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Ask Elizabeth: White Cats and

Blindness/Deafness

Suggested Articles
Aural Hematoma

Deafness

Ear Mites

Feline Ear Disorders

Otitis

Feline Vision Problems: A Host of Possible Causes

Sudden Blindness

Q: I have been told by many people that all-white, blue-

eyed cats will usually go blind at an early age. As the owner
of a wonderful blue-eyed, white cat (seven years old), I am
concerned. Is there any truth to this, or is it an old wives'
tale? (I hope it is.)

A: Blue-eyed, white cats are not more prone to blindness -

either hereditary or acquired - than other cats. Your friends
may be confusing blindness with deafness: here, the
situation is completely different. Hereditary deafness is a
major concern in white cats, and even more so if one or
both irises are blue in color.

Researchers found that only 17 to 22 percent of white cats

with non-blue eyes are born deaf. The percentage rises to
40 percent if the cat has one blue eye, while upwards of 65
to 85 percent of all-white cats with both eyes blue are deaf.
Some of these cats are deaf in only one ear. Interestingly, if
a white cat with one blue eye is deaf in only one ear, that
ear will invariably be on the same side of the head as the
blue eye.

Cats with just one deaf ear may appear perfectly normal,
and their problem may never become known to their
human companions. Even cats that are totally deaf from
birth can make perfectly satisfactory companions as long as
a few precautions are heeded. Try to keep them out of
situations where their safety depends upon their ability to
pick up auditory cues. Don't let them go outside where they
can be killed or injured by threats they cannot hear, like
from roaming dogs and speeding cars. There is no
treatment for hereditary deafness.

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