Are All White Cats With Blue Eyes Deaf

Of white cats with one blue eye about 40 percent are deaf in at least one ear.

Are all white cats with blue eyes deaf. White color of the coat occurs in cats in the following three ways. If 40 percent of these cats are deaf it means the majority 60 percent can hear. An estimated 40 percent of white cats with blue eyes are deaf which is high. Not all white cats with blue eyes are deaf.

The answer is hidden in the genetic makeup of the cat. Two blue eyes completely 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. Some of these cats can actually have other colors in their fur often in spots on their head which fade with age.

Probably 1 in 10 that your new kitten will not be deaf. The deaf ear is usually on the same side as the blue eye. About 20 percent of non blue eyed white cats also are deaf. But it s rare for a white cat with blue eyes to not be deaf.

Cats who are white with a dominant white gene marked as w are commonly deaf because that gene is associated with deafness. There is a common misconception that all odd eyed cats are born deaf in one ear. About half of all white cats are deaf and those numbers increase in cats with blue eyes with deafness often found on the same side as the blue eye left blue eye deaf in left ear. Black and white cats with blue eyes have a much more common type of hearing and vision problem that may be related to their eye color.

White cats with one or two blue eyes do however have a higher incidence of genetic deafness with the white gene occasionally causing the. If this is not treated early cats will not be able to hear as well as they should be able to. Eye color in white cats also relates to the potential for deafness. You can test by clapping behind it s.

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. Many cats are born with congenital deafness which causes deafness in the cat as it ages instead of later on. About 10 20 of normal eyed cats are born deaf or become deaf as part of the feline aging process. Still look at it this way.

There is a common belief that all blue eyed cats are deaf and dumb. In some ancient superstition white coated cats were believed to be a sign of bad or good luck. This is not true as about 60 70 of odd eyed cats can hear.