6 Cat Breeds with Blue Eyes.

Feline eyes, which are pretty much always mesmerizing, seem to take on an extra special glint when their hue is blue.

In fact, blue eyes in a cat come from two sets of genes: one that limits the expression of color to specific body areas, the other that relates to the dominant white gene that masks color.

“A pointed coloration is a form of partial albinism, an adaptation to protect the cat from frostbite,” says Jacqui Bennett, a longtime all-breed judge who handles the Cat Fanciers Association Education Ring. “That gene limits color to cooler areas of the skin—legs, face, tail, ears. It’s a pattern which can be found in several CFA breeds.” Because of the pigment restriction, the top layer of the blue-eyed cat’s iris is not covered in another color, so the blue shows through.

Here Bennett gives us a close-up view of some of her favorite blue-eyed breeds.

Siamese

Balinese

Himalayan Persian

Birman

Ojos Azoles

Javanese

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