THE TRUTH ABOUT WHITE CATS:

 The surprisingly common misconception about white cats is that they all are deaf. This is rarely true as there are a combination of genetic factors that contribute to deafness.

There are three kinds of white cat – albinos which have an absence of colour and do not carry a deafness gene,  “dominant white” and foreign white. Dominant white means that their white coat is an actual solid colour, not that the cats are dominant themselves. For a white cat to be deaf they must have the “dominant white” coat colour and two blue eyes and even then if they do not carry the particular gene that causes deafness, they will not be deaf. Odd eyed white cats may be deaf on the blue eyed side, but this is also very rare. Foreign whites are a self-colour Siamese type. These cats are never deaf due to the fact that their blue eyes come from the Siamese blue eyed gene.

• 95% of the general cat population are non-white cats, and congenital deafness is extremely rare in non-white cats.

• Only 5% of the general cat population are pure white. Of this 5% figure, an average of only 30% of these have one or two blue-eyes.

• Deaf white cats with one or two blue eyes only account for an average of 0.75% of the total cat population.

We have had a number of white cats in our care over the years and whether they have been odd eyed, blue eyed, green eyed or otherwise, none of them have been deaf. All the cats who come into our care receive a thorough examination and any issues with hearing or sight, or indeed any other health issue are always checked out.

We are always transparent about the health, dietary or behavioural issues of our cats so anyone offering a home to one or more them can be confident that they have been fully informed. It is important to note that even if a white cat is in fact deaf, this does not mean that they can’t be homed. They can live perfectly happy and healthy lives in safe, indoor only homes. If you would like to give a home to one of these beautiful and rare creatures, please keep an eye on our adoption pages, as we do occasionally have white cats in our care.

WHITE CATS & SUN-CARE

Believe it or not, if you have a white cat or a cat with white extremities, especially the ears, your cat needs some protection whilst he or she is basking and playing in the sun.  We have had a number of cats in our care with early and advanced stages of skin cancer which can be avoided by simply applying a high SPF cream to your cats’ ears and nose such as SPF 30 or 50.

This may seem an extreme or even an odd thing to do, but as you can see by this picture of Alaska, the only way to halt the cancer, if indeed it is possible to do so, is to remove the cats’ ears. This lovely puss came into our care in a very poor condition, but after his operation and our care and attention, he was able to experience health and happiness in a loving home.

Please treat your white eared cat in the same way that you would treat a young child or anyone with fair skin. Apply a high sun protection factor cream before he or she goes out and the chances of them contracting skin cancer will be greatly reduced.

Gently rub the cream into the part of the ears that stands up, both  inside and out. Also apply to the nose, particularly if the fur is thin here, taking care to avoid blocking the nostrils. Once the cream is rubbed in, your cat won’t be able to simply lick it off so he/she will be protected for 4 to 8 hours depending on the strength of the sun.   A simple procedure, but one which will help to protect your cat from potential serious illness and you from expensive vet bills and emotional upset.