Many people’s impression of cats is not only cold and arrogant, but also mysterious. Even if we have raised cats for several years, it seems that there are still many things about them that we cannot 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 yellow-white, and they are very afraid of light. , so they are also called "children of the moon".

In fact, albinism does not only exist in humans. Many animals also suffer from skin diseases, such as our common cats. When everyone sees a cat with a pure white body, most people will praise it for its magical appearance. However, behind the good looks, it may be caused by albinism.

The troubles of albinism behind good looks

The chromosome that controls cat coat color is on the XY chromosome, but the XY chromosome does not carry white. The reason why cats have white coat color is actually the albino gene at work. When there is a problem with the albino gene, it is easy for cats to suffer from albinism. Some cat owners may ask, are all white cats albinos? In fact, they are not.

Some white cats are only different from normal cats in coat color, but cats suffering from albinism are pathological. So how to distinguish white cats from albino cats?

1. See your parents

Like humans, albinism in cats is also a genetic disease, so if a cat has albinism, it means that at least one of its parents has an albino cat, because only those who carry the albinism gene can pass it on to their children. Therefore, the editor does not recommend that cats with albinism allow them to reproduce. This will only cause great trouble to the next generation.

2. Look at the eyes and skin

Because cats lack melanin in their bodies, various organs in their bodies will appear in different states, such as their eyes. Normal cat eyes should be yellow, blue, amber, brown and other colors, but cats with albinism usually appear light blue or pink due to the disease.

But this is actually not the original color of the cat, but the reflection of the red blood in the eyes. The same is true for the skin of sick cats. It has no color itself, but appears due to reflection. If you pay attention to the hair on the cat's ears, you will see that it is transparent or pink.

3. Look at the sunshine

Suffering from albinismSick cats cannot see the sun. Sunlight can easily cause certain damage to their eyes and skin. Because cats’ eye pupils and bodies lack melanin, when strong sunlight shines on their eyes or skin, it will cause cats to become photosensitive. , making them unable to see objects around them clearly, which may cause some damage to their vision.

Therefore, if you find that cats have albinism, you should not let them bask in the sun. This will not only do them no good, but will also cause harm.

Rumors about albino cats

The most common rumor I have heard is that albino cats will be deaf, but there is no scientific basis for this. Albinism only affects a cat's vision and has no connection with hearing. However, it is possible for blue-eyed white cats to have hearing impairment. According to research by scientists, 60% of white cats with blue eyes will have congenital hearing impairment. Therefore, cat owners should pay more attention to taking care of cats in their daily lives.

Especially cats with albinism, their bodies are already very weak, and the cat owners need to provide more careful care. There is a saying that goes well, the more beautiful things are, the more fragile they are. Even though cats with albinism are so beautiful, their bodies are actually suffering from great pain.

But what I can rest assured is that cats with albinism are actually relatively rare. If you do encounter one, I hope you won’t abandon them.