Has anyone ever heard of a cat having an albino kitten? Are they typically blind and/or deaf??

I know that there is truth to the fact that most (not all, but most) pure white cats with blue eyes tend to be deaf or blind. Pure white cats with yellow or green eyes do not have this problem.

BUT...what about a kitten with pink eyes??? My friends cat had kittens, one of which has pure pink eyes (at this point, do not appear to have pupils, but not yet certain).

Anybody ever heard of this happening before???

Well there is certainly such a thing as an albino cat, and they do have pink eyes. There is an exotic cat breeder who has created an Albino Bengal cat by breeding Bengal cats with Albino Siamese cats. These cats are neither blind nor deaf.

But as for your friend's situation, I guess a veterinarian would be the one who could tell you for sure about the kitten's limits.

That's the worst case of pinkeye I've ever seen!
(Sorry - couldn't resist! )

Of course there is such a thing as an albino cat. Any species can have albinos. And, just as with human albinos, it is due to a lack of pigment and therefore they, too, are likely to have pink eyes.
There is a difference, though, between a pure white cat and an albino cat. I have heard a number of times that pure white cats are more likely to be deaf than others, but not blind.
An albino kitten will likely have pink eyes, but that does not make her blind. Does she act like she can see you, or does she respond more to sound and smell?
Either way, if your friend is concerned that the kitten might be albino or blind or have any other health problems, I hope she has taken her to the vet for a diagnosis (kittens should be going to the vet anyway). The vet will be better able to diagnose the kitten's condition and able to tell your friend about any special care she might require as a result.

She hadn't brought them in yet for check-ups...they were only a couple of weeks old...she mentioned to me that the eyes are turning blue...

Well that’s good to know. I’ll admit, I’m not very familiar with kittens, but if she is at all worried about the cats’ condition, she should certainly take it to the vet -whether she’s due for a check-up or not.

We have an Albino Gerbil!

I just found out today that one of my kittens is an albino, so i know the are real

quote:

Originally posted by Lydia:
Has anyone ever heard of a cat having an albino kitten? Are they typically blind and/or deaf??

I know that there is truth to the fact that most (not all, but most) pure white cats with blue eyes tend to be deaf or blind. Pure white cats with yellow or green eyes do not have this problem.

BUT...what about a kitten with pink eyes??? My friends cat had kittens, one of which has pure pink eyes (at this point, do not appear to have pupils, but not yet certain).

Anybody ever heard of this happening before???

Certainly, they are real. I do wonder if the kitten in question in the original post was ever taken to the vet...