White Cats Deafness Blue Eyes

Deafness in white cats with blue eyes is a form of congenital deafness medically known as unilateral or bilateral congenital sensorineural deafness.

White cats deafness blue eyes. White cats with blue eyes are more likely to be deaf than white cats with gold or green eyes. Not all of these cats are deaf see part 2 of this short article. These animals are well-known to be commonly affected by a congenital hereditary deaf-ness that may affect one or both ears.

Deafness is associated only with the dominant white gene not the white spotting gene says feline geneticist Leslie A. 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. Hereditary deafness is a major concern in white cats and even more so if one or both irises are blue in color.

People ask why white cats with blue eyes are deaf. According to the Cornell Feline Health Center only 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non-blue eyes are born with hearing loss. As you may expect hereditary deafness in white cats is a real issue and presents a major concern in white cats and even more is if one or both irises are blue in color.

Strangely blue eye white cats tend to be deaf even more than others. Cats with blue eyes are often confused with kittens. 40 percent of cats with one blue eye are deaf and up to 85 percent of all white cats with two blue eyes have deafness.

Eye color in white cats also relates to the potential for deafness. Deafness is caused by an absence of a cell layer in the inner ear that originates from the same stem cells as well. The blue eyes in a piebald or epistatic white cat indicates a lack of tapetum.

Do all white cats with blue eyes are 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. The deafness is linked to the so-called W gene.