Heterochromia Causes Eyes Of Different Colors
In some cases, a kitten develops eyes that are two distinct colors. Both eyes may develop two colors, or each eye may be a different color. This color variation, referred to as heterochromia, occurs when there are unequal amounts of melanocytes in the irises, and the full-color change can take months to complete. Heterochromia is not considered a medical problem, and cats that have this condition look quite unique.
The Age At Which Your Kittens Eyes Change Color
The age at which a kittens color changes:
At 7 weeks, your kittens adult eye color begins to emerge. They will change from baby blue to the color it will keep permanently.
The eye color will change to yellow, green, orange, or grey. Few cat breeds retain their blue eye color into adulthood. Albino cats eyes are sensitive to light.
You have just brought your adorable kitty home. As you look into your kittens eyes, you may notice that it has mesmerizing blue eyes. But later on, as it grows, you will see a color change, and wonder what happened.
I understand as a cat parent, you want to know all about your little ones development. Keep reading to know more about at what age your kittens color changes, and why it does so.
I will also discuss when color-changing should be a cause of concern, and how to clean your kittens eyes.
The Science Behind The Color Change
Present in your cats iris are pigment-producing cells called Melanocytes. Once the kitten opens their eyes the Melanocytes will develop the pigment cells known as Melanin which will ultimately determine the color and intensity of the mature cats eyes. The volume of these pigmented cells will also affect the color of the kittens eyes. The number of pigment cells boils down to the kittens DNA structure, passed down from their parents.
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Kittens usually are born with blue eyes. Their eye pigment starts to change at around 8 – 12 weeks of age. The change of eye color could indicate the age of a kitten. By 4 months of age, a kitten’s eye coloration should mature into adult color.
Some cats can develope 2 different eye colors, called odd-eyed cats. It occurs mostly in white cats, but can also be found in other colors of cats. The cause of odd-eyed coloring is genetic. The odd-eyed cats are most noticable in Turkish Van, Turkish Angora and Japanese Bobtail.
There is a misconception that most of the odd-eyed cats are deaf. The truth is that 60% – 70% of odd-eyed cats retain normal hearing while 10% – 20% of normal eyed cats are born deaf or become deaf as they age.
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Corneal Sequestrum Appears As Brown Or Yellow Color Changes
Corneal sequestrum produces brown to black plaques of dead tissue on the cornea. Persian, Siamese, Burmese, and Himalayan cats seem to be affected by this condition more than other breeds.
This painful condition is diagnosed by the appearance of plaques and accompanying symptoms such as tearing and squinting. Some treatment options include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drops, antiviral therapy or removal of the affected tissue followed by a corneal graft to protect the cornea as it heals.
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When And Why Do Kittens Eyes Change Color
As kittens age, they begin to produce melanin in their eyes. This can cause their eyes to change color between 6 to 12 weeks. Donât worry, the process doesnât affect their vision. However, if your catâs eyes continue to change after that time frame, reach out to your vet as that could be a sign of an underlying health issue.â
Is Eye Color Related To Coat Color
Even though melanin is responsible for both coat color and eye color, these dont necessarily correspond in cats like they do in humans. This means that a cat with a dark colored coat e.g. black, that has a lot of melanin could have green eyes that have little melanin.
The exception to this is in white colored cats. As weve discussed, these cats carry the W gene which is responsible for white coats and gives a higher chance of having blue eyes. In this case, white colored coats are linked to blue eyes and deafness.
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Different Eye Colors Of A Kitten
1. Blue eyes
In rare cases, your kitten might retain its blue eyes into adulthood. This may happen because of low or no melanin production in the iris.
Blue eyes are clear, but the light reflecting around the rounded edges of a cats pigment-free irises is what makes us see the blue color.
The Siamese cat is an example of a colorpoint cat.
Other breeds that develop with the Siamese as a major genetic contributor also have blue eyes as adult cats. These are:
If blue is your favorite eye color in a cat, and you want your kitten to have this eye color when it grows, go for these above feline breeds, as they will retain their baby blue eye color into adulthood.
However, keep in mind that white cats with two blue eyes have a high tendency of being deaf. A grey cat with blue eyes has a bit of melanin in its fur, but there is completely no melanin on its eyes.
2. Odd eyes
Another unique situation when it comes to cat eye color is odd-eyes which occur in three types:
- Complete heterochromia: This is where one eye is blue, and the other brown or green.
- Sectoral heterochromia: You can see two eye colors are present in the iris.
- Central heterochromia: Two colors can be seen on the iris, a central color that surrounds the pupil and a different color on the outside portion of the iris.
3. Copper or yellow eyes
Most people assume their cats eye color is brown when it is actually dark copper, or dark orange.
There is no cat with black eyes.
4. Green eyes
5. Yellow or orange
Can You Predict A Cats Final Color
It can be difficult to predict what color your cats eyes will be as the color has nothing to do with gender or coat color/pattern. A kittens eyes will commonly change from green to yellow to orange and then copper, but as weve discussed, certain breeds, such as Siamese and Ragdoll, are predisposed to have blue eyes.
Sadly, there is no way of knowing what color eyes your adult cat will have. But we also think that this creates a beautiful surprise as they mature. Will they have a majestic amber eye color? Unusual yellow eyes or beautiful blue eyes?
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Why Do The Irises Contain Colour
The iris is made up of two layers the epithelium at the back and the stroma at the front. The epithelium is only two cells thick and contains black-brown pigment while the stroma is made up of tightly packed, colourless collagen fibrils and melanin.
The function of the iris is to limit the amount of light that passes through the lens to the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye. This is why people with blue eyes are more sensitive to light than those with dark eyes.
Eye colour is darker if it contains more melanin in the stroma, which absorbs the light entering the eye. Cats with blue eyes have no melanin in the stroma, which causes light to scatter light, producing a blue hue. This is because blue travels in shorter waves than other colours, making blue reflect more easily and thus, more visible. The effect is known as the Tyndall effect.
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Also Do You Know At What Age Do Kittens Get Their True Eye Color
As sight develops, cats eyes often begin to change, and take on a range of different colors, from browns and yellows to greens, oranges and ambers. This change will likely begin somewhere between three to eight weeks of age. Itll be complete by the time your kitten turns three months old.
Generally What is the rarest eye color for kittens? The rarest cat eye color is hazel or orange. Cats tend to have low melanin in their eyes which allow them to have light colored eyes. Feral cats and cats such as the Scottish Fold tend to have these colored eyes thanks to the high levels of melanin in their eyes.
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Why Do Cats Have Different Colors Of Eyes
Cat eye color is linked to melanin The color of a cats eyes will depend on the levels of melanin that have been passed onto them in genes from their mother and father cats. Melanin also controls the levels of pigment in the skin and fur. The more melanin your cat inherits, the darker their fur will be.
Does The Color Of Cat Eyes Change With Age
Cat eyes are as mysterious and inscrutable to us as the creatures themselves. Ideally constructed for use by nocturnal predators, they are extraordinary organs. They can detect the slightest movements in situations where there is practically no light available. Whats truly remarkable is that when a kitten is born, she is functionally blind, and her eyes grow and develop along along with the rest of the body.
From the moment a kitten is born until he can safely undergo a spay or neuter procedure, a number of developmental changes occur. Since many of us only adopt cats after theyve been weaned, we completely miss this period of rapid maturation. Eye color change is one of the last processes we can actually observe if the timing is right and if the kittens pace of development is slow enough.
Once a cat is physically mature, her eyes should remain a consistent color throughout life. If you notice a dramatic change in eye color in a grown cat, it could signal a number of health issues, ranging from eye infections and uveitis to leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus. As with any sudden outward change, the best thing to do if you notice such a change is to consult a veterinarian.
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Early Diagnosis Is Key To Treatment
Since cats eyes changing colors can be a sign of a serious health issue, it’s import to check your pet’s eyes on a daily basis. If you spot a minor color change in your cat’s eyes early on, you can have your veterinarian examine her at the earliest opportunity. This will not only allow you to keep her eyes as healthy as they can be, it might also help your vet diagnose and treat life-threatening medical conditions before they reach advanced stages. A check only takes a few moments, and it’s one of the easiest things you can do to ensure your pet’s overall health.
When Do Kittens Open Their Eyes
If it bums you out that you cant pick up and cuddle the baby kitten until theyre at least 2 weeks old, you can take solace in the fact that you wont be able to see their eyes until after 7 to 10 days, anyway.
Kittens should be able to open both eyes by the 2-week mark, which is when you can begin to pick them up! Just keep in mind that while kittens can open their eyes at 2 weeks, they dont get full vision until after the 3-week mark.
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How Can You Tell What Color A Kittens Eyes Will Be
While you can look at the color of their parents eyes to try to guess what eye color your kitten will have, there is no way to know until they develop their final color. Still, at the 4-week point, you can start monitoring their eye color for clues.
If your kittens eyes are going to change color, itll start to happen at some point between 4 and 8 weeks. If theyre still blue at that point, chances are that theyre staying blue!
However, from the 4-week point, they can change to a wide array of colors, including green, gold, amber, yellow-gold, or different shades of blue!
Why Are All Kittens Born With Blue Eyes
Kittens are born with blue eyes because the pigment melanin, which gives color to the eyes, hair, and skin, has not yet been produced in the kittens bodies.
Melanin production begins later in a kittens development, typically around 6-8 weeks of age, and as the kittens eyes produce melanin, their eye color will change.
Some kittens may retain their blue eye color, while others may develop different colors, such as green, yellow, or brown.
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What Each Kitten Eye Color Change Means:
A kittens eye color doesnt necessarily mean too much however, they can imply the kittens connection to specific breeds it may be related to. For example, a kitten who keeps its blue eyes and a lighter shade of fur can imply their genetic connection to colorpoint cats or even albino cats. Below I have broken down each eye color and why a kitten may develop this particular shade.
The Answer Is About 6 Weeks
The answer is about six weeks. The kittens eyes change color at about six weeks of age, but only temporarily. The changes are due to the iris changing shape in response to the environment, allowing more light in when its dark and less light when its bright. This change happens while they are still growing up, so as they get older their eyes will return to their adult color .
If you are looking to adopt a kitten, remember that their eyes will change at about 6 weeks old. You can help them get used to their new home by introducing them slowly and giving them plenty of time for rest. If you have questions about caring for your new baby, ask your veterinarian.
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Hints For Determining A Cats Color
Eye Color Although the eye color of the cat is helpful in picking the correct coat color of a cat, it should not be used at the only determining factor. A cat can have an eye color other than that which is specified and still be the coat color defined in the Show Rules or on the color description sheet. Kittens are born with blue eyes. It may take some time for the adult eye color to develop. Eye color is not recorded on CFA registration records except in the case of white cats. If you are not sure of a white cats eye color, hold off on individual registration until you are sure of the color. A litter can be registered even though the adult eye color is not known.
Non-Championship Color Classes There are colors which are genetically possible which are not included in either the Show Rules or on the color description sheet for a particular breed. These include such colors as cream smoke, blue-cream lynx point, tortie lynx point in some but not all breeds, etc. These colors may have to be considered as possible coat colors even though they are not accepted for registration and/or showing in other than the AOV class.
Milky Or Gray Eyes: Cataracts
If you notice that your cats eyes get a cloudy or milky-gray type color, it may be cataracts. When a cat has cataracts, its eyes may become opaque.
This partially or sometimes completely stops light from going through the eyes. This leaves a cat with a lack of proper vision.
Cataracts can be a consequence of trauma or an underlying condition. Conditions like hypertension and diabetes may cause cataracts in cats.
Treatment of an underlying condition may be advised to treat cataracts. However, in some cases, surgery may be needed to treat the condition.
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Eye Color Change In An Adult Cat Indicates Sickness
Once your kitten has changed its eye color, this should remain consistent throughout its life. If you observe any change in eye color in your adult cat, it could be an indication of a health problem.
If your cats eyes look red and swollen, it could be an inflammation of the light pink lining around your cats eyes, which is conjunctivitis. Contact your vet immediately to know how to help your cat.
What Is The Most Common Eye Color For Cats
The two most common eye colors for cats are green and yellow or some variation between the two. If your cat is going to have either of these eye colors, chances are that youll start to notice them changing between 4 and 5 weeks, although some kittens will hold onto their blue eyes just a bit longer before they change.
But just because green and yellow eyes are the most common for cats, that doesnt mean they arent stunning and wont give your cat a beautiful appearance!
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Why Do Kittens Eyes Change Color
The color of a kittens eyes is determined by the color of their iris, which is a reflection of the pigment inside their iris.
At birth, kittens have blue eyes because they do not have much melanin in their irises. As they grow older and develop more melanin, their eyes will begin to change colors and become darker with time.
Kittens with lighter fur usually have darker colored eyes than darker-furred kittens because the latter tend to be born with already-established pigment in their irises.