The breed of cat with different eyes what is it called

This large long-haired cat comes in a wide variety of colors. Snowy, although rare, is common. Heterochromia and deafness are possible. Kittens of this color are usually more expensive than their congeners, from 50 thousand rubles for the pet class.

Heterochromia in a cat way

Heterochromia is called heterochromia. It is a phenomenon associated with different coloration of the eyes due to a lack or excess of a special pigment – melanin.

Heterochromia is directly connected with the white color of a cat's coat: the gene responsible for the white hair is "responsible" for the fact that one (or both) of the cat's eyes may be blue.

Moreover, it happens so that the fluffy snow white cat may be deaf to the ear, on the side of which is the blue eye.

The second eye of the cat may be amber, green or brown.

Types of heterochromia

Heterochromia in a cat can be congenital or acquired. In turn, according to the scope of iris coloration, heterochromia can be:

When the cat's iris is completely colored: one eye is blue, the other is green, for example.

If a section of the iris has a different color, such heterochromia is called sectoral.

When there is a framing of yellow along the edge of the iris, for example, green, this indicates a circular heterochromia.

Eye colors

The color of the eyes of white cats can be different, already mentioned above that the genes are responsible for this. That is why albino eyes do not have a pronounced color and stand out with a red rim. However If a cat's eyes have tints of green, yellowish or blue, the dominant white gene is at work here. Sometimes these cats have different eyes, for example, one bluish, the other yellow. Among blue-eyed cats a large percentage of animals with congenital deafness. If one eye is blue, the ear on its side may be deaf.

So, it was found that deafness in white cats is related to eye color and genes. Ear degeneration occurs in 40% of white-eyed animals and about 75% of blue-eyed animals. The hearing impairment occurs because the white color gene destructively affects the migration of pigment-producing and transporting melanoblasts. It also affects the functioning of cells of a different order. A kitten as an embryo gets this abnormality. Of course, not all white cats with blue eyes are deaf. Judging by the total number of felines, it is a little more than 1% of the total number. Geographically, there is no uniformity in the distribution of such cats.

The risk of deafness of blue-eyed cat increases about 4 times in comparison with other colors. In addition, it has been proved that cats with long hair are three times more likely to be born deaf than short-haired cats. Hearing-impaired cats do not participate in breeding programs, they are rejected, but you can have them at home without problems. The only nuance of care – they should not walk in the street, especially unsupervised, there are too many dangers for them.

The white color in the real nature is not too positive for the cat: the possibility of hearing loss is great, there is a danger of photophobia, because the blue eyes are very sensitive to light. In addition, cats with blue eyes do not see as well in the dark as others. But as pets, they are incredibly popular.

Breeds

There are many purebred domestic cats that can be white, among other things, and for some of them the white coloration is a characteristic of the variety. Here is a list of the most common pets that are distinguished by their white coloration.

• Kao Mani. This breed has spread from Thailand. It is quite ancient, once upon a time this breed was considered a court and was inaccessible to ordinary citizens. Distinctive features:
  • Snow-colored fur;
  • Multicolored or monochrome eyes the color of amber, green, blue;
  • Many breeders at birth have spots on the head, which disappear with age;
  • more than 50% of cats have hearing loss on one or both sides;
  • Animals are rather energetic and active by temperament;
  • They are trustful, peaceful and affectionate to people;
  • This breed is one of the most expensive and very rare.
  • Foren White. These representatives of cats were created by breeding in England in 1966, so their snow-white color is the result of human efforts. The ancestor of this cat is a Siamese cat. There are features:
    • The color is white, snowy;
    • blue-colored eyes;
    • in this breed there are no problems with hearing impairment;
    • The character of the cats is very similar to that of their Siamese brethren.

    Whether it is an ailment

    Congenital heterochromatia is not a disease and does not affect the cat's visual acuity in any way. But it can affect hearing.

    But if we are talking about purebred animals, such an individual is withdrawn from the breeding program in order to minimize the possibility of birth of deaf kittens and stop the spread of the defect in this species.

    Acquired divergence occurs due to trauma, disease, inflammation, or tumor.

    • Abnormal darkening of the iris. It is caused by iron deposition (siderosis), and it can also be provoked by the use of certain eye drops due to the stimulation of melanin growth. These include, for example, intraocular pressure lowering medications that are used to fight glaucoma.
    • Abnormal brightening occurs due to iris atrophy due to inflammation, due to neuroblastoma, melanoma, uevitis, leukemia and some other pathologies.

    Breeds of mismatched cats

    There are many such varieties. But all of them are dominated by the color white.

    Kao Mani

    Although it is believed that heterochromacy is inherent in breeding breeds, the Kao Mani breaks all stereotypes. But it is also quite rare for these snow-white pets to have divergence.

    

    This ancient aboriginal breed of Thailand developed naturally.

    Khao-mani means "diamond eye" and it is the only type of cat whose color can be only one – completely white. Kittens are sometimes born with small black spots, most often on the head, but they disappear completely by the year.

    

    This very rare short-haired cat is probably the most expensive of the domestic breeds. Finding a real Khao-mani is very difficult, the animal is considered a national treasure of Thailand. A small number of individuals can be purchased in the U.S. and France.

    By temperament, it is a charming pet – very cheerful, agile, energetic, nonviolent, easy to find contact with everyone.

    

    Turkish Van.

    This breed was bred from the earliest inhabitants of the Lake Van Valley. Therefore, these animals with half-length unique fur are excellent swimmers, fishermen and hunters.

    

    Each hair of the coat has a special grease, thanks to which water rolls off the coat, and the undercoat does not get wet.

    Animals are large enough – the weight of the male is up to 9 kg – and strong.

    Rules of keeping

    Most often, cats with heterochromia do not require special care or special conditions. They, like cats of any other breed, from early childhood are accustomed to the regime and order. Meals, rest and games should take place at a certain time. The kitten gets used to the established rhythm of life, which contributes to a mutually comfortable pastime.

    An important factor is to accustom the animal to the toilet. Kittens learn this from their mother by observing and inheriting her actions. If you bought a very tiny fluffy cat, you will have to take care of his good habits. In the litter box with the filler the kitten should be dropped off immediately after feeding. Pedigree kittens are very smart and clean, so they quickly get used to go to the toilet in a certain place.

    Kittens are naturally active and playful, but there is not always time to have fun with them. The consequences of independent cat games can be torn curtains, damaged wallpaper or furniture. To prevent this from happening, you need to train your pet to play properly. First of all you should buy or make a scratching post for your cat. Of the many toys in the pet store, you will surely choose something useful and attractive for your cat.

    Despite the innate cleanliness and neatness, sooner or later the cat will have to be bathed. This procedure will be especially relevant for animals with a white and long coat. You should accustom your kitten to water procedures from an early age, then the process of habituation will pass quickly and painlessly. Water should be at a comfortable temperature – about 30 degrees, and only special shampoo may be used as a detergent. For long-haired breeds it is advisable to use a conditioner – in order to prevent tangling and electrification of the hair.

    A cat in a confined environment needs a proper and balanced diet, which you must provide. It is very convenient to feed your pet ready-made dry or wet food. For the right choice it is enough to consult a veterinarian and carefully read the instructions on the package. It is obligatory to observe the recommended dosage of food. If you think that your cat deserves only fresh and natural products, then prepare to diversify his menu with products such as:

    Cat Health

    The well-being of a pet depends directly on its health and immunity. White cats with colorful eyes do not differ much from other breeds. But still there is a statistic that one third of cats with heterochromia are deaf. It is proved by laboratory studies that deafness develops due to the dominance of the "white" gene, causing abnormalities in the genetic code.

    Hearing can be completely absent or partially diminished, affecting one or both ears. As a consequence, the animal's other senses – vision and sense of smell – are exacerbated. In general, cats with different eye color are calm and affectionate creatures with strong immunity. A cat's iris color should be watched closely: if the blue eye has acquired a reddish tint, it may indicate a hematoma or a burst vessel. Disorder of melanin hormone production by body may lead to melanoma or tumor development.

    Any neoplasms must be promptly and expertly examined and treated.

    Healthy cats are active and clean. If the animal looks sluggish and unkempt, it may be a sign of kidney disease or urogenital system. Diagnosis can only be made by a specialist, self-treatment can only aggravate the problem. Cats with heterochromia are more prone to cancer than their relatives with the same eye color. They more often than others develop leukemia. For this reason, it is necessary to limit the exposure of the animal to the sun. It has been noticed that individuals of pure white color have a shorter life expectancy than cats of other colors.

    Some breeds of white cats are pathologically afraid of solitude. This can not but affect the health of the animal. He loses his appetite, the cat becomes fearful and withdrawn. If you can't be around all the time, you should consider getting another cat to help deal with the situation. To ensure a healthy, happy and long life for your pet, you need to have regular veterinary check-ups, routine vaccinations and closely monitor his behavior. With these simple conditions, a cute white cat with multicolored eyes will delight you with its presence for a long time, bringing good luck and prosperity to the house.

    Breeds with tabby coloring

    For some cat breeds, the tabby pattern is an integral part of them, in others it may appear in one or more kittens.

    Ociket

    This cat breed was artificially bred. There are several color variations. Two representatives of spotted tabbies were crossed to obtain otsikets. Almost every kitten has a bright, prominent spotted pattern against the main background.

    Abyssinian or Somali

    A cat of this breed is distinguished by its tiked coloration. He may not have a necklace on his chest or paws, but his eyes are encircled with a dark border. In addition, The muzzle has a distinctive "M" mark on it.

    Almost all of its body seems monochrome, but at the same time on the paws, muzzle and tail of such an animal there are distinctive patterns of tabby color. Most often there are cats with such shades of hair as purple, blue or brown-red.

    Egyptian Mau

    This breed of cat was formed naturally. Such an animal has a leopard type. The main features of the breed are considered the following:

    • Throughout the body is chaotically placed a large number of bright and contrasting spots of different sizes;
    • Their shape is quite diverse;
    • On the forehead there is a distinctive tabby pattern in the form of the letter "M", because of which the cat seems a little gloomy;
    • On the chest, as well as on the neck, one can see the characteristic tabby necklace;
    • paws are framed with stripes resembling bracelets.

    The main color of such cats is black or silver. In addition, there are also smoky cats. They are more rare, so they are considered much more valuable.

    Singapore

    This breed of cat is characterized by a light tiked color. Almost every hair of the animal is colored differently.

    However, some shading on the front paws of such animals is also allowed. They are slightly shaped like bracelets. In addition, there are also distinctive tabby marks on the muzzle. This is, above all, a pattern in the form of the letter "M" of a rich dark color.

    Color and deafness

    Many white cats are deaf due to degeneration of the inner ear. Geneticists, studying these animals, have determined that their deafness depends on the color of their eyes:

    In mismatched cats, it is usually the side of the blue eye that causes deafness.

    

    The cause of deafness is in the dominant W gene. After much research, scientists have determined that it is pleiotropic – responsible for a number of traits in the genotype – not only for hair color, but also for deafness and blue-eyedness. By the way, you can also read about blue-eyed cats and breeds on our portal.

    The dominant W allele impairs the migration of melanoblasts, which are pigment producers and transporters, and also affects the activity of other cells in the neural tube region of the embryo

    

    Deaf cats are excluded from the breeding program. And as a pet they can live as absolutely full-fledged individuals, the lack of hearing is compensated by other sense organs. True, such animals will not survive on the street.

    Cats with white coloring

    Many breeds of cats come in white. But there are those for which this color is a distinctive feature.

    Kao Mani .

    This breed came into the world from Thailand. In Thai, it is translated as "white gemstone. In English-speaking countries, it is often called "Diamond Eye. Snowy hair and heterochromia are distinctive features of these cats.

    This ancient variety is mentioned in the manuscript "Book of Cat Poems". For many centuries, it could only be the pet of the royal household.

    Kittens are often born with a dark spot on the head, which usually disappears with age. But sometimes there are individuals not pure white shade, spotty. The eyes can be different colors – amber, green, blue. Heterochromia is rare. About half of the animals suffer from hearing loss in one or both ears.

    

    By nature, they are active, cheerful and energetic pets, like to "talk. Very trusting and good-natured, strongly attached to the owner. The price of a kitten is very high – £600-900. These animals are very rare.

    Foren-White .

    These cats of the purest white color are obtained by genetic selection and inbreeding of common Siamese. The peculiarity of this breed – with a snow color and blue eyes the kittens are never born deaf.

    Geneticists believe that this trait is due to the long isolation of the Siamese from other species, the purity of its line, because deafness first appeared, most likely, from the Angora.

    In English, "forn-white" means "white foreigner." The breed was registered in 1966 in Great Britain. By character, these snowy pets are true Siamese. Cost of kittens from the cattery is 35 to 50 thousand rubles.

    

    Cats with different colored eyes

    A cat with different colored eyes has been considered a mystical creature since ancient times. Some thought that the animal could bring great luck to the house, others – on the contrary, were afraid of it. Today, the cause of heterochromia is known to scientists, and all myths are dispelled. Let's talk about it today.

    The situation when the eyes have different colors is called heterochromia. This phenomenon is very rare, occurring not only in animals, but also in humans. So what is its cause?

    A pigment called melanin is responsible for pigmentation. Sometimes this pigment is present in insufficient quantities, sometimes there is an overabundance. In cats, it is directly related to their hue, and there are also known cases of hereditary transmission of this trait.

    Heterochromia can be complete, when each eye has its own shade, as well as partial, when one sector of the iris is colored in one tone and the other in another.

    In cats such an abnormality is found in individuals of white color, but not in albinos. The white shade of the coat occurs due to the lack of a certain pigment, so one eye of such pets is usually blue, while the other can be of any more familiar shade.

    With vision such cats have no problems, but they can, surprisingly, with hearing. They stop hearing in one ear, namely, the one located on the side of the blue eye.

    A chimera cat can also have different colored eyes when genetically different cells are joined together, usually when two fertilized eggs are fused into one and one kitten is born instead of two. This one kitten has the traits of two at once, so both their eye color and coat color will be dissimilar.

    Breeds that can have different eyes

    There is no particular breed that has this anomaly to an exceptional degree, but heterochromia does occur more often in some breeds than others. It can only occur if there can be white or nearly white cats in the breed. Today, heterochromia is highly prized, with the brighter the shade of the animal's eyes, the higher its value.

    Turkish Angora. This breed leads in the number of individuals with different eyes. Usually one eye has a blue shade and the other has a green one. The cat is graceful and graceful. The coat is long and silky, special shampoos for cats that prevent yellowing are required to keep the white shade.

    Turkish Van. An unusual breed, cats have a very beautiful color. Even if the body of the animal is white, it usually has a red "cap" on the head, and the tail is distinguished by bright stripes. Heterochromia is manifested by different shades of eyes, which may change with age.

    Cao Mani. To own such a cat is a luxury, and to get such a pet with heterochromia is a very expensive pleasure. But if he appears in your family, you will not regret it. Gentle, graceful, very beautiful and will please you for many years.

    Persians and exots. Heterochromia usually appears in a combination of blue and copper shades. Friendly and quiet, such a pet requires a lot of time and effort to care for its coat, but the result is worth it.

    Scottish and British can also be white in color and also have different eyes, usually blue and copper, since the Persian cat is their ancestor.

    Sphinxes although hairless, can also be white in color and have different eyes of blue and green (sometimes yellow).

    Heterochromia is much less common in Maine Coon, oriental and curly cats.

    Origin of white coloration

    White Color white in cats is the result of a genetic phenomenon in which the W gene suppresses all the other genes responsible for the pigmentation of the coat, nose and iris. If this gene is present in the DNA, the kitten's coat is white and the eyes are blue because the cells that carry the pigment have not performed their function. Different color eyes are obtained when some of the pigment cells still manage to color the iris.

    For a kitten to be born with a white coat, one of the parents must have a white color resulting from the W gene bleaching.

    White fur is given by the S gene, which all spotted animals have. In some cats, the area of spots covers the entire body, so the coat looks pure white.

    A side effect of white coloring is hearing loss, which develops in about 10 out of 100 cats with blue eyes. In heterochromia (different eye color), the ear that is on the side of the blue eye is not audible.

    Myths about white cats

    

    Everyone knows the omen: if a black cat crossed the road, expect trouble. Strange as it may seem, but a white cat – also is not an angelic creature, in any case, there are several myths that, despite the lack of scientific evidence, many pet owners are inclined to believe.

    Myth #1

    A white cat that runs across the road is a good sign. In the near future, a person can expect to win or get a good deal.

    Myth #2.

    Women who cannot get pregnant should get a cat with white fur. The chance of conception is the higher the more often she strokes her pet.

    Myth #3.

    A white cat is the guarantor of financial prosperity. But if a strange white cat came into your house, be careful, your financial situation can be shaken because of unexpected money losses or unforeseen expenses.

    Myth #4.

    White cats are deaf. It is not exactly a myth, but it is impossible to say that a kitten with white hair will necessarily be deaf. The risk of genetic pathology indeed exists, but only 10-15% of white cats suffer from it. Besides, deafness is often observed in cats of many colors.

    Myth #5.

    White cats are thought to be able to diagnose diseases. If they lie down on any part of the human body, it is worth going to the doctor to find out if an underlying pathology is developing in the body. It is difficult to say how true this statement is, because there are no officially confirmed statistics on this matter. But the fact that cats sense the approach of natural disasters better than modern meteorological equipment is a fact proven by thousands of examples.

    Myth #6.

    Some people take a white cat in the house, believing that it will be a certain talisman of a happy life. There is a belief that these animals have a "third" eye, a super-sense, which allows them to find an unmistakable way out of difficult situations. It may be true, but we don't know how a pet transmits this information to its owner.

    Effect of heterochromia on vision

    Most studies show that the color of a cat's eyes does not affect vision. But in the case of heterochromia, you need to pay close attention to the pet. If cats have had different eyes since childhood (which means the abnormality is hereditary), then the pet's vision is fine.

    If the heterochromia is the result of a past illness and medication treatment, then a veterinarian consultation is required. When the eyes change color not in a small kitten, but in an adult cat, pathology can develop. For example, glaucoma, for which eye drops are prescribed, impairs vision.

    Effect of heterochromia on longevity

    The hereditary abnormality does not shorten a cat's years. But if heterochromia is an indicator of disease, longevity may be reduced. It is important to understand that this will not be due to the colorful eyes, but to the symptoms of the ailment. Therefore, if a cat's iris has become darker, has acquired a new shade or a segmental spot, it is better to show the pet to the doctor.

    Different eye color is not always an abnormality. There are breeds of cats in which this trait is inherited, is considered one of the characteristic signs. These include: