White Cats Deafness Blue Eyes

When one or both eyes are blue anywhere from 60 to.

White cats deafness blue eyes. When the white spot gene affects both eyes the cat will have 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. The uphill road to solving polygenic disorders The pure white cat with luminous blue eyes is an attrac-tive image familiar to many.

And 65 to 85 percent of white cats with two blue eyes were deaf. However the prevalence of white cats does vary in different geographies. The deafness is linked to the so-called W gene.

40 percent of white cats with one blue eye were deaf. Some of these cats are deaf in only one ear. A cat with a gene with white spots like the tuxedo cat can have blue eyes or in some cases odd eyes.

Not all of these cats are deaf see part 2 of this short article. Cornell University cites a study that found that 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non-blue eyes were born deaf. People ask why white cats with blue eyes are deaf.

The blue eyes in a piebald or epistatic white cat indicates a lack of tapetum. As we have mentioned previously not all white cats with blue eyes are prone to deafness. Deafness in white cats with blue eyes is a form of congenital deafness medically known as unilateral or bilateral congenital sensorineural deafness.

Its even more of a concern in white cats when they have one or both irises that are blue. 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. In odd-eyed white cats the ear on the blue-eyed side may be deaf but the one.