Mar 26, 2025, 12:50 PM IST

8 fascinating facts about white cats that you didn't know about

Monica Singh

Here are interesting and fascinating facts about our white furry friends.

Pure white cats are one of the rarest colour cats. So, what causes their all-white coats? If a cat has the dominant W gene, known as the masking gene, it will "hide" every other coat colour and pattern gene in the cat's genetic makeup.

Pure white cats are the rarest colour

Like calico and tortoiseshell cats, all-white cats aren't linked to a specific breed. Rather, many different breeds both long-hair and short-hair can present a pure white coat.

Many different breeds can have all-white coats

All-white cats can have a variety of striking eye colours, like blue, green, yellow, orange, or a combination of colours.

White cats can have very unique eye colours

The same genetic factors that give white cats their snowy coats and unique eye colours can also cause total or partial deafness.

Many white cats are deaf

Like humans, cats with light or white coats are at an increased risk of developing sunburn-especially on their ears, eyelids, and nose.

White cats can get sunburned, Too

Unlike allegedly unlucky black cats, all-white cats symbolize good luck and good fortune in cultures across the globe.

White cats are considered lucky

There's no doubt about it: white cats are gorgeous! But the most striking-and in-demand-white cat, perhaps, is the Persian. 

White Persian cats are the most popular

While every cat has a unique personality, people often like to generalize about the various cat colors and their personality types. In that say, white cats are often said to be a little shyer and calmer than other colours. 

White cats are perceived as shy