Do you want to have a white cat, but have you heard somewhere that they are all deaf? Perhaps this is just a prejudice, but this information may well turn out to be reliable. Are all white cats really deaf, and if so, why?
As one of the greats said, "even the smallest cat is beautiful." Someone likes fluffy big cats, and someone is crazy about statuette-graceful cats, whose skin is not covered with hair. But almost everyone who loves cats agrees that snow-white cats with blue eyes are one of the most beautiful.
Unfortunately, there is a myth that white cats do not hear anything. People believe that if a cat has beautiful white fur and light bottomless eyes, then with almost one hundred percent probability this cat is deaf. Is it really?
Why do many think white cats are deaf?
The fact is that in snow-white cats and cats, the epistatic gene W is dominant in the genotype. It is often confused with albinism, but in fact it is not the same thing at all. It is the presence of this gene that explains the fact that 2 out of 10 white cats actually hear nothing.
But this gene can, with a high degree of probability, be found in the genotype of ginger cats, and black, and even tabby, and they can turn out to be deaf in the same way. Moreover, this gene is passed from parent to offspring, so that some of the kittens in such a litter may be deaf regardless of the color of their fur. And albinism is still responsible for the white color of the coat, which is in no way associated with deafness.
How to understand that a white cat cannot hear?
If you still want to get yourself a kitten that is white, but are not ready to provide care for a deaf animal, then you need to determine if the cat is deaf before you take him into the house. As a rule, a deaf kitten differs from its brothers and sisters in that the sounds it makes are louder than those of others, because it cannot hear itself. An older cat, with hearing problems, does not respond to sounds such as the rustling of food pouring into a bowl or the sound of opening the refrigerator door. You should be especially alert if the cat gets scared when you approach her from the back. The hearing of an ordinary cat is very subtle, and it should hear your footsteps.
If a deaf cat or cat lives in your house, always look under your feet and ask your guests about it. Unfortunately, deaf cats are more susceptible to injury than ordinary cats, because one of their senses is atrophied and they may not react to danger in a timely manner. Such cats and cats still need a little more attention than ordinary ones, but otherwise they are the same cute, playful and gentle pets, like hearing ones.
