Content
- Generic typology of white cats
- Details that indicate a relationship
- The relationship between hair and hearing loss
- Detect deafness in white cats
Completely white cats are tremendously attractive as they have an elegant and majestic fur, in addition to being very attractive as they have a very characteristic resplendent bearing.
You should know that white cats are susceptible to a genetic feature: deafness. Even so, not all white cats are deaf although they have a greater genetic predisposition, that is, more possibilities than the rest of the cats of this species.
In this article by Animal Expert we give you all the information to understand the reasons for deafness in white cats, explaining to you why it happens.
Generic typology of white cats
Getting a cat to be born with white fur is mainly due to genetic combinations, which we will detail in a summarized and simple way:
- Albino cats (red eyes due to gene C or blue eyes due to gene K)
- Fully or partially white cats (due to the S gene)
- All white cats (due to the dominant W gene).
We find in this last group those who are white in color due to the dominant W gene, and who are also the most likely to suffer from deafness. It is interesting to note that this cat in concrete could have a wide range of colors, however, it only has the white color that camouflages the presence of the others.
Details that indicate a relationship
White cats have another feature to highlight since this fur gives them the possibility of having eyes of any color, something possible in felines:
- blue
- yellow
- red
- black
- green
- brown
- one of each color
The color of the cat's eyes will be determined by the maternal cells that are found in the layer that surrounds the eye called tapetum lucidum. The composition of these cells with those of the retina will determine the color of the cat's eyes.
Exist a relationship between deafness and blue eyess since normally cats with the dominant W gene (which can be the cause of deafness) are shared by those with eyes that color. However, we cannot say that this rule is always complied with in all cases.
As a curiosity we can highlight that deaf white cats with eyes of different colors (for example green and blue) usually develop deafness in the ear where the blue eye is located. Is it by chance?
The relationship between hair and hearing loss
To correctly explain why this phenomenon occurs in blue-eyed white cats we should go into genetic theories. Instead, we will try to explain this relationship in a simple and dynamic way.
When the cat is in the mother's uterus, cell division begins to develop and that's when melanoblasts appear, responsible for determining the color of the future cat's fur. The W gene is dominant, for this reason the melanoblasts do not expand, leaving the cat lacking pigmentation.
On the other hand, in cell division it is when genes act by determining the color of the eyes that due to the same lack of melanoblasts, even though only one and two eyes turn out to be blue.
Finally, we notice the ear, which in the absence or deficiency of melanocytes suffers from deafness. It is for this reason that we can relate somehow the genetic and external factors with health problems.
Detect deafness in white cats
As we mentioned earlier, not all white cats with blue eyes are prone to be deaf, nor can we rely solely on these physical characteristics to say so.
detecting deafness in white cats is complicated since the cat is an animal that adapts easily to deafness, enhancing other senses (such as touch) to perceive sounds in a different way (vibrations for example).
To effectively determine deafness in boys, it will be essential to call the veterinarian for take a BAER test (brainstem auditory evoked response) with which we can confirm whether our cat is deaf or not, regardless of the color of its fur or eyes.
