There
are no white cat breeds, meaning cat breeds that must have an entirely
white coat according to the breed standard. There are cat breeds that
have to be grey for example but these are exceptions. Most cat breeds
are seen in a wide range of colors and patterns. The exceptions other
than the grey cat breeds are (1) the pointed cats - Siamese and Ragdoll for example (2) the sole black cat breed, the Bombay and (3) the spotted cats - Egyptian Mau and Bengal for example.
Which cat breeds look particularly good all white? Four pictures of an
all white cat from four different cat breeds come to mind.
Oriental Shorthair
The Oriental Shorthair
is an elegant, slender cat of the Siamese stable of cats. It is a
contemporary Siamese cat in a multitude of coat types. Below is a white
Oriental Shorthair whose name is "Icy" that is now quite well known as
the picture comes up in a Google search:
In complete contrast the Persian can be all-white too under the breed
standard. Below is a another well known picture of a white cat. His
name is Yeri. A cattery was named after him because he was special. He was a traditional Persian.
Photo: copyright Dani
Maine Coon
The breed standard for the Maine Coon
is very generous in terms of coat type and color. You often see
beautiful tabby and white Maine Coons but you will not see a more
beautiful cat than the all white Maine Coon below, who incidentally, is
deaf.
Of all the cat breeds, I think you are most likely to see white
Persians. They look very comfortable being white! I have seen more
white Persians than any other breed. In my experience of searching for
pictures of cats, white Maine Coons are rare as are white Norwegian
Forest Cats.
Another cat breed that is commonly white is the Turkish Angora. In
fact, in Turkey, the Turkish prefer the all-white Angora with odd-eye
color (blue/yellow). See a fine white Turkish Angora picture.
White cat breeds -- Note: White cats can be deaf and have odd-eye color
as the gene that makes that cat's fur white can affect the pigmentation
(melanin) in the iris of the eye and mechanism of hearing.
