The Amazing Beauty of Cat Eyes and the Rarest Colors (Video)

Cat Eyes come in an amazing range of colors and here we take a look at the rarest of colors.  The orange/amber color is considered the rarest of eye colors in cats.  This color is common in the traditional British Shorthair breed and is also found in cats with tabby markings and some solid coat patterns.  Domestic cats can have a wide range of eye colors, more than many other domestic species ( including dogs).  Watch the video to see the amazing range of cat eye colors and see interesting facts below.

The Amazing Beauty of Cat Eyes Video

Here are 8 interesting facts about Cat Eyes:

1.  White cats are more likely to have blue eyes than pigmented eyes. This is because the white fur gene is so dominant that it masks all other genes dictating color, including the gene for eye color.

 2)  Orange/Amber eyes is considered the rarest color of cat eyes.  This color is found in traditional British Shorthair cats, some Tabby cats, and some solid fur pattern cats.

British Shorthair with Orange/Amber Eyes

3)  Odd colored eyes are also rare.  Some cats have two eye colors or mixed eyes.  Odd-colored eyes are most often seen in white cats with the epistatic gene. Usually, one eye will be blue and the other green, hazel, yellow, or orange.  Odd-colored eyes are more common in certain breeds including the Turkish Van, Japanese Bobtail, Persian, and Sphynx cats.

Odd Colored or Mixed Eyes is Rare

4)  Cats with dichroic, or dichromatic, eyes have a combination of two distinct colors within both eyes. This is stunning eye effect and is very rare.  This is caused by the cat having different levels of melanin in distinct sections of their irises.  This condition is most often occurs in white cats.

Dichromatic Eyes are Very Rare

5)  The color of a cat’s eyes depends on the levels of melanin that was passed onto them in the genes from their mother and father cats. Melanin also controls the levels of pigment in the skin and fur and is why eye color varies with fur color.  More melanin will make a cat’s fur darker.  However, more melanin affects eye color differently.  So, a dark fur cat can still have blue eyes.

British Shorthair Eye Color varying with Fur Color

6)  Kittens are born with eyes of cloudy blue. At around six weeks, this color may start to change to reveal their true eye color. This is when the melanin starts to take effect. By the age of 12 weeks, a cat’s final eye color should be fully developed.

7)  In some cat breeds, the eye color is dictated by the breed.  In the case of a distinct breed, the color of a cat’s eyes is genetic, just like the color of their coat. Certain breeds will only ever be seen with one shade of eye color as a trait of the domestic cat breed.  For example, the Birman cat breed must have blue eyes to be considered a pure bred Birman cat.

The Birman Cat Breed has Blue Eyes

8)  Green eyes are found in certain breeds like the Egyptian Mau, Havana cats, and Russian Blue cats.

Egyptian Mau and Russian Blue cats

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