Many people’s impression of cats is not only high and arrogant, but also a little bit mysterious. Even though we have had cats for years, it seems that there will still be a lot of things in them that we can’t understand. I wonder if you have ever heard of albinism? This is a common skin disease caused by the lack of melanin in the body, the patient’s skin and hair will appear white or yellowish white, and is very afraid of the light, so they are also known as the “children of the moon”.
In fact, albinism does not only exist in humans, many animals also suffer from skin diseases, such as our common cat. When we see the cat’s entire body snow white and transparent, most will praise the real fairy face, but behind the high value, but may be the albinism of the trouble.
The plague of albinism behind the face
The chromosome that controls the color of a cat’s coat is on the XY chromosome, but the XY chromosome does not carry white, and the reason why cats have white coats is actually the albino gene at work. And when there is a problem with the albino gene, it is easy to cause the cat to suffer from albinism. Some pooper scoopers will ask, all white cats are albinos? Actually not.
Some white cats are different from normal cats only in terms of coat color, but cats with albinism are sick. So how do you tell the difference between a white cat and an albino cat?
1. Look at Mom and Dad
Like human beings, albinism in cats is also a genetic disease, so if a cat suffers from albinism, it means that at least one of its parents is an albino cat, because only by carrying the albino gene can it be passed on to their children. Therefore, for cats with albinism, I do not recommend shovelers to let them have children, which will only bring great trouble to the next generation.
2. Look at the eyes and skin
Because of the lack of melanin in their bodies, cats will have a different state of various organs in their bodies, such as their eyes. Normal cats’ eyes should appear yellow, blue, amber, brown and other colors, but cats with albinism usually appear light blue or pink because of the disease.
But this is not really the original color of the cat, but the red blood in the interior of the eye through the reflection, which appears in this state. The same applies to the skin of a sick cat, which does not have any color, but appears due to reflection. The pooper scooper pays attention to the hair at the cat’s ears and can see that it is transparent or pink in color.
3. Watching the sun
Cats with albinism are not allowed to see sunlight, which can easily cause some damage to their eyes and skin, because the pupils of their eyes and their bodies lack melanin, and when strong sunlight shines on their eyes or skin, it can lead to photosensitivity, making it impossible for them to see the objects around them, and may cause some damage to their vision.
So shovelers should not let their cats bask in the sun if they find out that they have albinism, not only will it do them no good, but it will cause harm.
Rumors about albino cats
The most common rumor I’ve heard is that cats with albinism can go deaf, but there is no scientific basis for this. Albinism only affects a cat’s vision, and there is no correlation between that and hearing. Blue-eyed white cats do have the potential to have problems with hearing loss, though. According to scientists, 60% of blue-eyed white cats will have congenital hearing impairment, so shovelers should pay more attention to the care of cats in their daily life.
Especially for cats with albinism, their bodies are already very weak, and the pooper scooper has to provide more attentive care. There is a saying that the more beautiful the thing is, the more fragile it is. Don’t look at the face value of cats with albinism, but their bodies are actually suffering a great deal of pain.
However, the shoveler is assured that cats suffering from albinism are actually still relatively rare, and if they do meet them, it is hoped that the shoveler will not abandon them.
