White cats yay or nay?

[DoComeToMeKitty]

After initially enquiring about two darker cats who have now gone, I have been offered two completely white cats by the same breeder - something I had never considered. They are beautiful.

The cats were first to he reserved by another family but they didn't go ahead.

My main concerns are that's they'd be an easy target for foxes and also that they may be deaf. Seller says she thinks their hearing is ok but cats can also sense vibrations. I think white cats hearing can deteriorate over time too.

They are beautiful though and I'm very very tempted. We live on a quietish road wirh speed bumps but also near a rat-run so there are some dangerous drivers around here. Most cats are fine and none of my neighbours cats have ever been run over but I'd be worried if they can't hear.

Nice to hear all the positivity about white cats :-)

White cats are beautiful
I have one at a nearby supermarket called Picasso and a big one at my allotment see below
Neither are deaf both are gorgeous

and here is Picasso

image

We have a blue eyed white kitten (nearly 6 months) and she is not deaf. If white cats are blue eyed they have a higher chance of deafness but it is not guaranteed and can be checked (rattle a bell behind their back and see if they turn their head or twitch their ears). Her mother was also white (green eyes, not deaf) and one of her sisters was odd-eyed and white (also not deaf).

The rescue centre told us she needed outdoor access when she is old enough just like any other cat. They did mention that any cat with white patches is more vulnerable to sunburn - but many cats rest for the middle of the day anyway and we are in the UK, not Florida, so I think one has to get the risk into proportion to the benefits to the cat. If we can get sun cream on her on bright days I’ll try but I don’t know how easy that will be:

I like to feel that her white fur will make her more visible to drivers on murky afternoons.

She is the most wonderful affectionate, gentle and lovely cat. She is also gorgeous (and she knows it).

Our cat is mainly white but has black ears and a black tail. She is a bossy little madam and has sorted out the foxes around here. They no longer visit our garden.

No. I’ve lost a white cat recently to cancer aged 5. The vet said white cats are way more susceptible to all sorts of cancers - mine had a massive abdominal tumour. I wouldn’t get one again

Also came here to say white cats have health issues and more sensitive to allergies and skin issues.

I've got a pure white cat, he's a terror but adorable!

I think he does have a minor hearing issue, but that does not stop him. When I rescued him he was feral, it took him a week to come for cuddles. He loves being outside, hunts a lot and is always hungry.

Love all the white cat pics. We too have a white cat, he is actually 18 now, has outlived his black brother by 3 years so far. He’s not deaf but I think he has very poor eyesight. Is still a happy cat and goes outside and doesn’t fight with foxes!

White cats are far more visible at night, which is a plus for road safety.

It isn't just white cats you need to be careful with about getting skin cancer, we had a black and white cat and the vet told us to put sunscreen on his one white ear.

That’s really interesting as our cat had the same (intestinal lymphoma) and neither our vet nor the specialist we were referred to said anything about her colour being a factor. We’d been back and forth to our vet a few times with her, and even at the specialist place they said they were looking at “cat IBS” until the massive tumour showed on the CT scan. (Her only symptom was puking, no weight loss, behavioural changes etc so it was a horrible shock.)

I have a white fluffy cat decribed as yellow eyed, Persian mix
She looks like the Pic Breadcat244
posted.
She's 10 not deaf at all only when she chooses to ignore me.

Oh @Judystilldreamsofhorses what a beautiful cat she was! I've seen you talk about her before but not really seen a photo. Lucky you to have had her and dancing Louie in your life !

I used to have a blue-eyed white-haired cat. He was deaf as a post, but it wasn't an issue. He communicated his needs just fine, and I just had to stamp on the floor or tap the ceiling with a broom to get his attention 😂 Kept him as an indoor cat though because he didn't have the common sense needed to make up for being deaf outside. He still managed to get skin cancer from sunbathing by the window! He was a lovely boy.

Same as what white or Himalayan guinea-pigs and rabbits in the wild would do .
Not do very well

I have always loved black cats best but ended up adopting two brothers - one black and one white. Frederick, the white one, is a big wimp and doesn't like people, but he gives the best purry cuddles if I am in bed. He also does the super cute thing of throwing himself onto the floor on his back so that I'll tickle his fluffy tum.

He's currently having a case of the zoomies, complete with little mewing sounds. He is a total idiot but oh my goodness, I love every inch of him. I am so glad I adopted him.

This is Frederick with his tiny brother Frankenstein in the background.

She was an absolute babe! We were so very lucky to have her, and so so sad that she was only ten when we had to say goodbye. We miss her so much. 🤍

(Here’s little Billy Elliott to cheer us up 🧡)

I'd love a white cat! I have read that they don't do well on the streets as they get bullied out of colonies by the other cats 😞. Apparently they are seen as a risk to the group's safety as they are so visible so I'd love to rescue one.

I have a video of next door's cat playing with a fox cub and a picture of one of my cats on a wall looking down at his fox friend.

I'd love a white cat, a neighbour had one who would come into all our houses, so friendly.

My cat is calico but more white than anything. Great if you like white fur all over your clothes! (I don’t because I wear black pants more than anything.). She has permanent stains on the back of her legs from grass/mud despite being a very clean girl.

We were told to put sunscreen on her nose but she just licked it off so we gave up. But we are in New Zealand so it’s very hot, so she doesn’t sit in the sun much and will look for shade. Which on summer mornings means squeezing herself into a tiny patch of about 10cm x 30cm because that’s all the shade there is on our deck!

She is definitely not deaf, she has perfect hearing. She is a great hunter and very quick.

I would look into skin conditions in white cats. My cat was suffering from some kind of condition last autumn, which eventually resolved itself after I’d spent a thousand dollars on specialist appointments, vet appointments, medication etc. Will wait to see if it is seasonal and returns next autumn. We also had a white (and grey) cat previously who suffered terribly and in the end did not have a good outcome. But I don’t know much about skin conditions and whether this is common.