Are there albino cats?

Feline albinism is a rare inherited condition characterized by a lack of pigment resulting in cats with a white coat and blue eyes. Two mutations in the Tyrosinase (TYR) gene produce the Burmese (sepia), Siamese, and mink colorpoint coat and eye color phenotypes in cats.

How rare is an albino cat?

Albino kittens are born with a lack of pigmentation and have pale pink skin, white fur, and pinkish red or light blue eyes. Albinos are extremely rare and only make up about 2% of the feline population.

How do you tell if a cat is albino?

The easiest way to determine whether or not a cat is an albino is by looking at their eyes. White cats, as previously mentioned, can have a wide range of eye colors. Albino cats, however, often have eyes that look very pale blue, pink, or red.

How much is an albino cat worth?

Due to the fact that albino cats are incredibly rare and cannot necessarily be bred to be albino, there is no real market price for albino cats. Albinism can occur in most breeds, so it's a sort of chance event for an albino kitten to be born.

Can house cats be albino?

Albino phenotypes are documented in a variety of species including the domestic cat. As albino phenotypes in other species are associated with tyrosinase (TYR) mutations, TYR was proposed as a candidate gene for albinism in cats.

10 Fun Facts About White Cats

Are most albino cats deaf?

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

What is the rarest cat?

Amur leopard: probably the world's rarest cat? With only around 120 adults left in the wild, the Amur leopard could be the most endangered big cat on Earth.

Do all albino cats have blue eyes?

Feline albinism is a rare inherited condition characterized by a lack of pigment resulting in cats with a white coat and blue eyes.

What are the risks of albino cats?

What are the rarest white cats?

Khao Manee cats are pure white with a short, smooth, close-lying coat. They can have blue eyes, gold eyes or odd-eyes with one of each colour. The odd-eyed Khao Manee is the rarest variety.

Do albino cats have health issues?

Diseases in cats related to albinism. Felines with white fur and blue eyes often suffer from feline deafness. They're also more prone to skin cancer, which appears mainly in the ears and nose. Due to these and other characteristics, albino cats must receive good care in order to prevent diseases.

What is the rarest cat color besides albino?

Are pure white cats rare?

White cats are some of the rarest, making up only about 5% of the total cat population! With their striking snow-white coats, they look dazzling and very unusual and, of course, they are even more special to their families who love them.

Why do albino cats have blue eyes?

Scientists have determined that one dominant gene, called W (for White), creates the snow-white coat coloration. This gene is also responsible for creating blue eyes and deafness. If a cat carries the W gene, it will have a white coat with 100% certainty.

Why are most albino cats deaf?

In cats, inherited congenital (present from birth) deafness is seen almost exclusively in white coated individuals. The deafness is caused by degeneration of the auditory apparatus of the inner ear and may affect one ear (unilateral) or both ears (bilateral).

What is the whitest cat?

Siamese. Also referred to as “foreign white,” pure white Siamese cats lack the classic darker-colored “points” on the ears, face, legs, and tail. Moreover, all Siamese kittens are born white, developing darker colors as they grow. These cats love their families and prefer to be the center of attention.

How does a cat become albino?

Melanin is a pigment that determines the color of a cat's skin, eyes, and fur. An albino cat is born without a TYR gene or born with a damaged TYR. It is this genetic abnormality and the lack of melanin that makes a cat an albino one.

Are albino cats smart?

Although they are high-intelligent felines, someone describes them as cold and wintery. However, it only seems this way. In reality, white cats are amiable but also shy and quiet. Sometimes it may seem that they are not very friendly because these cats, as we have already said, often have a hearing problem.

Why do albino cats have no red eyes?

On the other hand, albino cats' eyes have a very limited spectrum due to the complete lack of pigmentation. The eyes of a true albino cat are limited to a very pale blue, or may appear pinkish or pinkish-blue. Here, pink is not itself a color, but an excess of light reflecting back blood vessels within the eye.

What's the rarest cat eye color?

The most rare eye colouring in a cat is dichromatic, where the eyes will have a combination of two distinct colours within both eyes. It's caused by the cat having different levels of melanin in distinct sections of their irises.

What is special about white cats?

Usually, solid white cats have the dominant white gene (W), and although there are other genes present for fur and eye color, the dominant gene wins out, and there is no pigmentation. It's very fascinating because the gene is actually masking the real color of the cat!

What are all white cats called?

There are three gene mutations that are known to produce a white kitten: Albino gene, or Albino White cat breeds are born with no melanin pigmentation. This is an extremely rare cat and most white cats are not classified as albino. A true Albino White has pale red/pink eyes and skin coloring.

What is the least friendly cat breed?

Some of the least affectionate breeds of cats include the American Wirehair, Korat, Singapura and Cymric. “The American Wirehair tends to be pretty reserved and quiet, which some would consider not particularly affectionate. The Korat is somewhat passive and can be spooked easily by loud noises.

What breed is the prettiest cat?