What Breeds of Cats Have Long White Fur & Light Blue Eyes?

All kittens are born with blue eyes, but in most cases, the eyes will change to shades of gold or green when the kitten is about a month old. The eyes will continue to change color until the kitten is about 3 months old, when the adult eye color will settle in. There are some cat breeds that are prone to blue eyes -- the Siamese, ragdoll, Himalayan, Persian, Turkish Van and ojos azules, but of these breeds, the Turkish Van, Persian, Himalayan and ragdoll are the only breeds that may have long, white hair.

  1. Deafness

    • Cats who have a dominate white gene may have blue, orange or odd eyes. Those cats with blue eyes have increased odds of being deaf, and cats with odd eyes -- two different color eyes -- have a high chance of being deaf on the blue-eyed side. Not all blue-eyed, white cats are deaf, and some cats with other fur and eye colors can be deaf. Sometimes it depends on what genes the kitten has inherited.

    Turkish Van

    • The Turkish Van is a semi-longhaired cat developed in central and southwest Asia, and is a fairly rare breed in the United States. The first Turkish Van arrived in Europe in 1955 and in the U.S. in the 1970s. The breed is considered the original breed to carry the piebald gene; a Turkish Van cat will have mostly white hair with some color markings. Some cats will be solid white, but most have markings on their ears and tail. He may have blue eyes, amber or odd eyes. This breed tends to have a fascination with water and tends to be very vocal, intelligent, social, agile and energetic.

    Persian Cat

    • The Persian cat is one of the most recognizable and iconic cat breeds. The breed is one of the oldest established breeds, and some of the first cats that were registered with the Cat Fanciers Association were Persian cats. The breed comes in a wide variety of coat and eye colors, one of which happens to be white hair with blue eyes. With any Persian, regular grooming is a must, as the long hair can tangle easily. A Persian is typically very relaxed and affectionate.

    Himalayan

    • The Himalayan cat breed was developed by Dr. Clyde Keller of the Harvard Medical School in the 1930s. Dr. Keller bred Siamese cats with Persians, and after several breedings and generations of cats, he developed the first Himalayan -- Newton's Debutante. The breed was accepted to the Cat Fanciers Association in 1957, but in the 1980s, the breed was changed to be a type of Persian cat because the body structure was so similar. A Himalayan cat won't come in just white, he may come in a wide variety of colors and points, but he must have blue eyes. Because of his long, thick coat, you must brush and groom him regularly. The breed is known to be quiet, calm and easygoing.

    Ragdoll

    • The Ragdoll breed is a fairly new breed. In the 1960s, a longhair, nonpedigree cat named Josephine. There are many rumors about Josephine, none of which are confirmed, but it is agreed upon that she was the founding cat. The Cat Fanciers Association did not accept the ragdoll as a breed until 1993. The cat comes in a variety of colors and points, and there are white, blue-eyed ragdolls. The breed is known for its large size and mild-mannered, affectionate and trainable nature.