Ready To Check Out Our 35 Wonderful White Cat Facts?
Everything You Need To Know About The Amazing Pale Kitty Cat Breeds.
White cats are wonderful.
Their glossy snowy coats have new people falling in love with them every day.
And who can blame them!
There is something very special about white kittens.
An elegance that makes even their hilarious kitty antics seem somehow more serene. Even as they climb their way up your curtains!
If you are thinking about bringing an adorable white kitten home, then I bet you’ll want to find out all about your new friend.
Welcome to our most interesting, fun and informative white cat facts!
White Cat Breeds
White cats come in a huge range of beautiful types.
Some white cat types will be cross breeds or moggies, with no family history that you know of.
Others can be pure bred, from all white cat breeds or breeds that produce all white cats.
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There are several all white cat breeds. These include the Turkish Van, Angora and Oriental Foreign White cat.
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There are also lots of types of white cats that can be born to other breeds. Like the white Persian cat, Cornish Rex or Devon Rex.
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The white Persian cat has a distinctive flattened face, which can give him a grumpy expression. Sadly he also suffers from several health problems as a result of his cute snub nose.
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The white Siamese cat is not an all white cat. What makes a Siamese distinctive is that in addition to her gorgeous pale coat, she has dark markings on her face, legs, tail and ears.
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White Turkish Van cats have colored tails, and are famous for loving swimming!
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White Ragdoll cats might look all white, but they actually have very markings on their faces. But unlike the white Siamese these can be so pale that they are practically invisible!
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If you are a fan of chatty cats, then the Siamese or Oriental Foreign White will be right up your street.
These adorable, slim boned breeds are well known for their keenness on kitty conversation.
White Cat Eye Color
White cat eye color can vary widely. Basically, anything goes when it comes to their big, beautiful peepers!
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Common white cat eye colors include blue, green, gold, amber and yellow.
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Would you love a white cat with blue eyes? Well there are plenty out there!
Some popular examples include the Balinese, Ragdoll and Turkish Angora.
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Lots of kittens have blue eyes when they are small, which change to their permanent color before they are a few months old.
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But a white kitten with blue eyes is one of the luck ones that may keep this color forever.
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It is also possible to find a white cat with green eyes. Lovely green eyed white cat breeds include the Persian, Russian White, Asian and Norwegian Forest cat.
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Have you ever met an odd eyed white cat? A white kitty cat with two different eye colors?
Well, if you haven’t, you still might!
White cats can have eyes of two totally different colors.
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Turkish Van cats can have one blue and one amber eye. It is also possible to have one blue and the other green or green-gold.
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One study showed than around 26% of Turkish Van cats have odd eyes.
White Cat Coats
Coat color isn’t related to coat length in pale kitties.
You can find examples of white shorthair cat breeds, as well as long haired white cats.
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If you love long haired white cat breeds then the Persian or Ragdoll are two distinctive examples.
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White Cornish and Devon Rex cats can even have gorgeous curly coats!
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The Norwegian Forest cat is another very fluffy breed that can produce white cats.
Although they tend to have darker markings mixed in.
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White fluffy cats that suffer from hairballs can make a fair old mess around your house.
Not to mention a yucky noise while they dislodged them! It’s also potentially possible to get them stuck in their throat.
It’s therefore very important to keep them regularly groomed.
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White cat grooming should be carried out several times a week on long-haired and fluffy varieties.
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White shorthair cat breeds will also need grooming occasionally, especially if they are prone to furballs.
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The easiest to manage white cat coats belong to the short haired breeds.
The Domestic Shorthair, Oriental Foreign White and Siamese all have very neatly cropped coats.
White Cat Health
White cat health problems generally depend upon the breed that they come from.
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A white Persian cat with their brachycephalic flat face is more likely to have breathing and eye problems. Along with a higher kitten mortality rate!
But there is one common factor when it comes to white cat health, and that’s to do with hearing loss.
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White cats are often deaf. This is because the gene which causes deafness is linked to the coat color white.
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White cats with blue eyes are more likely to be deaf, as this eye color is also caused by the same gene.
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However, not all white cats with blue eyes are deaf.
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In cats that have inherited the deafness gene however it is possible to find physical signs of impending hearing loss in kittens from 4 days old!
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One study of purebred white cats found that approximately 20% of them were deaf in one or both ears.
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Of these deaf white cats, around half were deaf in both ears and half were deaf in just one.
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Did you know white cats help deaf children and adults?
Studies carried out on deaf white cats are used to help design better ways to improve hearing loss in humans!
White Cat Personality
So that’s a lot of information on white cats bodies and health! But the appeal of a white cat isn’t based on looks alone.
But is it true that there is a particular white cat personality?
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White cats personality is not related to their coat color, but instead is a reflection of their breed and upbringing.
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A 2012 study showed that people have pre conceived ideas about white cat personality, despite the lack of evidence.
White cats were seen as less bold and active, and more shy and calm than other colors of cats.
Famous White Cats
White cats aren’t just popular in real life as pets, they are also pretty big in the world of TV, movies and even books.
Welcome to the world of famous fictitious white cats!
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One of the most famous white cats in the world is Hello Kitty! The Japanese cartoon cat.
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Another very popular fictional white cat is the beautiful Duchess from Disney’s Aristocats.
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And we can’t forget her about white kitten daughter, Marie! This sassy kitty had a real attitude to go with her snow white coat.
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A firm favourite in our house is the fabulous white cat – Simon’s cat.
If you own a cat, of any color, you have to check out those comic strips.
Simon’s cat is constantly up to no good, but you can’t help but love him for it.
White Cat Facts
White kitty cats really are incredible creatures.
Although they are often troubled by hearing loss, this playful kitties don’t let it dampen their spirits.
White cats can make great pets, provided you do your research and pick one from a healthy breed.
Getting a white cat soon?
Then you will want to check out our fabulous list of white cat names!
References
- Deafness in White Cats
- Delgado, MM et al 2012. Human Perceptions of Coat Color as an Indicator of Domestic Cat Personality. Anthrozoos Journal.
- Bergsma and Brown 1971. White Fur, Blue Eyes, and Deafness in the Domestic Cat. Journal of Heredity.
- Gunn-Moore et al 2008. Breed-related disorders of cats. Journal of Small Animal Practice.
- Bosher and Hallpike 1965 Observations on the histological features, development and pathogenesis of the inner ear degeneration of the deaf white cat. Biological Sciences.
- Hartman et al 1997 Response of the primary auditory cortex to electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve in the congenitally deaf white cat. Hearing Research
- Cvejic et al. 2009. Unilateral and Bilateral Congenital Sensorineural Deafness in Client-Owned Pure-Breed White Cats. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
- Squires 1989 Oesophagael obstruction by a hairball in a cat. Journal of Small Animal Practice.
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