White Cats Deafness Blue Eyes

An estimated 40 percent of white cats with blue eyes are deaf which is high.

White cats deafness blue eyes. 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. However the prevalence of white cats does vary in different geographies. 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.

Do white cats with blue eyes deaf. Many people wonder if deafness in cats with blue eyes or in white cats is an old wives tale or a fact. These animals are well-known to be commonly affected by a congenital hereditary deaf-ness that may affect one or both ears.

The deafness is linked to the so-called W gene. Some of the cats were deaf in only one ear - interestingly if a cat had a blue eye on the right side of her head. 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.

In the cat world white cats with blue eyes are very special kitties. Some of these cats are deaf in only one ear. 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.

Dominant epistatic white is a masking gene that overrides all other coat colours and is symbolised with the letters W D. Do all white cats with blue eyes are deaf. White cats with blue eyes are more likely to be deaf than white cats with gold or green eyes.

Deafness in white cats with blue eyes is a form of congenital deafness medically known as unilateral or bilateral congenital sensorineural deafness. According to the Cornell Feline Health Center only 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non-blue eyes are born with hearing loss. The reason is the aforementioned W genotype.