Albino-cat: description, nature and features of the content. Albinism gene

For us Europeans, white color represents purity and integrity. And we would like to have a cat with such a snow color in the house. Fluffy coat of white suits - what could be nicer? It looks so original! But do we realize that such an animal may be an albino animal? A cat with a snow-white fur coat requires reliable protection and more careful care than her usual sisters of other stripes.

Note that albinism and light color are far from the same thing. What is the difference? This we will tell in our article. Many people think that all white cats have blue eyes. We will debunk this myth. Having adopted an albino family, we must understand that such animals do not survive in the wild. Especially cats who get food, hunting and sneaking up on game. But when engaged in the selection of species and colors, a man brought out a white suit. Therefore, we are responsible for such animals.

What is the gene of albinism?

The color of the hair, as well as the color of the eyes and skin of any creature, whether it is a cat, a person, a bird, an amphibian and even a fish, is caused by the pigment melanin. There are two varieties of this substance. Eumelanin, the granules of which absorb sunlight, gives a black color. Representatives of the Negroid race contain the pigment in the trunk of the hair, the iris of the eye and the skin.

Another species - pheomelanin - has oblong granules. They reflect the color and give color in the yellow-orange-red range. The mixing of pheomelanin and eumelanin in various proportions gives rise to a huge number of animal suits. But albinism is something special. This is the complete absence of melanin. Signs of albinism are manifested, first of all, in the absence of pigmentation of the hairline. But also the eyes are not painted. The iris of other creatures reflects light and conceals blood vessels. In the albino, the inside of the eyeball is visible. Therefore, in such individuals they are red. This is also accompanied by a snow-white, pigmentless skin.

Is there a partial albinism?

The gene is completely responsible for the complete absence of melanin in the body. Albinism is a mutation. You can admire the white hair, wool or feather of such creatures as much as you like, but it itself brings a lot of problems. We'll talk about them later. Now we will say that the albino cat is not found often - one case of a similar mutation for ten thousand representatives of the species. They are distinguished from other animals with a white coat of pink eyes and the same color cushions of the feet and the tip of the nose.

But sometimes there is not an absolute mutation. If the SA gene becomes dominant, partial albinos appear. They can be painted in various natural colors of the paw and tail, whereas the trunk is devoid of pigmentation. Sometimes the mutation makes itself felt by white spots or red eyes. Gene CS also causes partial albinism. But it gives rise to an interesting color. Through the white color on each hair barely breaks through melanin. Bright representatives of this mutation is a breed of Siamese cats.

What is the notorious gene W

This failure in pigmentation is also called "dominant white". The gene suppresses the manifestation of melanin. Unlike albinos, in normal white cats, the color pigment is present, but is hidden. However, it appears in the iris. If the albino has pink eyes, then in white cats with a W mutation they can be blue, intense blue and even a different color. Such gene failure is often accompanied by deafness.

If a cat has one eye blue and the other green, then it most likely does not hear on that ear, which is closer to the blue. All these genes responsible for the manifestation of the absence of pigmentation of the coat (whether albinism or "dominant white") are recessive. This means that if you cross such an animal with an ordinary representative of their species, healthy puppies, rabbits, etc. will appear. Therefore, those species of cat that are supposed to be snow-white by the standard of the breed are highly valued. It is, above all, the Turkish Angora. There are a number of oriental rocks where white color is set out in a separate standard.

"White crow"

We have already said that an albino cat is extremely rare. This gene mutation condemns the carrier to an early death. In the wild, an animal with a snow-white fur coat is an easy prey for a predator. And if the albino itself eats game, then it will be extremely difficult for him to sneak up on her unnoticed. Absolutely white individuals are not welcome and its relatives. After mating, the female will give preference to a brightly colored partner.

Albinism manifests itself not only in the complete absence of melanin. Gene failure carries with it a whole bunch of diseases. This, first of all, reduced immunity and partial or total deafness. The pink eyes of albino cats are not protected, and therefore their eyesight is very weak. Particularly suffering from ultraviolet soft white skin. After all, melanin is a natural protection from the sun's rays. In a word, in the wild nature, albino individuals are extremely rare and die at a young age.

Martyrs of Breeding

Despite the rejection of relatives, white individuals really like people. The desire to have something original, unusual is so characteristic of human nature. Long ago there were legends about white animals. Albino-elephants in Thailand could have only kings. And the Indian raja Mohan was specially engaged in breeding white tigers. If in the wild nature a gene mutation is a sentence for an individual, in human society it began to be cultivated.

Together with rabbits, nutria and mink appeared species of cats, in which this defect, causing white color, was fixed from generation to generation. In the wild, the chance of meeting two albinos is minimal. Yes, and the ability to give offspring of such a small. A recessive gene may appear in subsequent generations, or may not. But the selection, conducted not by nature, but by man, brought a whole series of sufferers, carrying in themselves severe illnesses, but pleasing the owners with a snow-white beautiful fur coat.

Side Effects of Beauty

It's time to talk about changes in the body of albino caused by the gene mutation. First of all, it is extremely low immunity. If you have an albino animal, be prepared for the fact that any infection will kill your pet. Therefore, you need to be careful in dealing with other animals. By the way, the deafness of white cats is caused by the W gene, not C.

Albinos do not always hear badly. But for sure he has a weak vision. Sunlight literally hurts the irisless pigment. An animal likes to be in the shade, and one should not interfere with such a desire. After all, the pink tips of the ears and nose can get sunburn. Animals with gene mutations are extremely sensitive to temperature changes. They are both cold and hot. In every way try to protect your animal from drafts. The mutation of the genes causes both problems with the teeth, and with the locomotor apparatus.

The nature of white cats

Such animals feel defective. Therefore, they are very attached to a person, feeling that without a master they will not survive. They are affectionate and accommodating. Perhaps they are less playful than their normally colored relatives. But they can not be called lazy either. These are very sensitive creatures. Sometimes their angelic character in relation to the owners and close acquaintances does not fit in with sullenness in the presence of strangers. The albino cat is by nature somewhat cowardly. Awareness of its inferiority makes it be anxious and suspicious.

Care for white cats: features

If you decide to have a pet, prepare for frequent visits to the vet. Albinos are very painful, they need special care. In addition to the pathologies of the internal organs, they have extremely sensitive to sunlight eyes and open skin areas. And wool can suffer from aggressive ultraviolet. The blue eyes of a white cat are almost certainly indicative of her deafness. This is dangerous, because an animal can not escape the danger by reacting to noise. It is better not to let such a cat out into the street.