It is more than an urban legend that white cats are deaf. Although not all white cats are deaf, some cats carry a gene called dominant white or the "W" gene that is linked to deafness.

Dominant white masks all other colors. Dominant white cats may have blue, orange or odd colored eyes. Those with blue eyes have a high chance of deafness. Those with one blue eye have a high chance of deafness on the blue-eyed side. Those cats with orange eyes are far less likely to be deaf.

Cats carrying the W gene are not always solid white, but may have colored spots on their heads that often disappear with age. Long-haired cats have a higher prevalence of blue eyes and deafness than short-haired cats. White cats carrying the underlying Siamese dilution pigment gene, as opposed to the W gene can have blue eyes without deafness. Some preliminary data suggests that purebred white cats are less often deaf than mixed-breed white cats.

Posted by Julie.