Have you ever noticed that kittens' eyes are all blue, but when they grow up, they will change to different colors, some are green, some are yellow, some are orange, and some are even two colors. Why is that? The color of cat's eye is related to their genes, health, age, etc., let's explore the mystery of cat's eye together.
What determines the color of a cat's eye?
The color of a cat's eye is determined by a substance called melanin in the eye. Melanin is a substance that can dye **, hair, eyes and other parts, and humans also have melanin, so the color of our **, hair, and eyes is also determined by melanin. The amount and distribution of melanin is controlled by genes, which are carriers of genetic information that determine our physical characteristics. Different genes cause different melanin manifestations, so there will be many colors of cat's eyes.
The colored part of the cat's eye is called the iris, and there are two layers of melanin-containing cells in the iris, one is called the stroma and the other is called the epithelium. The stroma is made up of loosely arranged cells, and the epithelium is made up of tightly packed cells. Both the matrix and the epithelium can produce different amounts and reactive melanin, which affects the color of the cat's eye.
Why are kitten's eyes blue?
When kittens are born, their eyes are closed because their eyes are not fully developed and need to be protected in the dark. It is about 7 to 14 days after birth that the kitten's eyes open, and at this time, you will notice that their eyes are all blue, no matter what color they will become in the future. This is because the melanocytes in the kitten's iris have not yet started working, so they are not producing melanin. The iris without melanin reflects blue light, so kittens' eyes appear blue.
The kitten's eye color begins to change 6 to 7 weeks after birth, when the melanocytes in the iris begin to become active and produce different melanin. The amount and distribution of melanin affects the color of the eye, generally speaking, the more melanin, the darker the color of the eye, and the less melanin, the lighter the color of the eye. The kitten's eye color will stabilize at 3 to 4 months, and you can see their final eye color.
What are the types of cat's eye colors?
There are many colors of cat's eyes, which can be divided into the following according to the amount and distribution of melanin:
Blue: Blue-eyed cats are cats with little or no melanin, and their iris only reflects blue light, so they appear blue. Some cats with blue eyes are genetic, such as Siamese, Donchini, Osyas, etc., and their genes affect the production of melanin, so their eyes are always blue. Some are due to albinism or the influence of white genes, such as white cats, bicolor cats, etc., their genes will suppress or mask the genes of other colors, so their eyes are also blue. Cats with blue eyes are beautiful, but they are also prone to some health problems, such as deafness, eye diseases, etc., so take care to protect their eyes.
Green: Cats with green eyes are cats with a small amount of melanin, and their iris reflects green light, so they look green. There are many types of cats with green eyes, such as Chinchilla, Russian Blue, Egyptian, etc., and their genes affect the amount and distribution of melanin, so their eyes are green. There are many types of green for green-eyed cats, including light green, dark green, grass green, sea green, etc., all of which are beautiful and do not have any health problems.
Yellow: Cats with yellow eyes are cats with a moderate amount of melanin, and their iris reflect yellow light, so they appear yellow. There are many types of cats with yellow eyes, such as British Shorthair, American Shorthair, Norwegian Forest Cat, etc., and their genes affect the amount and activity of melanin, so their eyes are yellow. Cats with yellow eyes come in many varieties of yellow, including light yellow, dark yellow, golden, lemon, etc., all with personality and no health problems.
Orange: Cats with orange eyes are cats with a lot of melanin, and their iris reflects orange light, so it looks orange. There are many types of cats with orange eyes, such as Persian cats, Burmese cats, Turkish Angora cats, etc., and their genes affect the amount and activity of melanin, so their eyes are orange. Cats with orange eyes come in many shades of orange, including light orange, dark orange, amber, copper, etc., all of which are gorgeous and have no health problems.