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Ojos
Azules Cat
The Ojos Azules cat is a relatively new breed of domestic cat. Cats with dark blue eyes were
discovered in New Mexico among feral cat populations.
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Ojos
Azule Cat
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The first cat discovered was a
tortoiseshell named Cornflower, who was found in 1984.
She was bred to males
without the trait which proved to be dominant as all her kittens showed it.
The breed was founded and named the Ojos Azules cat, the Spanish meaning
being 'Blue
Eyes'.
Ojos Azules cats are held distinct for their
deep blue eyes.
Unlike the blue eyes seen linked to the genes in bicolor
cats and cats with point coloration, both of which suppress pigmentation,
this gene is not linked to any certain fur color or pattern, giving the
opportunity to have cats with dark coats and blue eyes.
The depth of color
in the eyes is greater even than that seen in a Siamese
(cat), and does not cause squinting, deafness or cross-eye. The Ojos Azules
cats are a
very rare breed.
In 1992, only ten were known.
No true
standard has been made, and no cat registration recognizes them.
So far,
only cats expressing the deep blue eye gene have been called Ojos Azules.
It
was recently discovered that cranial defects may be linked to the gene, and
breeding has died down.
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