White Cats Deafness Blue Eyes

Researchers found that only 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non-blue eyes are born deaf.

White cats deafness blue eyes. The deafness is linked to the so-called W gene. Strangely blue eye white cats tend to be deaf even more than others. Their eye color is mainly due to a cellular issue.

Its even more of a concern in white cats when they have one or both irises that are blue. Coat color and an aspect of the cats personality or another aspect of anatomy can be linked if the gene that dictates the cats colour and a gene which affects the way the brain develops are situated close together on the same chromosome. The primary determining factor of congenital deafness in all-white cats seems to be their eye color with blue eyes being a sign of the condition.

Not all of these cats are deaf see part 2 of this short article. A cat with blue eyes in cats will not have a dark coat any more than a cat with light eyes will have a dark coat. 40 percent of cats with one blue eye are deaf and up to 85 percent of all white cats with two blue eyes have deafness.

The deafness is linked to the so-called W gene. According to the Cornell Feline Health Center only 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non-blue eyes are born with hearing loss. When one or both eyes are blue anywhere from 60 to.

All-white cats born with one blue eye experience congenital deafness in 40 of kittens while kittens born with two blue eyes have an 85 chance of being born deaf. Interestingly if a white cat with one blue eye is deaf in only one ear that ear will invariably be on the same side of the head as the blue eye. Cats with blue eyes are often confused with kittens.

If a white cat has 2 blue eyes it is 3-5 times more likely to be deaf than a cat with 2 non-blue eyes and a cat with 1 blue eye is about twice as likely to be deaf as a cat with 2 non-blue eyes. As for odd-eyed white cats when a white cat has one orange or green and one blue eye the ear on the blue-eyed side is likely to be deaf whereas the one on the orange- or green-eyed side is usually fine. When the gene affects only one eye the cat will have odd eyes.