Necessary care for white cats

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 1 August 2021
Update Date: 1 December 2024
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A lot of people confuse white cats with albino cats. The truth is not every white cat is albino and there are some features that make it possible to differentiate them. The albino cat has a genetic alteration in which, after mutation, it has a white coat with two blue eyes or one eye of each color.

In this article by PeritoAnimal we present the necessary care with white cats, we will talk about the breeds in which they are common and their characteristics. Good reading.

Differences with the albino cat

Not all white cats are albino! This is the first thing we highlight to understand the differences between albinos and other white cats. THE the albino cat's coat is always white, but the white cat's coat may have patches of other colors. There are also total whites that are not albino.


The white cat may not have blue eyes or one of each color, as usually occurs in albino animals. But that's not a rule, just something that usually happens. On the other hand, the fur of white cats is not usually the pale pink hue as it always is with albinos. This can happen in some cases of felines that have an albino relative and we don't know it, but it is not a fixed characteristic as in albinos.

Albinism is a disorder caused by a genetic mutation, which affects the levels of melanin in the skin, fur and eyes. And this happens when both parents of the kitten carry the recessive gene. The main characteristic of these cats is an immaculate white coat, with blue eyes and pink fur, including the nose, eyelids, ears and pillows. In addition, cats with albinism are prone to deafness, blindness, and are sensitive to prolonged, intense exposure to the sun, as we'll detail further in this article.


The coat of white cats

As with the black cat, the white cat hides a great mystery, as most geneticists don't consider white to be a real color. What could be said is that it is a gene W that hides not only the cat's actual color, but also its possible stains. In excessively white cats, this gene is abundant, unlike the S gene, which is responsible for the colors in our felines.

For kittens in a litter to be born white, one parent must be white. This particular gene is known among geneticists as epistemic people, as it hides any color that may appear on the feline. In some kittens, a gray or reddish spot may appear on the head which, as they grow, disappears.


In this other article you will get to know the breeds of orange cats.

the white cat's eyes

Another difference that must be taken into account between white and albino cats is that white cats may have eyes of virtually any color: blue, green, yellow, yellow, gray, etc.

Albino cats, as we said in the introduction, only have blue or bicolor eyes, that is, one eye of each color. In this sense, within the necessary care with a white cat, if its eyes are quite dark in color, we shouldn't worry. On the other hand, if they have light-toned eyes, as do albino cats, we should pay attention even to the types of light bulbs we have at home, as they don't support very bright lights.

Skin care for a white cat

We must pay close attention to the largest organ in the cat's body: the skin. There are albino cats that do not have pigmentation in their fur or skin. There are also white cats with no pigmentation in some areas of their body. In both cases, it is necessary to have special cares to avoid the appearance of pathologies like the one we will detail below.

Among all existing skin diseases, the actinic dermatitis is the most common. If the feline does not have pigments to protect its skin, it means that ultraviolet rays penetrate directly into it, which can cause actinic dermatitis or even cancer. Too much sun exposure on an albino cat's fur can lead to a deep and chronic sunburn, a. It occurs mainly in the ears, nose, feet and mouth.

Symptoms of actinic dermatitis in cats

Among the symptoms of this disease, we detect:

  • Constant itching and in different parts
  • blood in your extremities or inside your ears
  • Appearance of crusts on different parts of the body
  • Hair loss and/or areas with hair color changes due to vasodilation caused by inflammation of the area.

As a treatment there is nothing better than prevention. Avoid leaving the kitten exposed to the sun unprotected (there are sunscreens for cats) and especially during times with high temperatures.

This recommendation is also valid for felines with white nose and ears, or colored cats. Sunscreen may be for humans, but zinc oxide free. In any case, it is always good to consult a veterinarian.

Skin cancer in white cats

Squamous cell carcinoma, or simply skin cancer, is the most common complication in animals with actinic dermatitis that has not been treated in a timely manner. The most common places of occurrence are the ears, face and nose.

Such cancer is an ulceration and deformation of the skin and face. The disease can even continue advancing to the lungs, causing a lot of discouragement in the pet, and finally, its death if not treated in time.

We must pay attention to prevention and visit the veterinarian whenever we are in doubt about these issues. The sooner it is diagnosed the problem, the more chances of reversing the frame.

In this other article you can learn more about homeopathy for cats.

Are white cats deaf?

Both the white cat and the albino cat suffer from deafness constantly. Therefore, it is important that you take this condition into consideration before adopting it to take the best possible care of your furry companion.

THE most white cats with blue eyes are deaf. But there are several cases of animals with these characteristics that hear normally and, on the other hand, white cats with eyes of other colors that are also deaf.

The origin of this abnormality is not exactly known, but it is believed that it is associated with the nervous structures of hearing during its formation and with the lack of pigmentation in the hair.

Within the care of deaf cats that we must have, there is the control of their exits to external areas, because without hearing, they can be victims of other animals or even roadkill. That's why we don't recommend that they don't go out alone to avoid accidents.

We highlight that among the characteristics of deaf cats, they are very playful, affectionate, calmer than others and are less nervous than others.

In this other PeritoAnimal article we show you how to identify if a cat is deaf.

meaning of white cats

The fur of white cats is very striking, as it is accompanied by eyes whose colors stand out in the light colored coat; the same applies to those white cats with spots. Some people believe that the fur color of these cats may hide some meaning or omen, so what is the meaning of white cats?

Thanks to their immaculate coat, white cats are related to purity, calm and relaxation, as the bright color conveys peace and, for the same reason, they are related to spirit world. Also, in some places they are considered animals that bring good fortune to business.

Despite this, it is important to emphasize that we should not adopt a cat because we believe its coat color means, but because we are. truly prepared to care of an animal and share life with it.

white cat breeds

Some breeds of white cats stand out precisely because of the coloring of their eyes. By having a white coat, these characteristics stand out much more, and then we show the breeds of white cats with blue eyes:

  • Selkirk rex cat
  • Exotic shorthair cat
  • American Wirehair Cat
  • Turkish Angora
  • Kurilean shorthair

Cat breeds white with black

There are many breeds of white and black cats, as this is a very common combination in these animals. However, here are two of the most representative ones:

  • devon rex cat
  • manx cat

White cat breeds with green eyes

Just as we find white cats with blue eyes, there are white cats with green eyes and even yellow eyes. In fact, it is quite common to find the Turkish Angora with yellow eyes.

  • siberian cat
  • Peterbald cat
  • Norwegian Forest Cat
  • common european cat

Shorthair white cat breeds

The short coat requires less care than the long coat, however it is necessary to brush it weekly to keep it in perfect condition. That said, let's take a look at the short-haired white cat breeds:

  • British Shorthair Cat
  • Cornish rex cat
  • Shpynx cat
  • Japanese bobtail cat

White and Gray Cat Breeds

If you love the combination of gray and white, don't miss the white and gray cat breeds!

  • German rex cat
  • Balinese cat
  • British longhair cat
  • Turkish Van Cat
  • ragdoll cat

Now that you are familiar with the white cat breeds, you might be interested in the following video with the most popular cat breeds in the world:

If you want to read more articles similar to Necessary care for white cats, we recommend that you enter our Basic Care section.