Caring for an albino cat

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 7 August 2021
Update Date: 1 November 2024
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How To Take Care Of Cats | The Difference Between an Albino Cat and a White Cat
Video: How To Take Care Of Cats | The Difference Between an Albino Cat and a White Cat

Content

Albinism is a congenital disease in which we observe a partial or complete absence of pigmentation in the skin, eyes, hair or, in the case of animals, in the fur. This genetic disorder happens due to a defect in the production of melanin, responsible for the color in our body. Cats can also be affected by albinism.

It is important to understand that an albino cat requires special care due to the characteristics of this condition, as it may suffer related problems such as deafness, blindness, cancer or redness of the eyes.

Therefore, keep reading PeritoAnimal to learn more about the care for an albino cat. We'll also talk about differentiating a white cat from an albino cat and give you the best tips to promote your feline companion's health and well-being!


Albino cat or white cat?

Not all white cats are albino, but all albino cats are white cats.

How to differentiate an albino cat from a white cat?

Albinism in cats, in addition to a pure white coat with a total absence of patches of another color, also manifests in the eyes which are usually both blue, or bicolor (one of each color). Another relevant feature is the tone of the epidermis which, in albino cats, has a rosy tone, which also appears on their muzzle, eyelids, lips, ears and pillows.

If a cat has completely white fur, but its skin tone is grayish-white, its nose is dark and its eyes are green or other colors (including blue), it will mean the cat is not albino despite being white.

Albinism-related diseases

the albino cat have a predisposition to some diseases. Below, we will present some of them.


Deafness in albino cats

The albino cat has a tendency to suffer partial or total deafness, caused by the alteration of the autosomal W gene. Many other albino animals have this same deficiency. In the past, albino animals were considered to have some form of mental retardation, but this is not true. Obviously, the fact of being deaf causes difficulties for the cat to understand, but does not affect your intelligence.

Deafness in the albino cat is the result of an irreversible malformation of the inner ear. Deafness can be total or partial, as mentioned above. There are even albino cats that are not deaf. Deafness is detected when the cat is a kitten because he doesn't answer calls by name. We must learn to communicate effectively with them.


If you suspect your cat is deaf, it's important to review the care of deaf cats to help them communicate and live without that sense.

As with the deaf, good communication with deaf albino cats is possible. This communication is done through gestures, which the cat learns to discern with a little training. It also includes the facial gestures of our face.

deaf albino cats are sensitive to vibrations, for this reason, they understand when a door closes, or the approach of our steps. It is very dangerous for deaf cats to go out on their own, as the risk of being run over is very high.

The epidermis of the albino cat

Albino cats have a great sensitivity of their epidermis to the action of the sun's rays. This means that we must protect them from direct sun exposure between noon and 5 pm. your dermis can suffer severe burns, or develop skin cancer. Statistically, there are more cases of this disease among albino cats than among other more common cats.

It is imperative that the veterinarian prescribe some cream or sunscreen, non-toxic, to apply to the albino cat on your nose. We must take care of him by controlling his exposure to the sun.

We haven't done a specific article on sunscreen for cats yet, but we have this one on sunscreen for dogs that might be useful.

The blindness and eye care of the albino cat

Albino cats cannot tolerate very bright light. There are extreme cases of albinism where the whites of the cat's eyes are pink, or even reddish. However, at night they see even better than other cats. Albinism is a lack of melanin in the cat's body.

If you suspect that your cat may be suffering from blindness, it is very important to visit a veterinarian as soon as possible so they can offer you the most appropriate advice for your case. In addition, you can also read our article on how to care for a blind cat.

Another issue that we highlight is that it is common for albino cats to present squint (cross-eyed cat) or even nystagmus, which is when there is an involuntary movement of the eyeball.

Tips on how to care for an albino cat

Here we summarize and add some more tips that can further improve your relationship with your albino cat and that are mainly aimed at providing him well-being and quality of life.

  • For prove that your white cat is an albino cat, take him to the vet. There he will be able to do a genetic analysis and prove the feline's condition.
  • Make one kitten hearing test. Knowing whether he is deaf or not changes the way you deal with him. Remember, a deaf cat should not go outside freely as it can be run over or attacked by another animal without even noticing its arrival.
  • Usually albino cats live less than healthy cats. That's why we recommend neutering the feline, even to avoid propagating its genetics.
  • some albino cats avoid walking or playing due to sensitivity of their vision and so they may become more sad and dejected. Therefore, offering a good environmental enrichment through games and always using brightly colored toys that emit sounds are extremely important
  • always remember watch your sun exposure. Prolonged exposure can cause serious health problems in an albino cat.
  • If you have any questions, there is no need to contact a veterinarian.
  • offer much love to him and surely you will have a very happy life together!

Now that you know all about albino cats, be sure to check out the following video where we talk about 10 most common diseases in cats:

If you want to read more articles similar to Caring for an albino cat, we recommend that you enter our Basic Care section.