White Cats: Deafness, Odd Eyes and Sun Care

What makes a cat white?

Three different things can produce a white cat, and they are not the same:

Sources: David et al. 2014 for both KIT variants; Imes et al. 2006 for albinism.

Dominant white. A 2014 study in the journal G3 by David and colleagues found that dominant white comes from a fragment of an old retrovirus inserted into a gene called KIT, which guides pigment cells as they spread through the developing body. The study says dominant white has complete penetrance for an unpigmented coat, meaning every cat that carries it is white, whatever other colour genes it has, but only incomplete penetrance for deafness and blue eyes. That is why white cats vary: some have blue eyes, some gold, some one of each; some are deaf and most are not. Cats with two copies were more likely than cats with one copy to have blue eyes and to be deaf.

Because it is dominant, a white cat with one copy passes it to about half its kittens. Two white parents that each carry one copy can, by simple Mendelian arithmetic, have coloured kittens about a quarter of the time. The colour was always there in the genes; dominant white just stopped it showing.

White spotting. A longer version of the same KIT insertion gives patches of white instead: the white on a tuxedo, a calico or a mostly white “van.” A cat with a lot of white spotting can look almost white, so a shelter listing that says “white” may mean either. Look for a coloured patch on the head or tail.

Albino. True albinism is a different gene. Imes and colleagues (2006) linked it to a mutation in tyrosinase (TYR), the same gene behind the Siamese and Burmese colour patterns, in a pedigree of Oriental and Colourpoint Shorthair cats; the albino cats in that study had blue eyes. It is rare, so a white cat in rescue is almost certainly dominant white or heavily white-spotted, not albino.

Are white cats deaf?

Some are, and far more often than coloured cats, but most white cats hear normally. The best numbers come from studies that tested hearing with a brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER), which measures the hearing nerve's response to clicks and picks up deafness in one ear as well as both.

Deaf means deaf in one or both ears. Sources: Mari, Freeman, Van Dijk and De Risio (2019), client-owned purebred white kittens aged 6 to 21 weeks; Cvejic, Steinberg, Kent and Fischer (2009), client-owned purebred white cats presented for pre-breeding hearing tests (eye colour was recorded for 55 of the 84; eye-colour figures as reported in the 2019 paper); Cornell Feline Health Center, which cites researchers without naming the population.

What the numbers say, in plain terms:

• White matters, not just blue. In the UK study, deafness was found only in the solid white kittens; none of their 61 coloured littermates were deaf.
• Blue eyes raise the odds. White kittens with at least one blue eye were 3.2 times more likely to be deaf than white kittens without. International Cat Care puts it as three to five times the risk for two blue eyes and about twice for one.
• One ear is as common as two. Both hearing-tested studies found unilateral deafness about as often as bilateral. A cat deaf in one ear can seem completely normal.
• Breed may matter. In the UK study, deafness in white kittens ranged from 46.7% of Turkish Vankedisi and around 44% of Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest Cats to 8.3% of Persians and 4.8% of Russians. The authors call those breed numbers small and ask for cautious reading.
• Older figures run higher. The 2019 authors note that early studies of crossbred white cats in research colonies found 50% to 96% deaf. Those colonies were bred differently from pet cats, which is why the client-owned studies are the better guide for a pet.

Why it happens. Pigment cells do more than colour fur. The 2019 paper explains that melanocytes in part of the inner ear called the stria vascularis keep up the high potassium level the hearing cells need. The David paper, citing earlier work, notes that the inner ears of white kittens look normal at birth and show degenerative changes within the first week of life. The deafness is congenital, and Cornell and International Cat Care both say there is no treatment for it.

What about odd-eyed white cats?

An odd-eyed cat has one blue eye and one of another colour. Blue in a cat's eye means little or no pigment in the iris. The David study describes dominant white as having incomplete penetrance for iris hypopigmentation, which is why a white cat may have two blue eyes, one, or none. Cat registries treat odd eyes as a white-cat feature. The Coordinating Cat Council of Australia Turkish Angora standard lists odd-eyed, with one blue eye and the other green, green-gold or amber, among acceptable eye colours, and notes that blue or odd eyes are only allowed for white cats or cats with white; the same note appears in its Sphynx standard.

Hearing: in the 2019 UK study, 44.4% of white kittens with one blue eye were deaf in at least one ear. The Cornell Feline Health Center adds a striking detail: if a white cat with one blue eye is deaf in only one ear, that ear is invariably on the same side as the blue eye. The 2019 UK study did not fully bear that out: of the 4 odd-eyed kittens deaf in one ear, the deaf side matched the blue eye in 2. Cornell also says blue-eyed white cats are not more prone to blindness than other cats; that is a myth, probably a mix-up with deafness.

How do you know if a white cat is deaf?

International Cat Care lists the signs owners notice:

• being easily startled, because the cat does not hear people approach;
• not responding when you call or speak;
• having no fear of loud noises;
• sleeping very deeply and not waking with noise.

Those signs catch a cat deaf in both ears. A cat deaf in one ear may show nothing at all. The reliable answer is a BAER test, which International Cat Care describes as simple and non-invasive and says is done at veterinary specialist centres; your vet can refer you. The 2019 paper notes the BAER response is fully mature by about 20 days of age, and its kittens were tested from six weeks. International Cat Care says many breeds now insist on white cats being checked for deafness to avoid breeding from affected cats. If you adopt a white cat from rescue, ask whether its hearing has been checked.

What is it like living with a deaf cat?

Usually much like living with any cat, with a few changes. International Cat Care says there is no reason a deaf cat cannot enjoy a long, happy and healthy life. The Cat Protection Society of NSW factsheet on living with a deaf cat, and the Cornell Feline Health Center, give the practical rules:

• Indoors, or a secure enclosure. Cat Protection says deaf cats should be indoor-only because they cannot hear danger approaching. Cornell names roaming dogs and speeding cars.
• Let the cat see you first. Approach from the front, step so the floor vibrates, and switch on a light if it is dark. International Cat Care suggests heavy footsteps or a clap as you approach.
• Use light and hand signals. Cat Protection suggests pairing a signal with a routine, such as flicking a light twice at feeding time, and consistent hand signals in place of words.
• Consider a hearing friend. Cat Protection suggests a second cat that can hear, or adopting a bonded pair who already know each other, because the hearing cat can teach routines.
• Mind the sun too. Cat Protection reminds owners that deaf cats are commonly white, so skin cancer risk applies; indoor living helps both.

Deaf cats are often misread as nervous or grumpy because they startle, Cat Protection says. Give a newly adopted deaf cat time, and you may find the opposite. Bonded pairs are listed on the bonded pairs page for Sydney and the other city pages.

Do white cats need sun protection in Australia?

Yes. This is the main care point for a white cat here. The Cat Protection Society of NSW says cats with light-coloured fur on the nose or ears are more susceptible to sunburn, and that white cats are the most susceptible to skin cancer. RSPCA South Australia says squamous cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer in white cats, usually on the ears, nose and eyelids where hair is thin, and can be painful, disfiguring and fatal if left untreated.

• Keep them in during the strong sun. Cat Protection advises keeping white cats inside all the time, or at least during the hottest part of the day (11am to 4pm). An enclosed run with shade is a good middle path.
• No human sunscreen. Cat Protection says it is toxic to cats. Ask your vet about a cat-safe product if your cat goes outside.
• Check the ears and nose. Cat Protection lists reddening, flaky skin, sores, hair loss, over-grooming and black discolouration at the ear tips as signs to show a vet. Early detection matters, RSPCA SA says.

Indoor living suits a white cat on both counts, deafness and sun. See the indoor cats pages below, and our hairless cat breeds guide for the other cats that need shade.

Do white cats have a different personality?

There is no good evidence that they do. In a 2012 survey of 189 people by Delgado and colleagues, reported by UC Berkeley, white cats were among the colours rated more aloof; participants rated colour groups rather than particular cats, so the study measured expectations. The lead author warned that such beliefs could affect which cats get adopted.

That may show in shelters. Miller, Ward and Beatty (2019, University of Sydney) analysed 2,584 cats adopted from a metropolitan Sydney shelter between 2016 and 2019 and found white cats stayed longer before adoption than black cats; no other colour differed significantly from black. Elsewhere the picture differs: a Kentucky study of 7,983 cats found an adoption rate of 18.8% for white cats against 10.0% for black. One reading of the Sydney result is that a white cat in a Sydney shelter may wait a little longer than its personality deserves. A deaf white cat that startles easily can be misread too, as above.

Which cat breeds come in white?

White is a colour, not a breed, and it appears in many pedigree breeds; the CCCA Sphynx and Turkish Angora standards, for example, both make rules for white cats' eyes. One breed recognised in Australia is defined by it: the Foreign White, which has a standard at the CCCA, the Australian Cat Federation and ANCATS. ANCATS says it began in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s, when a white cat mated with a Siamese, and the CCCA standard describes a medium-sized, svelte cat with a wedge-shaped head and clear, deep, brilliant blue eyes, in shorthair and longhair forms.

In rescue, almost every white cat is a Domestic Shorthair or Domestic Longhair, an ordinary moggy with no registered breed. Our Domestic Shorthair guide explains the label, and moggy colours and patterns covers the rest of the range, including black, ginger and tabby cats.

How do you adopt a white cat?

Through rescue, the same way as any cat. Fees go by age and rescue, not colour. RSPCA NSW lists $220 for a cat over six months and $270 for a kitten, and the Cat Protection Society of NSW lists $150 per cat or kitten, or $250 for two (both checked 10 November 2026). These are reference figures, not quotes; check the rescue's own page.

Questions worth asking about a white cat: Has its hearing been checked, or does the carer think it is deaf? Is it used to living indoors? Any sun damage on the ears or nose? Does it have a bonded friend? A deaf cat is sometimes listed on a special-needs page, and the right home for one is a calm indoor household that is happy to learn a few hand signals. For the wider decisions, see adopting a cat in Australia, male or female cat, the cost of owning a cat, and the what cat breed am I quiz.

Find a white cat near you

These pages list white cats from local rescues, refreshed regularly. Each listing links straight to the rescue, where you apply.

• Sydney: white cats, special-needs cats, indoor cats
• Melbourne: white cats, special-needs cats, indoor cats
• Brisbane: white cats, special-needs cats, indoor cats
• Perth: white cats, special-needs cats, indoor cats
• Adelaide: white cats, special-needs cats, indoor cats
• Australia-wide: all white cats, cream cats and tuxedo cats

Not sure yet? The adoption readiness check takes five minutes, and the dog or cat? quiz helps if you are still deciding on the species.