Why do white cats make bad mothers?

White cats can be challenged in being good moms but compensate in using other senses if they are congenitally deaf

I think the question in the title is a little harsh and it needs to be discussed. Not all white cats make bad mothers. In fact, it might be argued that white cats don’t make bad mothers despite the fact that if the mother is completely white with blue eyes, they have a 60%-80% …

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White domestic cats often make bad mothers

Deaf white cats

The title sounds unfair and biased but it isn’t as it is based in biological fact. The prevalence of deafness in pure white domestic cats varies depending on whether they have two blue eyes (the highest proportion of deaf cats), odd-eye colour or non-blue eyes (least likely to be deaf in both ears). Where …

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Why do white cats get eye boogers, sunburned and white hair?

Jacqueline Fernandez with her white flat-faced Persian with tear duct overflow causing staining

There are three questions in the title. I will answer them in reverse order! Why do white cats have white fur? Cats which are completely white have a gene in their genetic makeup which is called the dominant white gene. It stops the development of cells in the skin that produce pigment. These cells …

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All-white, blue-eyed cats will usually go blind at an early age. True or false?

Male white British Longhair cat bred in Russia by the Golden Leris cattery

FALSE! All-white cats are prone to being deaf but not blind. It is inherited deafness. This seems to be due to the multiple effect of the dominant white (DW) gene which removes colour from the coat and eyes and causes deafness through a degeneration of the inner ear. An alternative reason: I have read …

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Why are domestic cats white?

Deaf Fabulous White Maine Coon Show Cat

The question effectively asks why cats are white all over. It is because they have a dominant gene symbolised by the letter W which removes pigment from the hair strands. It does this by removing the pigment creating cells in the skin. These are called melanocytes. Genes are on chromosomes and chromosomes are in …

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Do white cats have a shorter life span?

Mikey a deaf white cat

There is no direct reason why white cats should have shorter lifespan. Although white cats can be deaf and have odd-eye color. The deafness makes the white cat more vulnerable outside. However, I am sure nearly all owners of deaf, white cats keep them inside. Therefore I’d argue that there is no reason why white cats should have a shorter lifespan than average.

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