WHAT IS HETEROCHROMIA?

Heterochromia Iridis is a condition that causes a cat’s eyes to be two different colors. While this condition is rare in humans, it is actually rather common in cats. Heterochromia is most common in white or parti-white cats. It causes one eye to be blue and the other is yellow, green, or brown. Other kinds of heterochromia can cause one eye to be two different colors.

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The condition is caused by a genetic anomaly that prevents melanin from being sent to one eye to give it color. An affected cat is left with one blue eye and the other colored as both should have been.

Two genes lead to odd-eyes occurring: one causes white coats and the other causes part-white coats hence it’s only those Maine Coons that have odd-eyes.

Often, odd-eyed cats inherit both the dominant white gene and the white spotting gene. It is extremely rare for a cat without both genes to be born with odd-colored eyes.

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