While hundreds of cats and kittens are adopted from spcaLA every year, an albino is highly unusual. 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.
Are albino cats worth money?
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.
How rare is a white cat?
Are All-white Cats Rare? They are! All-white cats make up only about 5 percent of the general cat population. All-white cats lack something called melanin, a pigment that occurs in both humans and animals and is responsible for giving color to hair and skin.
Are 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.
Do albino cats go blind?
White cats are no more prone to blindness than any other color, with the exception being albino cats. Albinism is a lack of color pigments, or melanin, rather than an actual white coat, and it is usually accompanied by red eyes.
What is the rarest color of cat?
1. Albino Cats. The albino cat is the rarest of all coat types. Two recessive alleles in the C gene cause complete albinism, and it is extremely rare for cats to get both.
What is the rarest cat?
The Sokoke Cat is the rarest domestic cat breed in the world, according to the UK’s Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF). Originating from the forests of Sokoke in eastern Kenya, these cats were previously considered a hybrid breed of a cross between wild cats but DNA results have debunked this theory.
Is my cat white or 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.
Are white cats special?
Yes, they are uncommon. White cats make up only 5% of the general cat population. But they have captured the imagination of so many. And, for the most part, the things they symbolize are positive — rebirth, happiness, money, prosperity, healing, spirituality and even tolerance.
Are white kittens special?
Few people can deny there is something special about a white cat. The gentleness and pureness associated with the color white definitely translates to these incredible creatures. In cats, the genetics behind the white fur are fascinating.
Are white cats friendly?
Overall, orange cats and bi-colored cats were characterized as friendly, while black cats, white cats and tri-colored cats were regarded as more antisocial. White cats were considered to be more shy, lazy and calm, while tortoiseshell cats were more likely to be depicted as both more intolerant and more trainable.
Do white cats have problems?
Short answer, no. White cats are no more prone to illness than any other cat. However, an albino cat may be more prone to medicial problems such as light sensitivity and skin conditions from a lack of pigment (just like humans).
Do all white cats have blue eyes?
A white cat may have blue eyes for reasons other than masking. If the underlying coat pattern is one of a pointed cat (also referred to as a Siamese pattern), the blue eyes may come from the genetics of the pointed gene. A common misconception is that all white cats with blue eyes are deaf.
Why are all white cats deaf?
The deafness is caused by degeneration of the auditory apparatus of the inner ear and may affect one ear (unilateral) or both ears (bilateral). Breeding studies have defined the relationship between deafness in white cats and blue eye colour. The gene responsible is an autosomal dominant gene termed W (for White).
What health problems do albino cats have?
Due to their lack of melanin, they are especially sensitive to sunlight. They’re more prone to sun damage and skin cancer because of this. If you have an albino cat, be sure to monitor their time in direct sun. Albino cats can also suffer eye damage from sunlight.
What breed is white cat with blue eyes?
Persian. With their soft and silky coats, distinctive smushed faces, and sweet personalities, Persians are one of the most popular and recognizable cat breeds. White Persians often have blue eyes.
References:
- https://www.petsmont.com/blogs/pets/albino-cat
- https://www.rover.com/blog/why-are-white-cats-deaf/
- https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/ask-elizabeth-white-cats-and-blindnessdeafness
- https://petkeen.com/deafness-blindness-in-white-cats/
- https://excitedcats.com/rarest-patterns-coat-colors-in-cats/
- https://english.alarabiya.net/variety/2021/09/06/Top-10-rarest-domestic-cat-breeds-in-the-world
- https://www.thesprucepets.com/white-cats-profile-554698
- https://www.petful.com/misc/the-mystique-of-white-cats/
- https://mylovelyfeline.com/blogs/content/everything-you-should-know-about-white-cats
- https://news.berkeley.edu/2012/10/23/cat-color/
- https://thecatsite.com/threads/are-white-cats-susceptible-to-health-problems.332097/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congenital_sensorineural_deafness_in_cats
- https://icatcare.org/advice/inherited-deafness-in-white-cats/
- https://cattime.com/cat-facts/24859-albino-cats-not-white-cats
- https://www.thesprucepets.com/blue-eyed-cat-breeds-4843130