When we’re growing up, we learn that not everyone is the same. What’s more, we learn how important it is that we all come into this world with various attributes that make us unique.
This is particularly apparent with our eye color, especially since not everyone has the same color eyes. You might be born with bright blue eyes, for instance, but your best friend could have brown eyes, and these small differences are what make us so interesting! In the animal kingdom, there’s an incredibly rare condition in cats that not only affects their eye color, but everything about their physical appearance. Once you get a glimpse, you won’t be able to look away…
Heterochromia is rare condition in cats in which each of their eyes is a different color. You’ve probably seen that condition before in other animals—or in famous celebrities, like the late David Bowie, for example.
Sectoral heterochromia, however, is a little bit different from what you’ve seen before. With this type of heterochromia, both of the cat’s eyes are two different colors! It’s truly an awesome sight to behold…
Cats with heterochromia are mostly white, though no one knows why. Maybe it’s because Mother Nature knew that a white coat would make it really easy for these cats to show off their striking eye colors? Each kitty that sports this look is as stunning as the last.
Although most of these cats have a solid white coat, others have white spots or different patches of color. This doesn’t make them any less cute, though! Check out this frisky fellow eagerly showing off his good looks.
Some of these cats’ eye colors are a bit… intense. With a face like this one, you can hardly blame the little guy. It’s almost as if gazing into his eyes will send you into a hypnotic state… that will encourage you to feed him all of the cat food, of course.
Some of them look like real life cartoon characters, like this little guy for example. Can’t you just imagine the hijinks he could get himself into? Well, if by hijinks, you mean malevolent plans to take over the world…
Evil or not, these cats are all positively captivating. This hairless cat already looks so unique, but when you add his differently colored eyes to the equation, that really pushes his unique factor up to another level!
This kitty looks like a living work of art, and you can tell that he’s wild about getting to spend all the time he can in the arms of his owner. These cats might look a little bit different than others, but that doesn’t mean that they are any less lovable!
This cat has eyes that kind of look like a planet. Maybe the fine folks at NASA could learn something from her! You don’t need to spend years preparing to travel in a spacecraft when you can just adopt one of these special kitties!
This kitty is positively hypnotizing! Look at the way his eyes seem to completely match the colors behind him. He couldn’t have planned it any better if he tried. This pretty kitty is definitely ready for his closeup!
This cat seems to be using her special eyes to focus on something exciting. Sure, it’s probably the family dog’s wagging tail, but something about her unique appearance makes her intense hunting stance even more impressive than usual! Watch out, Fido!
With those eyes and that nose, this cat wins the award for most unique-looking. He might also win the award for “most likely to be scooped up and cuddled and petted and kissed,” because he is so darn cute!
You won’t be able to look away from this beautiful cat’s gaze! Some ancient cultures actually believed that cats were gods; while that’s gone out of fashion today, it’s easy to see why they thought so when you come across photos like this one.
Looking at this cat could absolutely pass as your moment of zen for the day. Have you ever gazed into a more peaceful pair of eyes? Probably not! It’s like this cat is sending you positive vibrations through his purrs! So, who’s ready to adopt their very own cat just like these?
The colored area around the pupil of the eye is called the iris. The iris has two layers, the stroma and the epithelium. Both of these layers contain pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. In the stroma, those melanocytes are loosely arranged, and in the epithelium, they are more tightly packed.
The amount of melanin — the pigment that turns our own skin darker when we get a suntan — determines eye color in both humans and cats. The white or white-spotted gene found in some cats is normally the cause of heterochromia in them.
All kittens are born with blue eyes. As the kitten grows, melanin moves into the iris of the eyes. When the kitty reaches 7 to 12 weeks old, her eyes will become the color they will remain.
Because purebred cats are bred to meet a specific breed standard, which often includes eye color, breeders select for cats that have more intense colors or particular colors. For example, the Bombay cat breed standard requires copper-colored eyes; and the Tonkinese has aqua-colored eyes.
Cause for concern surfaces when an older cat develops heterochromia. This could be caused by a buildup of blood or iron within the chamber nearest to the front of the eye.
Having eyes of different colors will not interfere with your kitty’s natural instincts of looking, leaping, lazing and lunging. Her “eye-catching” eyes can see things as clearly as you can… maybe even better.
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