Mary Allen
Elegant, calm, lazy, shy – white cats are said to have a number of special features. We take a look at the secret of white house tigers and what makes them so special.
Every cat owner who spends his life with a white cat knows about their peculiarities and little quirks. White cats look particularly elegant with their snow-white robes. Read here what else you should definitely know about white cats.
White Cats Are Not Albinos
Genetically, a cat can only be black or red. All other colors result from the combination of these two colors. In white cats, these two color pigments are suppressed by the W allele, so the cat’s coat appears white. White kittens often have a small patch of color between the ears that reveals their actual genetic color.
As a rule, the fur of white cats has nothing to do with albinism. True albino cats have no color pigments whatsoever due to a genetic defect. As a result, they also have red or pale blue eyes. Albinos are excluded from breeding.
White Cats Are Often Deaf
In combination with blue eyes, white cats are often deaf. A genetic defect in the W gene is to blame. Studies have shown that 60 to 80 percent of all cats with white fur and blue eyes are blind. Mating with a white parent should only be attempted after a thorough health screening. In Germany, two pure white cats may not be mated.
White Cats Are Said To Be Shy, Lazy, And Calm
A study from America wants to have proven that white cats tend to be shyer than their peers. They should also be calmer and tend to be a bit lazy. White cats are also said to be the least aggressive of their kind. As part of the study, 1,200 cat owners had to answer various questions about the typical character and behavioral traits of their cats.
Many Pedigree Cats Can Have White Fur
White coat color also occurs in many pedigree cats. For example, there are also European Shorthair, Persian, Maine Coon, British Shorthair, and Norwegian Forest cats with snow-white fur. The color is also not decisive for the coat length. There are both shorthair and longhair cats with white fur.
White Cats Have Good Adoption Chances
White cats waiting for a new owner at the shelter have a good chance of finding a new place again. Their black counterparts, on the other hand, have a particularly difficult time.
White Cats Are Said To Bring Good Luck
White cats have long represented purity and confidence. They are also said to bring good luck. However, cat lovers know that regardless of whether the cat is white, black, red, or tabby, life with a cat is always enriching.
White Cats Are Particularly Prone To Sunburn
Like very fair-skinned humans, white cats can easily get sunburned when overexposed to UV rays. Many white cats have pink ears and noses, which are also particularly prone to sunburn. For this reason, white cats are more likely to develop skin tumors than their opposite-colored counterparts.
Famous White Cats
White fur also distinguishes some famous cats. This includes:
- Hello Kitty, a fictional Japanese character
- Duchess, the cat lady from Aristocats
- Simon’s Cat, the white tomcat from Simon Tofield’s illustrations
White Cat Hair is Particularly Telltale
Anyone who lives with a white cat will quickly understand one thing: either they only wear light-colored clothes or they simply accept that they go through life with white cat hair on their clothes.
A White Cat is Always Clean
White cats are just as clean as their non-white counterparts. They also devote a lot of time to grooming. So it’s an absolute old wives’ tale that white cats often look dirty, as it’s easier to see dirt on the light-colored fur.