As you know, in nature, especially wild, white color in animals is extremely rare. The only exceptions are the inhabitants of the polar latitudes, where the color is developed by natural selection for many generations. But cats came from Africa, and initially they were brown. Their brownish hair served as protection against scorching sun rays, as well as camouflage in order to quietly sneak up to prey and hide itself from larger predators. How could a white cat survive?
Sometimes even among the black rooks, absolutely white chicks are born. And even among people (including the Negroid race) there are individuals with very white skin, snow-white, as if gray hair and reddish eyes. This phenomenon is called albinism. In fact, the albino is not a white suit, but the lack thereof. The skin, hair and iris of highly organized creatures contain melanin - a substance that protects the body from solar radiation and stains it black. The representatives of the Negroid race have more of this enzyme, the European northern race - less, and the albinos do not. The latter is the white cat.
But if in the wild such individuals most often die early without giving offspring, then pets in this sense are lucky. Unusual color was valued back in ancient Egypt, where it was considered a symbol of purity and purity. People carefully cultivated the already dominant albinism gene. Now a white cat is very much appreciated, and standards have been developed that cut off participation in competitions of light beige, silver and pale yellow cats. Only a saturated, even snow-white color is allowed without any shades, as well as multi-colored spots. The only exception is kittens, which may have small specks on their heads - they should disappear with age.
Animals with copper or orange eyes (Copper Eyed White), despite the snow color, are less prone to deafness, but a white cat with different eyes (Odd Eyed White, strange eyes) is likely to have minor hearing problems. She can only be deaf
in one ear, or to be hard of hearing. In any case, neither the color of milk, nor the
blue eyes are the final indicator that the animal is deaf. But if it is frightened when you come up behind and touch it, then there is cause for concern. Among these cute pets, a special place is occupied by a white cat with blue eyes (Blue Eyed White). She is not a complete albino: in her body there is a small amount of melanin, which stains the lower layers of the iris in black, and the absence of this substance in the upper layers creates the effect of blueness. Most valued are animals with very saturated, blue eyes. Unfortunately, about 20% of the Blue Aid White breed is born deaf. The epistatic and dominant W gene, which goes hand in hand with a heavenly color, is responsible for this.
The white cat needs very careful care, even if everything is normal with her hearing. Firstly, such a fur coat is very easily soiled. Secondly, dirty ears and sour eyes are especially visible on a white background. Thirdly, the albinism gene makes these animals extremely vulnerable to solar radiation. Melanin does not protect the skin and the cat can get sunburn, and if this happens often, then get skin cancer.