White cats and health problems

[carolina]

Are white cats more prone for health problems?
Bugsy has been with me for 2 months, and it seems to be one problem after another.... So far he has had diarrhea, tapeworms, ear infection URI, and dental problems. He is also allergic to some topical meds, so he had a BAD reaction with Revolution and profender (topical wormer).
Am I going to go through this for all his life? Is he ever going to get a break and be healthy?
He is a very happy energetic and sweet cat... Well, he was until starting to take antibiotics yesterday - he hates me right now

Anyway - by your experiences, are white cats more prone for health problems?

 

[slave2_ragdolls]

Originally Posted by carolinalima

Are white cats more prone for health problems?
Bugsy has been with me for 2 months, and it seems to be one problem after another.... So far he has had diarrhea, tapeworms, ear infection URI, and dental problems. He is also allergic to some topical meds, so he had a BAD reaction with Revolution and profender (topical wormer).
Am I going to go through this for all his life? Is he ever going to get a break and be healthy?
He is a very happy energetic and sweet cat... Well, he was until starting to take antibiotics yesterday - he hates me right now

Anyway - by your experiences, are white cats more prone for health problems?

White cats are known to be deaf........in certain breeds. Just feed your Ragdolls a high quality food on a consistent basis......if you change foods without mixing properly.......the cats could get diarrhea quickly

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by Slave2_Ragdolls

White cats are known to be deaf........in certain breeds. Just feed your Ragdolls a high quality food on a consistent basis......if you change foods without mixing properly.......the cats could get diarrhea quickly

Yeah - deaf in ONE thing he isn't hehe. He is fed very high quality food - both dry and wet... He doesn't have diarrhea anymore, but had it for a good 3 weeks when he got here...

 

[mews2much]

Maybe he had problems before you got him.
White cats are prone to cancer if they are out in the sun.
Inside they are fine.
They get skin cancer from getting sun burned.

 

[slave2_ragdolls]

Originally Posted by carolinalima

Yeah - deaf in ONE thing he isn't hehe. He is fed very high quality food - both dry and wet... He doesn't have diarrhea anymore, but had it for a good 3 weeks when he got here...

Your 2 cats are very lucky to have a very caring "mommy" like you Carolina

I also feel that you know most of the answers that you asked tonight

Please pet both Bugsy and Lucky for me

 

[white cat lover]

I'm actually wondering if it isn't more bad genetics than color - he could have come from a poor breeder.

My 2 solid white girls are fairly healthy - other than Twitch having severe dental issues that were solved when all her teeth were removed.

 

[jellybella]

Aside from the deafness issue, I have never heard of white cats having more problems. Bugsy's problems sound more like the typical rescue cat adjustment. It's a little rough sometimes when they make the transition to the good life

 

[jennyr]

They certainly must be watched for skin cancer and protected against it, even through window glass. They need a high factor sun cream on their ears and nose every day during sunny periods. I use Nivea Kids Factor 50 and they soon get used to getting a dab every day.

Having said that, my three white cats all have health problems, though ones that are seemingly unrelated to their colour. Wellington has asthma, Persil has a slight heart murmur connected to her operation for a diaphragmatic hernia when she was six months old and almost died, and Milo has recurring ear mites. The shelter where I volunteer asked me to take Milo because they said they hate white cats as they are always a health problem and thought I could deal with him better, having experience of them.

I have always loved white cats and always wanted one. I never thought I would have three (four if you count RB Napoleon).

 

[eilcon]

My solid white beauty, Claire, has had a few health issues, but nothing to do with her color. She's needed a couple of dental cleanings already and is only 4 1/2 years old, an ear infection (easily treated) and a UTI and bladder infection that required surgery. No problems for the past year, though.

 

[Ms. Freya]

Cotton tends to require more ongoing health care than Freya, but I think it has more to do with his rough start than his colour...I agree with the poster who said it's likely more to do with overall genetics than color.

...of course, that being said, I'm interested in how many people have white cats with dental trouble, since that's his #1 ongoing care issue.

 

[white cat lover]

Both my white kitties have had dental issues - one has no teeth - the other at 4 years has nasty teeth.

 

[emmylou]

The only health problems associated with white cats are the deafness and skin cancer. Any other issues are unrelated to the color.

 

[amyscrazy]

Both of my white cats are very healthy. Keller is deaf but that doesn't cause her any health issues. She is 3 and has not dental issues. They both love to lay in the window so I will have to start with the sunscreen I guess. I was under the assumption that threough the window was safe. Our house windows are slightly tinted.
Zeus does have some sinus issues but that is a breed thing, not a white thing

 

[cjh27]

Hi,

white cats with blue eyes often also lack the reflectiv tissue layer in a cat's eye called the tapetum lucidum. If you take a picture of such a cat with a flash you'll see the red-eye effect on photos (which you normally don't see with cats). Therefor these cats can't see as good as other cats in the dusk. The reduced night vision doesn't present a problem for house cats.

These cats are white because the melanoblasts (the cells that produce pigments) do not migrate from the neural tube during embyrogenesis. Thus there are no pigment producing cells in the skin or the eyes.

Although this is very seldom it can also happen that white cats have problems with their balance and sense of spatial orientation. The reason for this is that vestibular system of the ear contains hair cells (called the crista ampullaris) within a liquid that are required to detect movements. These hairs normally contain pigments, which make them more rigid. In some white cats these pigments are missing.

Sorry, I'm not use to explaining things in English.


Christine

 

[baloneysmom]

I have always thought this as well. All of my white cats have always been sicklier then my other kitties, now that I think about it all white dogs I have been associated with have had problems as well.

It never seems to be anything in particular its been everything from severe allergies (which seems to happen a lot) worms, ear infections, mouth infections, all the way to something severe like skin cancer.

I remember when we got my Bugsy (I have a white Bugsy too lol) I thought “Oh darn, another white cat I am going to have to spend all my savings on†and what happened? I got a white cat that I spent all my savings on LOL. I even told my boyfriend we were in for some spending, of course he thought I was just being a paranoid Mommy.

 

[rone]

I can't compare as our two white cats are our first cats. Fred was blocked last year & his sibling Ginger had FUS a month ago; very common in cats. Both of them have inflammed gums that did not go away after teeth cleaning. Ginger was diagnosed with eosinophilic complex & have all her teeth extracted except her front (up & bottom) & canines.

 

[kristen99]

I had a white cat named Becky White for 15 years (he was a male actually...we thought he was a girl when he was a kitten but the name stuck..) and I'm still grieving his loss. I had to euthanize him on March 9, but he lived to be 16 despite his constant health issues! I often wondered if being all white contributed to his health issues, and a vet commented once that she'd had white cats in the past that were more high maintenance than her other cats.

Becky White should have had frequent flyer points at the vet because I had to take him in (on average, over 15 years) about 5 times a year. He had skin issues, allergies, had to be stitched up after scrapping with other cats, and had a few ear issues as well (but that doesn't list everything!). I fed him really well, got him the attention he needed, and he lived to be a ripe old 16. So yes, I am inclined to believe that all-white cats have more health issues than other cats, although my opinion isn't based on any scientific data!

He also was clever, mellow, and incredibly loving and affectionate. He wanted to be present and involved in anything I did, and when I was sitting on the couch, he would drape himself all over me. He was a true companion. He had a very large fan base thanks to his character, and my neighbour described him as being "an officer and a gentleman" because he was so loving, but was master of his domain (the porch and the yard!).

Because he was so unique and loving, I'm curious as to whether this is a trait in all-white cats or if it's just based on the unique qualities of each cat. If it is a trait of all-white cats, I'm thinking of getting another one down the road when I'm ready to get another cat. But I also am aware of the fact that I may be trying to "clone" a relationship that can't be cloned. We'll see! But reading all your stories has been so wonderful. Thank you!

(I can't figure out how to attach an image...so no photo yet...)

 

[sierra_k]

I have a nine year old female spayed white kitty. She is polydactyl(has thumbs on the front)
She does have more dental issues than my other 4 cats, but not enough for extractions. Other than that she has been very healthy. I do keep flea treatment on her because her skin does seem more sensitive to bites.
She is absolutely THE most loving, affectionate cat I have ever had.
I would not hesitate to have another white kitty...Snowflake is the sweetest

 

[going nova]

Ha, Carolina I think you may be on to something. In the past 16 months Nova has had two URIs, one UTI, a very sensitive tummy (she gets diarrhea if she eats anything other than her normal food), and now has a skin infection around her lady bits.

Nova has medium fur and is white with flame points. Maybe someone bred her and her health issues are a result of poor breeding?

 

[janet67]

We just recently rescued a small white kitten running in the middle of the road.  I have never had a white kitten before but don't like the thing about health issues.  He is very sweet but will have to be kept outside .  I hope he has no more health problems than my others.  I may try to find him a good home.           Janet