On average, most cats will have green eyes. Even though they are all born with blue eyes, they then turn into a different color after 6 weeks of being born. Certain breeds, like the Sphynx cat, have an even higher chance of having green eyes than your average cat.
Green eyes in a cat being a common thing doesn’t make it any less of a spectacular sight, though! The stronger the green color is, the more beautiful it is. That’s one great thing about cats, a lot of them have beautiful green eyes you could stare at for ages!
Why do cats have green eyes?
Cat eye color is a result of the melanin a cat develops after birth. A cat keeps its eyes closed during its first week. After that, it’ll open its wide blue eyes. During the next six weeks, it’ll produce melanin that could turn its eyes green – or any other color.
Green eye color is the result of the production of green melanin. The more melanin of that type a cat produces, the stronger the green in its eyes will be. If there’s little green melanin, a cat’s eyes will be aqua green. If there’s a lot, they can be full-blown emerald. It’s that simple!
Are cats with green eyes rare?
Cats with green eyes are common. Unlike humans with green eyes who are rather rare, plenty of cats have green eyes. There are common green eyes and more rare ones, though. Light green cat eyes are common, emerald ones not so much.
Keep in mind this changes on a case-by-case basis. Eye color is a genetic trait passed down from cat parents to kittens. If one of them has green eyes, there’s a high chance their offspring will have them too. If both have green eyes, it’s almost a certainty – but you never know!
What cat breeds have green eyes?
Plenty of cats have green eyes, as this color is one of the most common there is for kittens. Both pure-breed and mixed cats will feature this eye color the most. On average, Abyssinian cats, Egyptian cats, and Norwegian Forest cats have the biggest chance of having green eyes.
Cat breeds like the Turkish Angora cat, the Sphynx cat, and the Havana Brown cat have the strongest green eyes there are. Then again, remember it’s all about the melanin – and nothing can predict how that is going to go!
Can a cat’s eyes change color?
Not only a cat’s eyes can change color, but they often do! All kittens are born with beautiful blue eyes, but soon after, their eyes change colors. That is, unless their genetic predisposition is to keep the blue eyes.
More often than not, cats start with blue eyes that slowly turn to a more common cat eye color, like green. There are no certainties when it comes to eye color, though! They can stay blue, turn green, go red, or do a half-and-half where one eye stays blue and another one turns a different color. You never know what you’re going to get!