White Cats With Blue Eyes Deaf
Two blue eyes completely deaf.
White cats with blue eyes deaf. White cats have a genetic makeup similar to albino humans who lack pigment. If this is not treated early cats will not be able to hear as well as they should be able to. And 65 to 85 percent of white cats with two blue eyes were deaf. Due to their genetic make up a white cat with blue eyes is 3 5 times more likely to be deaf than a cat with different coloured eyes.
Eye color in white cats also relates to the potential for deafness. In addition longhaired white cats are 3 times more likely to be bilaterally deaf. For this reason a cat with odd eyes can be deaf from the ear that is on the side of the blue eye. An estimated 40 percent of white cats with blue eyes.
The deaf ear is usually on the same side as the blue eye. According to the aspca complete guide to cats 17 to 20 percent of white cats with nonblue eyes are deaf. Of white cats with one blue eye about 40 percent are deaf in at least one ear. Interestingly deaf cats who are white and have blue eyes make up around just 1 1 5 of the total cat population.
In those with only one blue eye 30 40 will be deaf so the majority will have normal hearing. In a cat with the white spot gene the deafness usually occurs in the ear affected by the spot. While there is no treatment for hereditary deafness in cats most cats adapt well to their condition. However in white cats with two blue eyes roughly 60 80 are likely to be deaf.
Cornell university cites a study that found that 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non blue eyes were born deaf. Why are blue eyed white cats usually deaf. White cats have always aroused curiosity in humans. 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.
In those cats with eyes of another colour only 10 20 are likely to be deaf. About 20 percent of non blue eyed white cats also are deaf. 40 percent of odd eyed white cats with one blue eye are deaf. This gives them some vulnerabilities like sensitivity to uv light.
And of course some cats of any colour may be deaf for a completely unrelated reason. 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. Many cats are born with congenital deafness which causes deafness in the cat as it ages instead of later on. 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 she tended to be deaf in the right ear and vice versa.
In a feral situation deaf white cats experience strong negative natural selection pressure as. 40 percent of white cats with one blue eye were deaf.