There are certain breeds that are more likely to produce blue eye colors naturally. The blue color we see in a cat’s eyes is due to the lighting. With fewer cells available to produce those pigments, cats are left with blue eyes. Cats with blue eyes simply have little to no melanin in their iris. Have you encountered a kitten or adult cat with blue eyes? It turns out this is not that rare of a case. Cats With Blue Eyes Have No Melanin In Their Iris

However, when an adult cat experiences a sudden change in eye color, something is likely wrong. If the change is eye color is gradual over a period of months and years, then that’s just genetics and aging. The eyes can appear more red or yellow than usual. The changes in eye color are sometimes hard to see, but it’s usually inflammatory in nature. In most cases, this means the cat is experiencing eye affection. An adult cat experiencing changes in eye color is usually a sign that there is a health concern. While changes in eye color are quite common in younger cats, it’s almost never the case for adult cats. Adults Cats Don’t Typically Experience Changes In Eye Color Sometimes it can take longer, but between 4 – 6 months later is when their true eye color is present. Usually, a month or two into a kitten’s growth is when you’ll notice changes in eye color. Kittens are mostly born with blue eyes, and then those colors will begin to change over time. This is usually something a cat owner can pick up on early on in a kittens life. This can occur with any cat breed and with any coat color. The cause of this has to do with genetics and the melanocytes growing as they grow. It’s not uncommon to see a kitten with yellow eyes grow into a happy adult cat with yellow eyes. Cats Eye Colors Can Change As They Ageįrom infancy to adulthood, cats can see a change in the color of their eyes as they age. The light that reflects off of the cat’s eye surface is what causes us to see blue. Blue eyes mean the cat has no pigment in their irises. Cats who have a complete absence of melanin in their eyes will usually have blue eyes, although there are some exceptions to that. The most mesmerizing of all the eye colors for cats is probably blue. Lower to moderate amounts of melanin will produce green-eyed cats. Cats with lower amounts of melanin in their eyes will have lighter colors.

Cats do not generate enough melanin to produce black or brown eye colors. Copper is actually the darkest color you will find in a cat’s eyes. Darker colors include hazel, orange, and red. Typically the more melanin the cat has in their eyes, the darker they will be.

The melanocytes are small cells that help produce the melanin. Depending on how much melanin content the cat has in their eyes determines the color and brightness of their eyes. Did you know that melanin has a huge impact on the eye color of a cat? This not necessarily melanin in the cat’s skin, but rather the melanin in the eyes.

Mackerel tabby cat copper eyes