Ojos Azules Cat

Country of Origin: United States
Colors: Dark Brown, Blue
Average Size: weight:  9-12 lbs ( 4- 5.4 kg)   Length:  Medium
Life Span: 10-12 years
Coat: Short, Silky
Personality: Friendly, affectionate, and easy to groom.
Characteristics: Energy: Active      Talkative:  Moderate         Kid Friendly:  No      Allergic: No

 

Among feral cat population in New Mexico were discovered cats that had dark blue eyes. The first one was called Cornflower and was discovered in 1984. Saying this, we can easily come to a conclusion that this is a relatively new cat breed. This new cat breed was very soon named Ojos Azules which in Spanish means “Blue Eyes”.

These cats are distinguished by their deep blue eyes, and this color is very different from the blue eyes that some bicolor cats have. The deep blue eye gene is not linked to any pattern or fur color. The depth of the blue eye is even bigger than the one seen in Siamese cats and doesn’t cause cross eye. But what we know is that one of the indicators of Ojos gene is a flattened tail tip.

In order not to cause any lethal genetic defects with these cats, it is suggested that blue eyed cats are crossed with non blue eyed cats. This is because homozygous genes cause cranial deformities and heterozygous genes do not cause genetic mutations.

Why these cats have so deep blue eyes is explained with the fact that they have a specific physical phenomenon which is the absence of the iris in the eye. For this reason it seems like they have a much deeper blue color of the eyes that the Siamese cats. However, the depth of the eye color can be easily selected though breeding programs, and like that some Siamese cats that appear on shows have an extremely deep blue color of their eyes.

Ojos Azules cats are a very rare breed, and in 1992 only ten of these cats have been known of. These cats were accepted for registration by TICA in 1991 and only cats that express deep blue eye color can be called Ojos Azules.

The Ojos Azules cats have short, shiny and silky coat, angular muzzle, rounded forehead and somewhat triangular head. Their tail is proportionate with their body. They don’t have a well developed undercoat. On most of the extremities such as paws, muzzle and tip of tail, white markings are very common. And even though all colors are allowed, solid white coats are not desirable.

Since this cat breed is rare, there are not many things that are known about them. However, we can easily say that they are very affectionate, friendly and active pets. They are easy to be groomed and their fur doesn’t require a lot of brushing.

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