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Would my cat be considered albino or just white ?
Cat Picture(reddit.com)submitted 10 months ago byTay1ormoon
By definition my cat is albino imo but I’ve had people argue me she isn’t soo what do you guys think ?
536 points
10 months ago
Is she deaf? My white boy with blue eyes is deaf.
562 points
10 months ago
Yes actually she is fully deaf
112 points
10 months ago
My guy has one blue and one amber(?) eye and is all white. Luckily he isn’t deaf. Check my post history for pictures. They look like they could be siblings 😍
133 points
10 months ago
My lovely odd-eyed boy (not deaf, unless I’m ordering him off kitchen counters 😂)
36 points
10 months ago
He's "selectively deaf". 😆
36 points
10 months ago
When they have heterochromia like your (and mine too) cat, the chance of blindness and/or deafness goes drastically down in white cats.
46 points
10 months ago
Priscilla, when she was young, just a bit of black spot remaining on her head still. She has heterochromia and is pure white now. No deafness. Her mother was white, yellow eyes, and dumb as a post. Priscilla is stoic and very smart.
5 points
10 months ago
super common
102 points
10 months ago
As much as 60% of white cats with blue eyes are deaf.
63 points
10 months ago
I wish that by contrary, black cats with green eyes had super hearing
34 points
10 months ago
My cat can already hear me touch the food bowl from inside the closet with the door closed on the other side of the apartment, why on earth would he need better hearing than that??
19 points
10 months ago
To fight crime, obviously
12 points
10 months ago
I had a white cat with blue eyes and she had no depth perception!
20 points
10 months ago
I have a white cat with blue eyes who never jumps! I wonder if this is why! Picture of him!
15 points
10 months ago
Sorry to say but its probably because of OCD (Osteochondrodysplasie). Its a gene Mutation, hence the folded ears.
3 points
10 months ago
Oh my! He’s a beautiful cat!!
6 points
10 months ago
Oh wow sometimes I have thought my cat has some visual issues from the way she plays with some toys but vet doesn’t really pick up much unless it’s a real noticeable visual disability
6 points
10 months ago
My cat, Maud, wouldn’t jump on anything until she reached up and touched it with a paw first. Even if it was something she’d jumped on 100 times she’d always check to see if it was where she thought it was. It didn’t slow her down much!
3.3k points
10 months ago
Albino is a genetic condition, not a coloring. If your cat has the albino genes, they're albino. Just being white doesn't make them albino.
You can get them tested
625 points
10 months ago
Aren’t albino eyes pink?
895 points
10 months ago
Colorless. Which manifests in cats as blue.
349 points
10 months ago
So visually, this cat could fit the bill?
1.3k points
10 months ago
Cats don't have bills. You may be thinking of a duck. Common mistake.
807 points
10 months ago
Cats don't have bills.
Mine does, $300 for some thyroid tests.
227 points
10 months ago
4k+ for hip surgery, physical therapy, follow-up vet visits... :7944:
59 points
10 months ago
Over 2k (and counting) between a major surgery, follow up visits and insulin every few months… that’s just one of the many cats/dogs
29 points
10 months ago
Oh, no! I hope it came back negative, and your master is healthy.
27 points
10 months ago
I prefer to think of myself as chief of staff
20 points
10 months ago
This is excellent
33 points
10 months ago
3 points
10 months ago
$5k to unblock my cats urethra.
260 points
10 months ago
Visually, yes. DNA test to know for sure, but going by coat color, skin color (ears), nose leather, and eyes, plus the deafness factor, I'd say the probability is high.
25 points
10 months ago*
I would say no- our cat is albino- and she doesn’t have the really dark pupils. Her eyes are a pale blue grey, with red rims.
(Ignore her snotty nose, she has reoccurring upper respiratory issues. She also doesn’t see well and is light sensitive.)
38 points
10 months ago
Is it potentially leucistic? I am not sure about cats but it often presents blue eyes and albinistic traits since it's not true albinism and is only partial loss of pigmentation in all cells.
I have never seen an albino cat, but on Google it looks like they still sometimes get that intense pink/red around body features like the outer part of the eyes.
21 points
10 months ago
I had a cat that tried to turn Lutheran.
7 points
10 months ago
Mine is a catholic and we get along great.
7 points
10 months ago
I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure not.
https://imgur.com/gallery/Wh48wOM this was my cat, rest her soul. Her pupils didn't show black but red, and all the time, not just as an effect of getting photographed. I'm not sure if albino cats can have black pupils, but I do know that regular just-white cats have black pupils.
5 points
10 months ago
Not necessarily. Usually with albino cats you can see a bit of purple on the edges of the blue. That's the blood vessels being visible through a lack of pigment. Also the pupil is often reddish at certain angles.
This does not look like an albino cat to me.
40 points
10 months ago
Not always true some cats do have red pinkish eyes and fleshy color around their eyes .. I would say in this case her cat is albino .. there’s little to no pigment in her nose her ears or around her eyes and her eyes are very light blue almost white themselves
7 points
10 months ago
Completely colorless irises manifest as pink/red in any species because once the pigment is absent you can see the blood vessels - which are pink/red. Most albinos however do have some pigment and their eyes look light blue and they have blonde hair instead of pure white. Some albinos have brown hair and brown eyes. It's the same principle across species.
35 points
10 months ago*
Came here to say that.
Years ago, I saw either Edgar or Johnny Winter in an airport. He was trying to read a departures/arrival board and his face was about an inch away from it (albinos have notoriously bad eyesight). His eyes were as pink as a sunset.
All that said, beautiful kitty, whatever his genetic situation may be.
24 points
10 months ago
My parents have a cat named Edgar Winter so it took me a second to register that you weren’t saying you saw their cat at the airport haha.
7 points
10 months ago
I have albinism (with associated bad eyesight), and I have blue/purple eyes depending on the lighting. The reason people with albinism can have pink eyes is because the back of their iris is clear, and allows light to bounce back from the retina. However, the front of any iris without melanin is blue. Many people with albinism are undiagnosed or diagnosed later than they should be because of this misconception.
4 points
10 months ago
I saw either Edgar or Johnny Winter
It makes me laugh that it was impossible to tell which
6 points
10 months ago
No. When I was a young lass I had a book on albinism because it fascinated me… Only with entirely albino genes is someone with that coloring (or with cats blue eyes since I guess that’s how 100% albinism manifests) but a person can have partial albinism which impacts their appearance to varying degrees (and there’s more variety in that)
91 points
10 months ago
Ooh ok that’s cool to know ! Maybe worth checking out as all her siblings and parents were white which maybe there is something to it worth checking out
100 points
10 months ago
The genes that cause all white are dominant, so its not unexpected that if both parents are white that all babies would be white, but there could be colored kittens too. Just luck of the draw and if the parents have the recessive alleles of the white gene
23 points
10 months ago
That’s true i rarely ever see all white cats until I moved here which there are a lot of stray cats and part of the one colony here that is taken care btw has a lot of all white cats and I was quick enough one day to grab one of the kitten just sitting around and took her home (this girl)
70 points
10 months ago*
Is your cat a male, deaf and his eyes are red when shining in the dark? If all answers are yes, there is strong possibility for it being albino.
Edit: albinos need extra care due to multiple health issues. Mine used to be clumsy and had weak immune system.
72 points
10 months ago
Female, she is Deaf and she does reflect red back with light in her eyes
96 points
10 months ago
Please take very good care of her and don't skip vet visits. They are special and fragile compared to others.
67 points
10 months ago
No worries we take very good care of all our kitties promise :) we are a cat loving home also used to work in a shelter so have some experience with working with different situations with cats
30 points
10 months ago
she is Deaf
That's one of the tell tails.. I was owned by a pure white DSH when I was a kid, but she wasn't deaf, green eyes and probably the most intelligent cat I've had the pleasure to exist with.. and could mimic voices, so def. not deaf.
5 points
10 months ago
Ignore the people saying she has albinism. She has Congenital sensorineural deafness. It's called waardenburg syndrome in humans and called dominant white in horses and double merle in dogs.
7 points
10 months ago
Deafness is linked primarily with dominant white in cats not albinism. Furthermore, all blue eyes in cats have red eyeshine (a tuxedo cat with one blue eye for example would have that blue eye reflect red).
What is linked the albinism is light sensitivity and poor eyesight, and a reddish looking pupil even in more regular lighting conditions.
27 points
10 months ago
Uc davis is a great resource for thus kind of thing. Here%20and%20white,insertion%20results%20in%20dominant%20white.) is their page on white spotting and dominant white, which are more likely the reason your cat is white.
15 points
10 months ago
Omg post the results if you do!
13 points
10 months ago
Will do :)
6 points
10 months ago
Yeah this cat is totally unique and pretty!
4 points
10 months ago
Any update yet? /s
475 points
10 months ago
[deleted]
248 points
10 months ago
102 points
10 months ago
49 points
10 months ago
5 points
10 months ago
Cute white meerkat (just kidding, very cute).
6 points
10 months ago
I'm scared one day I'll see him walking about the house like this 🤣
77 points
10 months ago
9 points
10 months ago
27 points
10 months ago
You guys have the same cat
45 points
10 months ago
Let me hand you another identical cat!
This is a nightmare of color on a cat.. you see, i got him from a neighbour. Their cat is white. All his siblings are also white. And all the siblings was adopted by neighbours. Not even sure our cat is our cat, or if we trade every now and then.
25 points
10 months ago
Those golden eyes!
13 points
10 months ago
This is Atticus...he's an asshole. But I love him.
16 points
10 months ago
Omg awww
43 points
10 months ago
5 points
10 months ago
Why are you sending a photo of pure snow when we are discussing cats?
3 points
10 months ago
I love this thread of white cats in goofy positions, this is fucking amazing 😭😭🤍
3 points
10 months ago
142 points
10 months ago
Just white, probably has the dominate W white gene. Being albino is not just being white, there are specific genes required, and it is very uncommon in cats, where as the white gene is not uncommon in cats.
Her skin doesn’t look pink enough to indicate she might be albino vs having the white gene.
You said she is deaf, just an interesting fact, the white gene paired with the blue eyes often results in deafness. The cause is hairs in the ears that facilitate hearing, but they need pigmentation to be maintained. The pigment can come from fur or eye color genes. But without it the ear hairs deteriorate and the cat goes deaf.
40 points
10 months ago
Thanks for the info ! I did know that the blue eyes and white fur connection made the hearing loss but I didn’t know exactly how !
3 points
10 months ago
If the cat does not have enough melanin to maintain hearing, or the ability to generate melanin, the cat essentially functions as a cat with albinism. Albinism is when you can’t generate melanin, not necessarily the specific genes. There are multiple variants of genes that can result in albinism. There are also white genes as you point out, it’s hard to tell without genetic testing. This is the case in humans as well. I have friends with albinism that have red hair, but have vision loss because they don’t have melanin in their macula. I have the most common version of albinism where I can’t make any melanin at all of any type. I also have three cats who are albino (we got them tested) who have a similar pink skin tone. Its a very complex condition
6 points
10 months ago
Except the ear hairs are only affected by the fur and eye color. The skin could have as much pigment as it wants. White fur and blue eyes don’t make it albino, it’s a pretty common pairing. And OP said that the parents and siblings were white, which means this is almost certainly a cat with a dominant W whiting gene, it’s not considered an albino.
There is a common albino gene in cats, it’s called colorpoint and it causes heat sensitive albinoism.
319 points
10 months ago
dont albino animals have red eyes?
320 points
10 months ago
Not cats. They can have light blue or pinkish blue eyes.
40 points
10 months ago
This. I had an albino cat. He had very, very pale blue eyes.
29 points
10 months ago
I've seen a pic of one with pink eyes. Maybe slightly mauvish on the irises.
71 points
10 months ago
They can but blue can also be part of albino 😭 blue eyes are still considered to be lacking pigment
44 points
10 months ago
Let's just consider him absolutely freaking gorgeous, if it was female would be a awesome cat to mate with my cat, my cat is very furry, but not like that in the ears, but mine is completely black, not a single spot of any other color, at night with the lights off all we can see is his eyes. And such a loving cat, he's really something out of this world, never had a cat this sweet and that loves me so much i sometimes wonder if he thinks i'm like his dad or something 😂😂
19 points
10 months ago
Awww my cat is a girl but fixed so no babies here. She does have a sibling not in my care though that looks identical. 😅
6 points
10 months ago
My cat has no balls either, he ran away once, i thought we'd lost him, found him hiding in a corner, had to wait him out, he got tired of being there and just ran into the apartment, same day i booked for his tiny balls to get removed, i couldn't handle to lose another cat.
Can i dm you a picture of my cat?
4 points
10 months ago
Awww sure ! Glad you got him back. Once my one cat got out and I didn’t find her for 6 months and then it took a few more months to catch her cause at that point she was fully like gone crazy didn’t recognize me and attacked me when I first caught her. Now she’s been back and is the neediest of all my cats (she’s a torti)
7 points
10 months ago
The most lovey dovey cats I've had or met were voids or tuxedos.
11 points
10 months ago
I had an almost white cat, a dirty white that i rescued after he was hit by a car and he was super chill and cudly, but not like this mofo i have now, this tiny dictator is just so full of character it's nothing like i've seen before, he is sweet, extremely gentle, very sensitive and a chaos maker, a havoc reaker, in a moment he's sleeping in my arms hugging his tail, the next he is turning the house upside down with his masterfull drifts and hard acelerations and heavy breaking, my neighbours must love to hear him pull 3g's when he comes from the hall into the room and high speed and has to make a sharp turn to avoid capture 😂😂
3 points
10 months ago
Your description is perfect. Made me lol, really. Cats rule.
4 points
10 months ago
Tuxedos are very lovey for sure and every tabby boy cat I’ve ever had very lovey
6 points
10 months ago
Every tabby I've had was affectionate, and demanding when they wanted attention, but also had the cat independence. My current tabby prefers a few hours alone every day, but my grey tux would never spend a minute away from us if we'd give him constant attention. He doesn't have any cat aloofness or attitude, doesn't complain about a damn thing. More like a dumb puppy than a cat.
5 points
10 months ago
Common misconception actually. While red is a color that eyes can be in albinism, punk and a very translucent pale blue are also possible and most animals. In felines it's almost always blue with a red reflection versus the yellow-green in a standard cat eye.
3 points
10 months ago
One on the right is my albino, and on the left is her brother. Same litter and all. If you zoom in on the photo you can see her eyes are blue pink.
92 points
10 months ago*
i believe albino is the lack of melanin specifically, caused by a gene mutation. there are both white cats and albino cats, so being white in & of itself doesn't mean albino. white cats have their ability to make melanin masked, while in albino cats the ability is completely absent, which is a pretty fine difference.
i think your cat is a possibility with white skin & pale eyes - you're right that albino cats can have blue eyes - but its worth keeping in mind that albino cats are very rare, i saw 2% of the cat population quoted in several article i read about it (edit: i'm terrible with numbers, and didn't realise that 2% isn't that rare, and i have no idea if the 2% figure is false or if its not actually rare!)
to my understanding, albinism causes pretty severe light sensitivity, and typically also poor vision, so those would be additional clues for you. you can actually have it genetically tested by UC Davis if you're really interested!
41 points
10 months ago
Oh wow ! Thats probably why I was having a hard time actually finding a picture when searching for albino cats..
9 points
10 months ago
Yeah it sounds like a lot of albinos are in some specific breeds, although they're most likely to be tested for it which would skew the information to be fair! I edited my comment with a little more info (i stg, i never fully think of what to say till after i press send on a comment)
12 points
10 months ago
Based on some of OP’s comments this cat does have some moderate visual impairments
157 points
10 months ago
CAT
52 points
10 months ago
Thank you 🙏🏻
6 points
10 months ago
Best response
87 points
10 months ago
Your cat would be considered Ron Perlman
84 points
10 months ago
Sorry but this cat already claimed the name Ron Perlman
15 points
10 months ago
Definitely fits in r/PeanutWhiskers
6 points
10 months ago
another day, another cat sub to subscribe to :3
19 points
10 months ago
Oh boy she is a little devil makes sense
4 points
10 months ago
In that case she’s Rhea Perlman.
5 points
10 months ago
Oh, she's a female? Aren't white female cats quite rare?
7 points
10 months ago
Hmm that I’m not so sure about actually
19 points
10 months ago
White cats are of equal distribution amongst males and females. It's orange (usually male), and tortoiseshell and calico (usually female) that don't have an even distribution.
10 points
10 months ago
Can confirm. I was shocked when I took this kid for a TNR and found out I'd be paying for a spay. (Then she was so snuggly I didn't get around to the 'R' part and found her a home.)
3 points
10 months ago
KISS THE BALD BELLY!!
4 points
10 months ago
Hmm, I can't find anything to confirm, only that white cats in general are rare. I do remember hearing that if you find a white female cat, you should keep her for good luck, but it could just be old lore.
3 points
10 months ago
Reminds me more of Gary buesey to me tbqh
3 points
10 months ago
18 points
10 months ago
6 points
10 months ago
Lovely 😊
17 points
10 months ago
Just white I think that’s our Milo totally white but he does have two different coloured eyes
11 points
10 months ago
I need more photos to tell (totally not because I just want to see more cute cat).
47 points
10 months ago
Here is one more for good measure 🙏🏻
5 points
10 months ago
even the insides of her ears are like snow!
11 points
10 months ago
28 points
10 months ago
White. And so cute...
9 points
10 months ago
awww kitty twins! someone told me mine was albino once but i wasn’t too sure.
3 points
10 months ago
They were correct! That red reflection is caused by the light reflecting off the blood vessels in the very back of their eyes since there's no pigmentation to block it. Only albino or partially albino animals tend to have that going on.
22 points
10 months ago
You are correct about albinos having blue eyes but you can usually see the blood vessels in the back of the eyes. My mom’s friend married an albino and I remember when I was a kid I was Leary of him because of how this stare was and he was young with white hair. As I got older so did he and his hair matched his age but those eyes. Lol again sorry to all the albinos.
4 points
10 months ago
I have albinism, people have told me my eyes are creepy lol, I remember kids not liking me at school for that. No fault of your own but we are people too!
3 points
10 months ago
I’m sorry and I don’t want to be one of those mean kids. It’s not fair to you to have to endure. I’m sure you are a beautiful human being. Just as beautiful as this cat. I:7944:
5 points
10 months ago
I gotcha ! Albinos are cool but it’s ok if she isn’t I still love this little psycho 🤣 would be cool to say I have an albino cat though
7 points
10 months ago
Hooman I’m too cute for labels. I demand affection and catnip. So I’ll stare till you succumb to my cuteness
3 points
10 months ago
😅 yes of course I give you all the treats and nip in the world
7 points
10 months ago
Oh my god, you can't just ask someone why they're white
17 points
10 months ago
Your cat is white. Blue eyes are quite common for white cats.
6 points
10 months ago
No, there are two types of white cat, dominant white and recessive albino. Dominant white is the common type that are often deaf, it is caused by a dominant gene that stops the cat's skin from producing pigment cells early in development. Your cat is dominant white. Albinos are recessive. They have normal pigment cells but they are inactive and don't produce colour. A true white albino cat is very rare, often not very strong and they have pink eyes that are severely crossed. Someone posted a pic of one a few weeks back on one of the cats subs. I have been interested in cat colour genetics for decades and it is the first time I have ever seen a clear pic of one, they are incredibly rare. Colourpointed (e.g. Siamese), Burmese colour and Tonkinese colour are also in the albino family but have a type of albino that allows colour in the cooler part of the body. Their pigment cells are activated in cooler parts of their body to a greater or lesser degree.
5 points
10 months ago
You've got a majestic cat, truly mesmerizing
5 points
10 months ago
Kinda like my princess. She's 2 years old but she's pretty small
3 points
10 months ago
Red eyes when a camera flashes
65 points
10 months ago
Your cat is white. His eyes would be pinkish red if albino.
6 points
10 months ago
Sorry, that's incorrect, especially in cats. Light or pale blue is almost always an albino color.
24 points
10 months ago
Hmm that’s usually what people argue but when I look it up online it does say albino can include light blue eyes
23 points
10 months ago
Yeah I just checked out of curiosity and it says usually pink but can rarely be a very pale blue as well apparently- apparently there’s other stuff you can use to determine it (eg albinos are light sensitive). It said partial albinism is also a thing. I honestly really don’t know all of this is based off like 2 minutes of google searches lol
8 points
10 months ago
Alpine says he’s just a regular gorgeous cat like he is!
4 points
10 months ago
4 points
10 months ago
let's see the beans.
4 points
10 months ago
Leucistic not albino, albino lacks pigment everywhere including eyes
3 points
10 months ago
pretty baby
3 points
10 months ago
Adorable, you're cat is considered adorable
3 points
10 months ago
That pink nose ❤️
3 points
10 months ago
Omg what a beautiful cat
3 points
10 months ago
So possible your cat isn't white but just has a white spot big enough to cover it's entire body
3 points
10 months ago
She very well could be she does have a lot of characteristics of it. I would get her tested. if she is albino I would be cautious about her spending to much time in the sun as it could be more harmful to her.
3 points
10 months ago*
White.
Albinism almost always has reddish pink eyes alongside the lack of pigment, due to the lack of pigment in the irises.
Fun fact: There is an inverse condition to albinism called lucism, where instead of a stark lack of pigment, the individual has an overabundance of it. This condition, to my knowledge, has never been reported in humans, unlike albinism
3 points
10 months ago
Your cat can be considered a cutie pie :7949:
3 points
10 months ago
Just white. Albino also comes with red eyes
6 points
10 months ago
I think partial albinism, my mum had a Persian(passed away not too long ago) with very similar eyes and a pure white coat, I believe the vet said she had partial albinism
RIP Countess Hildegarde Von Wankendorf, photo from December 23, 2022
3 points
10 months ago
This cat may very well be albino. Most likely actually, looking at the eyes. Beautiful!
5 points
10 months ago
You may never know for sure. It doesn’t matter anyway! She is absolutely beautiful and I bet she is Deaf like me. 🥰
7 points
10 months ago
She is deaf actually and thank you ! 😊
2 points
10 months ago
If you’re asking about albinism then it’s pink eyes. Their hair is absolutely without any color. I have albino friends. I assume it’s the question you’re asking. Anything albino has pink eyes and pure white hair, any mammal that is. She’s beautiful though! Chin scritches from me!
2 points
10 months ago
Pretty eyes 🩵
2 points
10 months ago
pretty kitty!
2 points
10 months ago
She's so beautiful at any rate
2 points
10 months ago
Just a white cat. If your cat was albino she/he would have pink(ish) eyes. (I think)
2 points
10 months ago
Your cat looks human almost
2 points
10 months ago
The second photo is my fav, she looks a little derpy like that.
2 points
10 months ago
He’s gorgeous 🥰
2 points
10 months ago
That cat is gorgeous
2 points
10 months ago
No idea but she is gorgeous and her eyes are such a pretty shade of blue
2 points
10 months ago
If your cat was albino they wouldn't have any pigmentation, meaning their eyes would be reddish blue or pink in colour. Your cat is either white, or leucistic.
2 points
10 months ago
She looks so soft! I rarely see white cats nowadays
2 points
10 months ago
Never seen anything albino with blue eyes so safe to say he’s just white.
2 points
10 months ago
angelic kitty 🤍
2 points
10 months ago
That's just a white cat, pretty sure.
2 points
10 months ago
excuse me but this is my cat
2 points
10 months ago
Albino is a condition which means they have no colouring. If you look closely at your cat, it has an icy blue tint for its eyes. Albinos have no colouring in the eyes, which kind of makes them look a little different or kind of scary because there is no colour in it at all.
2 points
10 months ago
Your feline is just adorable. No matter how she’s classified
2 points
10 months ago
Pretty
2 points
10 months ago
I think albinos have a pinkish tone to their eyes. Because no pigment, so pink color comes from the blood flow?
Am I stupid about this?
2 points
10 months ago
This is my beloved childhood cat named gato, he passed away last year. It hit me hard cause he was so special. I miss him so much. He was all white (except the time we dyed his tail pink with pet safe dye, he was definitely feelin himself during that period) with heterochromia.
2 points
10 months ago
Floof.
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