Cats come in all shapes and sizes, coat types and coat colors, but did you know cats have many different eye colors?
What color eyes can cats have?
You’ve probably noticed that blues, yellows, and greens look amazing in the eyes of your feline friends, but there are many other colors to look out for. Some eye colors may be related to certain health conditions, ancestry breeds, or may just be a unique random phenomenon.
We will now discuss eye colors and how they appear in more detail.
structure of the eye
In order to discuss types of cat eye color, it is important to understand where this color is located in the eye.color exists in iriswhich is the pigment band around the pupil of the cat’s eyeball.
It is responsible for controlling the size of the pupil and thus the amount of light reaching the back of the eye.
The iris consists of two layers, the stroma anteriorly and the epithelial layer posteriorly. Pigment (or lack thereof) in the iris is responsible for cat (and human!) eye color.
iris color
We’ve established that the colors we see in a cat’s eye reside in the iris of the eye. But what gives the iris its color? How do we get different eye colors?
Pigment or color is made by melanocytes present in the iris. Melanocytes are cells that produce melanin. Melanin is the pigment-producing cell that determines the color of our eyes, hair, and coat, and the same goes for cats. The more melanin you produce and the more active the cells, the darker and more intense the color will be. For example; cats that produce a lot of melanin may have darker, copper-colored eyes.
true eye color
Cats aren’t necessarily born with true, permanent eye color. Kittens are born with their eyes closed and these eyes open around 8-12 days old. Their eyes are blue until around 6 weeks, when the iris color begins to change, forming the cat’s permanent eye color.
Also read: When Do Kittens Open Their Eyes?Kitten Eye Development Explained
Kittens usually develop permanent eye color by 3-4 months of age. This can be a useful tool for determining a kitten’s age if you don’t know it’s age.
color type
Now that we know where color is located in the eye (iris) and how it is produced (via melanin), let’s discuss the different types of color that we might see beautifully in a cat’s eye. There is a wide range of colors that are similar to each other, but I will discuss the main colors that are easy to see and distinguish from each other.
#1 blue
As mentioned above, kittens will have blue eyes when the eye pigmentation begins to change before they are 6 weeks old. However, some cats have blue eyes as their permanent color.
The amount of melanin determines the color of the eyes, the more melanin, the darker the eyes will be.Therefore, blue-eyed cats They don’t have melanin in their irises. This is a common eye color in some purebred breeds such as Siamese and Ragdolls.
#2 green
cat with green eyes has They have a little bit of melanin in their irisesThey can occur in cats of any color because, unlike humans, there is no correlation between the amount of melanin in cats’ eyes or hair.
This means that a cat with a lot of melanin in its black fur can still have green eyes with only a little melanin in its iris. Green eyes may be a normal characteristic of some purebred cats, such as Egyptian Mau or Russian Blue.
Also read: 55 amazing names for cats with green eyes
#3 yellow/orange/amber/gold
Different shades of yellow or orange irises produce more melanin And activity than blue and green eye color. This can vary from bright yellow to a deeper gold, depending on the amount of melanin in the iris.
It’s probably one of the most common eye colors (in my opinion), and it can appear in cats of any color. Although it is the most common color, with different shades depending on the melanocytes, it is a remarkable eye color.
#4 copper
Copper is the darkest color in a cat’s eye. It’s a deep orange that almost looks a bit light brown in certain lights. This is a rare color that is very eye-catching when seen. It can be seen on some British Shorthair cats.
#5 different colored eyes
Have you ever seen a cat with two different colored eyes? It’s called complete heterochromia, and it can happen to any cat, especially white-haired cats.
It is sometimes called the odd-eyed cat. One eye may be blue while the other is yellow and so on. The amount of melanin in the two irises of the eye differs. It is more common in white cats because it is related to the W white gene.
Also read: Heterochromia in Felines: Cats with Different Eye Colors
#6 mixed eye color
Some cats may have two different colors of the same iris, such as a mix of yellow and green or green and blue. This is called dichroism – meaning two colors.
#7 red eyes
Cats don’t have distinctly red eyes, but cats with blue eyes without melanin will have red eyes when you take pictures in the dark because light reflects off the back of the eye (the tapetum). In contrast, non-blue-eyed cats have a bright green/yellow glow when you photograph them.
health precautions
While eye color is generally harmless, there are a few things to be aware of that can make certain health conditions more likely depending on eye color.
you may have heard it before white cat with blue eyes Most likely deaf, there is some truth to that.Cat with white coat carries W white gene. This gene is strongly associated with hereditary congenital deafness in white cats, especially those with 1 or 2 blue eyes. A white cat with two blue eyes is 3-5 times more likely to be deaf than a cat with two non-blue eyes.A BAER test may be performed to determine the presence of W Gene.
cat with copper eyes Can be normal, eye color may be breed related eg British Shorthair. However, some copper-eyed cats may make your veterinarian suspect liver shunts (portosystemic shunts). For example, copper-colored eyes are often accompanied by other symptoms; developmental delays, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, disorientation, and seizures. If you think your cat is exhibiting any of these symptoms, make an appointment with your veterinarian.
Does eye color have anything to do with coat color?
Although melanin determines coat and eye color, they don’t necessarily correspond in cats as they do in humans. This means that a cat with a dark coat such as black, which has a lot of melanin, may have green eyes but very little melanin.
The exception is white cats.As we discussed, these cats carry W The gene responsible for the white coat, and has a higher chance of having blue eyes. In this case, the white coat is associated with blue eyes and deafness.
Do cats’ eyes change color?
Kittens are known to be born with blue eyes and they change color around 6 weeks of age until they adapt to their permanent color at 3-4 months of age. Any color change after this age is abnormal and may indicate a problem.
A sudden color change in one or both eyes could be a sign of a medical problem requiring emergency veterinary treatment. This can be caused by trauma, viral or bacterial infection, systemic causes, or eye tumors.
traumatic, viral and bacterial Causes may be clouding of the eye (due to inflammation, ulceration, etc.), redness of the eye (bleeding of the eye due to trauma – hyphema, uveitis), or focal areas of irritation (infection, ulceration, etc.). Eyes that appear completely cloudy or white may indicate elevated intraocular pressure (glaucoma).
systemic causes Diabetic cataracts, severe mydriasis and even blindness due to high blood pressure (retinal detachment), and viral etiologies (FIP) may be the cause.
the tumor Lesions of the eye can occur throughout the eye, causing possible enlargement or deformity of the eyeball or parts of the eye, such as melanoma, which can occur with changes in the color of the iris.
The range of possible eye problems in cats is another article in itself, but essentially if your cat has any color changes in the iris or eyeballs, any size changes in the pupils (or different sized pupils), any dilation of the eyeballs , eyes I would definitely recommend having your cat checked by a veterinarian.
in conclusion
Cat eye colors come in a variety of colors that make our cats unique. Colors can be anything from light blues and greens to dark oranges and copper. The production of melanin in the iris is responsible for these colors, and some cats produce more than others.
It is normal for kittens to have different eye colors after six weeks of age, but color changes in adult cats are abnormal and should be checked by a veterinarian.
Also Read: The Cat’s Digestive System: Anatomy, Diseases, and Treatments
frequently asked questions
What Are the Different Types of Cat Eyes?
Cat eyes can mainly come in a variety of colors; blue, green, yellow, orange, amber, gold and copper. They can also have different colored eyes.
What are cats with different colored eyes called?
Heterochromia is when a cat has two different colored eyes, for example one eye is blue and the other is yellow. This is more common in white cats.
Are brown eyes a rare cat?
Cats will not have brown or black eyes. The darkest color they can get is copper, which sometimes looks like it has some light brown pigment in some lights.
Is a white cat with blue eyes deaf?
Not all cats with white fur and blue eyes are deaf, but they are 3-5 times more likely to be deaf than non-blue eyed cats.
At what age do kittens’ eyes start to change color?
Kittens’ eye color changes from blue to their permanent color at about 6 weeks of age. They usually develop a permanent color by 3-4 months of age.
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.