page_title: Congenital sensorineural deafness in cats
hierarchical_section_title: Congenital sensorineural deafness in cats
caption_attribution_description: English: Deaf white cat with odd coloured eyes.
context_page_description: Congenital sensorineural deafness occurs commonly in domestic cats with a white coat. It is a congenital deafness caused by a degeneration of the inner ear. Deafness is far more common in white cats than in those with other coat colors. According to the ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats, "17 to 20 percent of white cats with nonblue eyes are deaf; 40 percent of "odd-eyed" white cats with one blue eye are deaf; and 65 to 85 percent of blue-eyed white cats are deaf."
  Domesticated cats with blue eyes and white coats are often completely deaf. Deafness can occur in white cats with yellow, green or blue irises, although it is mostly likely in white cats with blue irises. In white cats with mixed-coloured eyes, it has been found that deafness is more likely to affect the ear on the blue-eyed side. White cats can have blue, gold, green or copper coloured odd eyes.
  In one 1997 study of white cats, 72% of the animals were found to be totally deaf.
context_section_description: Congenital sensorineural deafness occurs commonly in domestic cats with a white coat. It is a congenital deafness caused by a degeneration of the inner ear. Deafness is far more common in white cats than in those with other coat colors. According to the ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats, "17 to 20 percent of white cats with nonblue eyes are deaf; 40 percent of "odd-eyed" white cats with one blue eye are deaf; and 65 to 85 percent of blue-eyed white cats are deaf."
  Domesticated cats with blue eyes and white coats are often completely deaf. Deafness can occur in white cats with yellow, green or blue irises, although it is mostly likely in white cats with blue irises. In white cats with mixed-coloured eyes (odd-eyed cats), it has been found that deafness is more likely to affect the ear on the blue-eyed side. White cats can have blue, gold, green or copper coloured odd eyes.
  In one 1997 study of white cats, 72% of the animals were found to be totally deaf. The entire organ of Corti in the cochlea was found to have degenerated in the first few weeks after birth; however, even during these weeks no brain stem responses could be evoked by auditory stimuli, suggesting that these animals had never experienced any auditory sensations. It was found that some months after the organ of Corti had degenerated, the spiral ganglion of the cochlea also began to degenerate.
caption: Deaf odd-eyed white cat
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