![]() This means, for example, you can have a genetically black cat (or red), but if he carries the W gene, the colour will be masked. This gene suppresses the expression of the coat and eye colour. The blue eye colour in cats occurs in one of three ways:ġ) Dominant White (epistatic white cats) – The gene responsible for blue-eyed white cats is symbolised by the letter W, it is dominant, and therefore only one copy is required for the trait to be expressed. Eye colour starts to change in kittens from the fourth week. Full coloured cats from lines that produce deep blue eyes in pointed kittens are more likely to have green eyes while pointed cats from lines that produce deep copper eyes in full-coloured kittens are more likely to have pale blue eyes.Īs melanin production is triggered by light, all kittens are born with blue eyes, due to their development in the dark womb. Interestingly, the deep blue eyes in pointed cats (Ragdoll, Siamese, Birman, Himalayan, Snowshoe) is due to the pigment-reducing effects of the albinism allele as well as a low amount of pigmentation. Blue eyes of white cats had normal pigmentation of the iridial and retinal pigment epithelia but no stromal pigmentation of the iris or choroid. The more melanin, the darker the eyes, the less melanin, the lighter the colour will be and a complete absence of melanin results in red eyes. The function of melanin is to limit the amount of light that enters the eye to protect the light-sensitive retina located at the back of the eye. While all cats have similar numbers of melanocytes, the amount of melanin can differ. Melanocytes produce melanin which is responsible for colour. The iris is made up of two layers, the stroma is the outermost layer and contains loosely packed melanocytes and the epithelium is the innermost layer located and contains densely packed melanocytes. ![]() The blue colouration you see in a cat’s eyes is due to specialised pigment-producing cells in the iris known as melanocytes. In addition to the cat breeds listed above, who only come with blue eyes, the breeds listed below can also have blue eyes depending on their coat colour/genetics:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |