Blue-eyed white kitten - deafness question

[LSkip]

I am considering a blue-eyed white kitten from a breeder. I have read the articles regarding deafness and see that they have a 70% chance of being deaf. I can handle that, but want to be informed.

My question is this: If a blue-eyed white kitten will be deaf, will it be deaf as a kitten, or might the kitten be normal and then the deafness come a year or two later? (I know any cat can go deaf in old age.)

I found this on wikipedia. It comes close to answering my question, but not totally since it is saying that the deaf kittens were likely deaf since birth. It does not speak to the likelihood of (blue-eyed white) kittens who are hearing at birth developing deafness as a young cat:

The entire organ of Corti was found to have degenerated within the first few weeks after birth; however, even during these weeks no brain stem responses could be evoked by auditory stimuli, suggesting that these animals had never experienced any auditory sensations.​

 

[KimOKitty]

That's quite a coincidence, as I was just logging on here hoping to gain more information on that subject; as I just had a litter of kittens born 2 days ago and one of them is all white! I read several articles regarding the high statistics of deafness in white cats, and more so depending on eye color?! I'll be curious to see what others have for knowledge in regards to this... good luck with your kitten

 

[Kieka]

That's quite a coincidence, as I was just logging on here hoping to gain more information on that subject; as I just had a litter of kittens born 2 days ago and one of them is all white! I read several articles regarding the high statistics of deafness in white cats, and more so depending on eye color?! I'll be curious to see what others have for knowledge in regards to this... good luck with your kitten

Your all white kitten might not stay all white. If the parents weren't all white the kitten is probably a color point not white and will not be at an increased risk of deafness.

 

[abyeb]

Hi there, if a cat is deaf as a kitten, they will remain deaf as an adult. Some blue-eyed white cats are deaf because they have a mutation in the KIT gene, which controls melanoblasts, the precursor of melanocytes, which are cells that control both skin pigmentation and inner ear function.

4 Things to Know About Cats With Blue Eyes | Catster

How the cat got its spots (and hearing problems)

However, not all blue-eyed white cats are dead, and, your kitten might be a Colorpoint, as Kieka suggested, in which case you wouldn’t have to worry about hereditary deafness.

 

[Kieka]

I am considering a blue-eyed white kitten from a breeder. I have read the articles regarding deafness and see that they have a 70% chance of being deaf. I can handle that, but want to be informed.

My question is this: If a blue-eyed white kitten will be deaf, will it be deaf as a kitten, or might the kitten be normal and then the deafness come a year or two later? (I know any cat can go deaf in old age.)

I found this on wikipedia. It comes close to answering my question, but not totally since it is saying that the deaf kittens were likely deaf since birth. It does not speak to the likelihood of (blue-eyed white) kittens who are hearing at birth developing deafness as a young cat:

The entire organ of Corti was found to have degenerated within the first few weeks after birth; however, even during these weeks no brain stem responses could be evoked by auditory stimuli, suggesting that these animals had never experienced any auditory sensations.​

If a blue eyed white kitten is going to be deaf I believe it will be born deaf.

Confirming with this article, Ask Elizabeth: White Cats and Blindness/Deafness, the risk is being born deaf. If they can hear as kitten they are not at risk of developing deafness.

 

[Caspers Human]

Casper is all white. I spent some time reading up on this.

As I understand...

If a white cat is born with good hearing and doesn't develop hearing problems soon after birth its chances of keeping its good hearing are better. The longer the cat lives and keeps good hearing, the better the chances of keeping good hearing in the long term.

If you have a white cat that is one or two years old and it still has good hearing, you probably won't have to worry until the cat starts getting old.

 

[Sugar Plum]

Is the kitten truly all white? There’s no kitten cap? These’re often slate-blue-grey and if around the ears, the animal often won’t be deaf.

I’ll try to get a photo of Holly’s tonight so you can see what I mean. It’s very subtle, almost like the fur has frost on it. Many people who see her in person don’t even notice.

She has bilateral hearing. In a purebred cat, the kitten cap usually fades with age. Around both ears bodes well for hearing, whether it fades or not.

 

[Sugar Plum]

I'm sorry. As promised, I've tried tonight to photograph Holly's kitten cap, to no avail. At least with my phone, it seems unphotographable.