I think my new kitten might be albino but I'm not sure how to tell. He's only about ten weeks old so I expect his eye color to change but I can't be sure..as of right now they are VERY pale blue and he's got a very faint tint to his tail.
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Is My Kitten Albino?
- Thread starter Valeerie
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With this cremeish tint to the tail, I wonder if he may be a point ("siamese mix"), probably a creme point. But has also white, and a white spot in the face, concealing the usual masque... Creme isnt easy to see on the backside of the ears, because they are so thin they easily look pinkish on white cats. So its the tail which remains.
He isnt deaf, no? Points are almost never deaf, but quite a few of pure white cats are. (not all, but many).
He isnt deaf, no? Points are almost never deaf, but quite a few of pure white cats are. (not all, but many).
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I think he's a cream point. Pointed cats always have blue eyes. Technically, all pointed cats are considered partially albino. In pointed cats (like the Siamese) kittens are born white and then the cooler temperature outside the mother causes the colors to develop on their face, ears, legs, and tail. A full albino cat would be completely white and have red eyes.
Not a "true albino" but most likely a cream point like said above from the tan tail. If he is a point then he most likely will not be deaf, but if it's just off color in the picture and he is solid white you may want to have him checked for deafness. It's very common for solid white cats with blue eyes to have hearing problems.
Another vote for a cream point and not an albino. Albino I would expect more of a pink color and red reflection to photos. The ears would be more pinky red in the photos where there is light behind them.
Technically the point gene is a a form of partial albinism but it is heat sensitive and doesn't completely cancel out all color. It's a mutation of the enzyme controlling melanin production that causes it to not work at normal body temperatures but become active in cooler areas (like the tail in your case). Don't be surprised if the trial gets darker with age or other areas get tinted as pointed cats typically get darker with exposure to cooler temperatures and/or as their bodies loose ability to regulate temperature with age.
While there is some correlation between blue eyes and white coat equaling a deaf cat. Solid white non pointed cats represent about 5% of the worldwide cat population within that about 60-80% of solid white cats with two blue eyes or 30-40% of solid white cats with one blue eye will be deaf. Interestingly if they have one blue eye they are more likely to be deaf on that side. While solid white cats without blue eyes have a 10-20% chance of being deaf. But the correlation is with the white gene and the eye color gene. Which is not to be confused with a correlation between albinos and deafness because that is a completely different situation and they don't have the white gene that is linked to everything mentioned above. That does not apply to cats with the pointed gene because they are not actually solid white color.
The pointed gene covers the actual color gene of the cat. Meaning that a seal point Siamese without the pointed gene would have been a black cat. A lynx point Siamese would have been a tabby. In this case since the cat is a cream point he would have been a pale orange tabby maybe with white or bicolor or just a saddle and tail coloring since there's is no color on the face. The exact pattern may develop with age. The pointed blue eyes are due to a lack of melanin in the eye. If it wasn't for their pointed gene their eyes would be a different color and any kittens would inherit that eye color, not the blue, if they didn't get the dual pointed genetics required to show the pointed gene.
Since we all agree this cat is a cream point and not solid white. Since there is color/tint to the tail. There is not a risk of deafness so don't stress or worry about that.
Technically the point gene is a a form of partial albinism but it is heat sensitive and doesn't completely cancel out all color. It's a mutation of the enzyme controlling melanin production that causes it to not work at normal body temperatures but become active in cooler areas (like the tail in your case). Don't be surprised if the trial gets darker with age or other areas get tinted as pointed cats typically get darker with exposure to cooler temperatures and/or as their bodies loose ability to regulate temperature with age.
While there is some correlation between blue eyes and white coat equaling a deaf cat. Solid white non pointed cats represent about 5% of the worldwide cat population within that about 60-80% of solid white cats with two blue eyes or 30-40% of solid white cats with one blue eye will be deaf. Interestingly if they have one blue eye they are more likely to be deaf on that side. While solid white cats without blue eyes have a 10-20% chance of being deaf. But the correlation is with the white gene and the eye color gene. Which is not to be confused with a correlation between albinos and deafness because that is a completely different situation and they don't have the white gene that is linked to everything mentioned above. That does not apply to cats with the pointed gene because they are not actually solid white color.
The pointed gene covers the actual color gene of the cat. Meaning that a seal point Siamese without the pointed gene would have been a black cat. A lynx point Siamese would have been a tabby. In this case since the cat is a cream point he would have been a pale orange tabby maybe with white or bicolor or just a saddle and tail coloring since there's is no color on the face. The exact pattern may develop with age. The pointed blue eyes are due to a lack of melanin in the eye. If it wasn't for their pointed gene their eyes would be a different color and any kittens would inherit that eye color, not the blue, if they didn't get the dual pointed genetics required to show the pointed gene.
Since we all agree this cat is a cream point and not solid white. Since there is color/tint to the tail. There is not a risk of deafness so don't stress or worry about that.
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Thank you.
Kieka
I'm curious about all the info u have with the point cats and eye color and deafness and such I wanted to ask u about a kitten I have as a rescue. I believe her to be partially blind or deaf but not totally. She has what people call ice blue eyes and I have noticed a red tint to them which is unusual. She's I believe a tabby point Siamese. Her family is all different and mom is a full grey cat.
Do you have any photos?
Looks, like a lynx point. The redness is probably either an eye infection or if the light is right just normal reflection. With how the eye is closed I would lean towards infection or irritation. Since she is semi feral, deafness from an untreated ear infection or ear mites wouldn't be unheard of. I would guess it would be more illness/injury then something born. It also could be semi feral attitude of, I ignore it and it goes away. There were times in my semi feral early days that I doubted her hearing too.
If you haven't already, a full vet workup is probably in order to check for any medical related causes. If she does turn out to have some deafness it isn't a major blow for cats. Assuming she is indoors only now, she will fully adjust and not have any problems.
If you haven't already, a full vet workup is probably in order to check for any medical related causes. If she does turn out to have some deafness it isn't a major blow for cats. Assuming she is indoors only now, she will fully adjust and not have any problems.
Yes that was the first day I trapped her. She has been to a vet when she got spayed and I have noticed only a slight irritation that has subsided. The redness is only in certain light. I could see that about her thinking I'll go away of she acts as though I'm not around. That's y I was thinking it is because sometimes she allows me to touch her then hisses, although once I did see her almost run into something but stopped as her nose got to either touch or slightly before. Thanks, I'll watch her and see if it changes and of not I'll take her to the vet to be checked again.
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Most definitely, both are tabby. They could easily have the same father but one got the double point gene and one didn't.
Great post
Kieka
- I agree not Albino. I would be careful letting him get in the sun. He would be more likely to get skin cancer. Deafness is not a problem at all for an inside cat. I had a solid white with odd eyes that was deaf. His other sense's seemed to be more developed and he communicated with eye contact and was constantly looking around as if he knew he had a handicap. If he is deaf it's easy enough to figure out. While he is asleep walk in behind him and make subtle noises. If he wakes up right away he's not deaf. If he lays there for a min or so and then pops his head up and looks around then there is at least some impairment there. If this is the case you can try walking up behind him and make a loud noise and if he doesn't jump. He's most likely totally deaf. He may look around as though you think he hears something but he can't tell where it's comin from. He's probably just feeling vibrations.
My cat would lay between my bass drums when I practiced sometime jumping on the floor tom and sitting and watching me play. Seem to be fascinated by the arm movement. He would lie down and sleep during band practice and it was loud. Loved to ride in a car. He was basically fearless.
Kieka
- I agree not Albino. I would be careful letting him get in the sun. He would be more likely to get skin cancer. Deafness is not a problem at all for an inside cat. I had a solid white with odd eyes that was deaf. His other sense's seemed to be more developed and he communicated with eye contact and was constantly looking around as if he knew he had a handicap. If he is deaf it's easy enough to figure out. While he is asleep walk in behind him and make subtle noises. If he wakes up right away he's not deaf. If he lays there for a min or so and then pops his head up and looks around then there is at least some impairment there. If this is the case you can try walking up behind him and make a loud noise and if he doesn't jump. He's most likely totally deaf. He may look around as though you think he hears something but he can't tell where it's comin from. He's probably just feeling vibrations.My cat would lay between my bass drums when I practiced sometime jumping on the floor tom and sitting and watching me play. Seem to be fascinated by the arm movement. He would lie down and sleep during band practice and it was loud. Loved to ride in a car. He was basically fearless.
