Which Cats Have Blue Eyes?
1. Let’s Talk About Cat Breeds With Blue Eyes – If you want a blue-eyed, purebred cat, look for breeds with seal-point coloring, which is genetically tied to blue eyes. Cat breeds with blue eyes include the Siamese, Balinese, Himalayan, Persian, Birman and Javanese, 
Odd-eyed white cats – those with one blue eye and one non-blue eye — might be deaf on the side with the blue eye. Photography by Belinda Pretorius / Shutterstock.
Is it rare for a cat to have blue eyes?
9 gorgeous cat breeds with blue eyes Blue eyes in cats are usually caused by an absence of pigment. All kittens have blue eyes when they are born as the development of eye pigmentation doesn’t happen until the kittens reach around six weeks old, when the production of melanin finally kicks in.
Some cats will carry their blue eyes on into adulthood. For pure breeds with blue eyes, particularly pointed breeds, this is due to a recessive albinism gene. For other cats, it is due to an extra gene that also acts to block the coat colour. This means that blue-eyed moggies don’t just have beautiful sapphire coloured eyes, they will also be white.
Blue eyes are actually quite rare in adult cats, so it’s a treat to see them! If you’re a fan of beautiful blue eyes, then you may be wondering what kind of cats have blue eyes? Well look no further! Check out our list of the most beautiful blue-eyed cat breeds!
Can all cats have blue eyes?
It’s not just the fur or the purr that cats use to hold us spellbound: It’s those eyes. Whether they are blue, green, gold, copper or some variation of those shades, a cat’s eyes are one of his most beautiful features. Here’s how they come to be that way.
Eye color is genetically linked to coat color. Kittens are born with blue eyes, which may stay that way or change color as the kitten matures. For instance, all pointed cats have blue eyes. Cats who are solid white or mostly white may have blue, green, gold or copper eyes. The most common eye colors range from greenish-yellow to gold.
You may have heard that white cats are always deaf. Not necessarily. Some are, and some aren’t. White cats with blue eyes are more likely to be deaf, however, than white cats with gold or green eyes. Deafness is associated only with the dominant white gene, not the white spotting gene, says feline geneticist Leslie A.
- Lyons. “There’s a high association of dominant white with deafness and dominant white with blue eyes, and if you are dominant white with blue eyes, you’re more likely to be deaf.” Between 10 and 20 percent of white cats with eyes of other colors may be deaf.
- White cats with only one blue eye may be deaf only in the ear that’s on the same side as the blue eye.
Eyes with the brilliant copper of a shiny new penny or the bright green of an emerald usually are the result of selective breeding, but genes don’t discriminate. Those eye colors can appear in cats without a pedigree as well. Pedigreed cats noted for their distinctive eye color include the Burmese, with large, round gold eyes; the Tonkinese, with sparkling aqua eyes; the Egyptian mau, with gooseberry green eyes; and the Russian blue, with vivid green eyes.
Some cats have “odd eyes,” meaning one eye is blue and one is green or gold. The scientific term for this is heterochromia, from the Greek words “hetero,” meaning “different,” and “chromia,” referring to color. The difference in color might not be noticeable in a kitten, but changes gradually as the kitten moves toward adulthood.
We usually see odd eyes in white cats or cats with the white spotting gene, such as bicolor and tuxedo cats. Breeds in which odd eyes are common include Turkish angoras and Turkish vans. A description of angoras stated that the eyes should be “as green as the lake and as blue as the sky.” Other breeds that may sport odd eyes are Persian, sphynx, Oriental shorthair and Japanese bobtail cats.
- Odd eyes occur when a dominant white gene (meaning it masks other colors) or a white spotting gene blocks the concentration and distribution of natural pigments within the iris tissues during development.
- It’s unusual to see odd eyes in cats who lack both the dominant white and the white spotting genes, but it can happen.
An unusual and attractive look is the dichromatic, or dichroic, eye, usually seen in white cats. That’s one with two colors in one iris. For instance, the eye might be half green and half blue or have a green iris encircled by yellow. One or both eyes can be dichromatic, sometimes with each eye mirroring the other.
What is the rarest eye color of a cat?
How Rare is Your Cat’s Eye Colour? – Pembina Valley Humane Society 
What colour are your cat’s eyes? There are many different cat eye colours, which is determined by the amount of melanin in their DNA, handed down form their mother and father. The colour or a cat’s eyes, like the colour of its coat, is often hereditary.
Have you heard the old wives’ tale that feeding a cat fish causes its eye colour to change? Well, that’s false! Kittens always have blue eyes, but the adult colour develops at about six to seven weeks. By the age of twelve weeks, a cat’s final eye colour will be fully developed. The most common eye colour for cats is yellow/amber, followed by hazel eyes.
Cats with blue eyes actually don’t have any melanin in their irises! Blue eyes are actually clear, but we see the blue colour due to light reflecting around the curved sides of their irises. Blue eyes are also more common in white cats. If your cat has orange eyes, there is a chance that it is a descendant of a breed developed by the British; they wanted an eye colour that could stand out in vivid relief against any coat colour.
Maine Coons can often have orange eyes. Copper is the darkest eye colour you’ll see in cats. Their eyes will be light brown with tones of red and orange. Sometimes there may be flecks of yellow, green, or orange. This is a rarer colour than some others, and while it’s distinguishable from orange, it’s just as unusual.
And then you get cats with two different coloured eyes, also known as heterochromia iridium, which refers to the fact that each iris is a different colour. This can be inherited, congenital (a genetic “mistake” as the cat’s embryo is developing), or the cause of an accident or injury.
The most rare eye colouring in a cat is dichromatic, where the eyes will have a combination of two distinct colours within both eyes. It’s caused by the cat having different levels of melanin in distinct sections of their irises. Sometimes, the eyes will have a distinct oval of one colour nearer the pupil, which then blends out into another colour.
Other times, the colours will be split into sections, so a quarter or half of the eye will be one colour, and the remaining section will be a different colour. Whatever eye colour your cat has, it’s absolutely perfect! It’s the combination of each cat’s eye colour, coat colour, and personality that makes us love them, no matter what! : How Rare is Your Cat’s Eye Colour? – Pembina Valley Humane Society
How do I find out what type of cat I have?
Using DNA Tests – To tell what breed your cat is with absolute certainty, you need a cat DNA test, These kits use your kitty’s DNA (obtained through a cheek swab) to decode his genetics and give you in-depth information on his lineage. There are a few different types of feline DNA tests on the market, including Basepaws and Optimal Selection by Wisdom Panel,
- But they aren’t cheap—tests can cost anywhere between $100 to $500.
- You can also ask your vet about in-office blood tests to determine your cat’s DNA.
- But if your budget doesn’t have room for feline genetics, Radosta has some advice: “Relax! Your cat is who he is regardless of breed,” she says.
- A certain breed doesn’t make him special.
A mixed breed cat is just as special as a purebred cat. Focus more on what your cat does, how you interact with your cat, and whether or not you are actively seeking out ways to meet your cat’s needs,”
Are blue eyes a mutation in cats?
Click here for Price and Turnaround Time Phenotype: The albino mutation produces a white coat with blue eyes. Mode of Inheritance: Autosomal recessive Alleles: N = Normal/non-albino, A = Albino Breeds appropriate for testing: Tonkinese, Siamese, blue-eyed white cats of other breeds Explanation of Results:
Cats with N/N genoytpe will not be albino and cannot transmit this albino variant to their offspring. Cats with A/N genotype will not be albino, but are carriers. They will transmit this albino variant to 50% of their offspring. Matings between two carriers are predicted to produce 25% albino kittens. Cats with A/A genotype will be albino, and will transmit this albino variant to all of their offspring. Matings between two A/A genotype cats are predicted to produce all albino kittens.
References Imes, D.L., Geary, L.A., Grahn, R.A., & Lyons, L.A. (2006). Albinism in the domestic cat (Felis catus) is associated with a tyrosinase (TYR) mutation. Animal Genetics, 37 (2), 175-178. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2052.2005.01409.x
Are all white haired blue eyed cats deaf?
How Do Genes Play a Role? – Genes make up who we are, and the same is true for animals. Just as human genes may influence what color hair we have or how athletic we are, a cat’s genes can determine its appearance and possible inherent traits, like deafness.
- It turns out that there is a strong link between the genes that create a white coat and blue eyes with deafness in cats.
- Geneticists and cat breeders have long been fascinated with the connection between deafness and cats with white fur and blue eyes.
- Scientists have determined that one dominant gene, called W (for White), creates the snow-white coat coloration.
This gene is also responsible for creating blue eyes and deafness. If a cat carries the W gene, it will have a white coat with 100% certainty. However, if the cat carries the W gene, it may also have an equal likeliness for both deafness and blue eyes.