Frequent white felines are affected by deafness. The deafness that is often found in cats with candid coats is an ear disease, a non-curable degeneration, inherited through a dominant gene, which masks the manifestations of other colors.
We talked about the Black Cat, the little panther that wanders in our homes and the sympathy that inspires the Red Cat, a figure used several times in cartoons and today we want to devote our attention to another particular feline, white as snow and which often seems to live in a muffled world: The White Cat. White cats are uncommon and represent the minority of the general feline population. They have captured the imagination of many and, for the most part, the concepts they symbolize are positive: rebirth, happiness, money, prosperity, healing, spirituality, tolerance and, according to some popular beliefs, it would bring luck especially in business. . Confucius used to say “The color of the cat doesn’t matter, it just matters that it catches the mouse“. However, many are convinced that the color of the hair can affect its character or that it is in some way linked to it. Believing in the power of colors or not, in the genetic bases that are supposed to be linked to the feline disposition, white cats remain quiet, sweet, reserved animals and easily become attached to family members. Their owners, or would-be owners, are attracted by their looks, quiet demeanor and characteristics, although in general it could be said that their temperament is mixed so much so that, according to some observations, white British Shorthairs would be friendly and sociable, while white Persian cats would be calmer and more peaceful. Why does it seem to us that some live in a muffled world? Frequent white felines are affected by deafness. The deafness that is often found in cats with candid coats is an ear disease, a non-curable degeneration, inherited through a dominant gene, which masks the manifestations of other colors. It can affect both pure cats and crossbreeds, but much less likely if the white coat is not perfect, if it has even very small black spots or shades on the muzzle. Hereditary issues then. A white kitten can be born to a mother of another color, if her father is white or two-colored. A white cat can make colored babies, it depends, as well as obviously on the father, on the genetic combinations of their ancestors. Again due to combinations and associations between genes, white cats with blue eyes are more prone to deafness than those with two different colored eyes; even less affected are white cats with yellow eyes. Can a deaf cat have a normal life? Yes of course. Also thanks to the other senses – smell and sight in the first place – which are strengthened when hearing is lacking. If it is true, however, that a deaf cat can lead a normal life, it is equally correct to say that it is highly recommended to choose to keep it safe in the home to protect it from dangers, sometimes fatal. If you think, just to give an example, the impossibility of hearing the noise of cars approaching as well as that linked to any predators or other dangers. Deafness is not, however, the only reason that white cat owners should choose a home life for them. These cats must in fact be protected from the harmful rays of the sun due to their predisposition to develop ear carcinomas. Continued exposure to sunlight can cause photosensitization dermatitis which, if neglected, can degenerate. Less frequently than red cats, white cats also appear in some films: how can we forget the mysterious white cat by Ernst Stavro Blofeld, archenemy of agent 007 or Snowflake the white Persian who tries to capture the mouse Stuart and, finally, who has not been fascinated by the story of Duchess, elegant cat of the “Aristocats”? If you have the chance and the good fortune to meet one… adopt it.
Graziella Baruffi
www.dogangels.it