thus deafness is strongly linked to the white coat colour and blue eye colour but not all white cats or white cats with blue eyes are necessarily deaf. Some of these cats can actually have other colors in their fur often in spots on their head which fade with age. Non pedigreed white kittens may have green or yellow eyes.

Domesticated cats with blue eyes and white coats are often completely deaf. White cats have a genetic makeup similar to albino humans who lack pigment. Researchers found that only 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non blue eyes are born deaf. White cats can have blue gold green or copper coloured odd eyes.

However all white cats or kitten are likely to be deaf and it is a major concern in most of pure white cats. Some of these cats are deaf in only one ear. However there is no need to be feared to bring a cat with blue eyes home because more than 50 percents of cats who are not pure white their blue eyes are not always related to deafness and blindness. In one 1997 study of white cats 72 of the animals were found to be totally deaf.

Eye color in white cats also relates to the potential for deafness. The variable penetrance of deafness and eye colour may be caused by interplay with other genes and or environmental factors. Full white kittens will either have blue or amber eyes or possibly one of each called odd eyes or heterochromia. However in white cats with two blue eyes roughly 60 80 are likely to be deaf.

Of white cats with one blue eye about 40 percent are deaf in at least one ear. Not all white cats are deaf first of all it can be said that not all white cats are deaf but they are more likely to be deaf since they carry the so called gene w white of white in english especially those that have one eye of each color or blue eyes. There is no truth that white cats with blue eyes are blind. An estimated 40 percent of white cats with blue eyes.

The percentage rises to 40 percent if the cat has one blue eye while upwards of 65 to 85 percent of all white cats with both eyes blue are deaf. Deafness can occur in white cats with yellow green or blue irises although it is mostly likely in white cats with blue irises. In those with only one blue eye 30 40 will be deaf so the majority will have normal hearing. Solid white cats with blue eyes are often deaf but their eyesight is completely normal.

What is the risk of deafness in a white cat. In those cats with eyes of another colour only 10 20 are likely to be deaf.