# What percentage of cats are white? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-cats-are-white/373201 "2006-09-18T17:34:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-cats-are-white/373201/1 "2006-09-18T17:34:02Z")
My Google Fu is failing me here. What percentage of, say, domestic shorthair cats are all white? I remember hearing once that ony 5% of cats were all white but I don’t know where I picked up that bit of information so now I am doubting it. The reason I ask is that I just don’t see white ones all that often, however, I have just adopted my \*third \* white cat. I do not seek them out it’s the luck of the draw. Two of them (one I had for 10 years but he died last year) had green eyes and the most recent has yellow eyes which are crossed and she seems to be hard of hearing. Most cats I see at shelters are black or grey tabby. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-cats-are-white/373201/2 "2006-09-18T17:45:54Z")
As another white cat owner I salute you. I’m on my second right now. [http://www.messybeast.com/whitecat.htm](http://www.messybeast.com/whitecat.htm) It looks like about 5% of the cat population is ‘pure white’ and suffers from an increased chance of deafness, as my current tom does. C’est la vie…it doesn’t seem to slow him down at all.