This is an interesting Helmi Flick studio photograph of two white cats. The central cat, a male named “Monk”, does not have blue eyes. He might not be deaf. He has a 19% chance of being deaf. Up to 85% of white cats are deaf in both ears if both eyes are blue. The gene that makes a cat’s fur white also makes the eyes blue (and can affect hearing). Both lack pigmentation.
As I understand it, this photograph is photoshopped (edited on a computer) although you would have no idea that it was. Monk appears to be pushing another white cat who is female off the studio table. Her name is “Natalie”. They are siblings – littermates.
Helmi framed the picture quite tightly and Natalie was not completely in the frame when the photo was taken – part of her was cut off and out of the picture but the photo had potential from the point of view of composition and impact.
What Helmi did was to add whiskers and part of her chin from outtakes to complete Natalie’s image. That means adding material or parts of other photographs to this one.
The cats are moggies and they are polydactyl – extra toes – although you can’t tell from the photograph. They are handsome cats. The biggest problem with all white cats is deafness. Monk is shorthaired and Natalie is longhaired but the difference is not pronounced in this instance.
The photo is published with the express permission of Helmi Flick.
Hi Caroline
There is also a critique tailored more specifically to the “Turkish Angora” The phylogenetic tree is very interesting as is is derived from Leslie Lyons’ own unrooted tree cunningly tucked away in the Tufts Canine and Feline Conference paper. It contradicts her claims in the 2012 Study so she would’t want cat breeders to see it, would she?
http://www.messybeast.com/angora-debate.htm