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View 3 More +Many cat parents can happily get lost staring into their cat’s beautiful eyes. But do you know if your feline has the rarest cat eye color? Domestic cats can have more eye colors than many other domestic species, including dogs.
While some cat eye colors are linked to specific breeds, others can be found in many purebred and mixed-breed cats.
Cat Eye Colors and Their Rarity Chart
Let’s take a look at all the possibilities for a cat’s eye colors. We’ve included eight typical eye colors seen across a wide range of cat breeds. We’ve also listed their rarity on a scale of 1–10 so you can know if your cat has an unusual shade!
These colors aren’t discrete, so you may find it difficult to pin your cat’s exact eye color into a specific shade. Maybe your cat has an eye color that sits somewhere between two shades. It’s easier to think of cat eye colors as a spectrum of shades that blend into each other rather than distinct bands.
The 8 Cat Eye Colors
1. Yellow and Amber Eyed Cats
- ️ Rarity: 1/10
Yellow eyes can range from a pale lemon yellow to golden shades, merging into a deep and rich amber.
Breeds with yellow or amber eyes include the Bengal, American Shorthair, Manx, British Shorthair, LaPerm, Bombay, Sphynx, and the Norwegian Forest Cat.
The Burmese cat breed can have particularly striking golden eyes, with show cats often having shades of impressive brilliance and depth.
2. Hazel Eyed Cats
- ️ Rarity: 2/10
Hazel eyes are a blend of green and golden yellow. This is the eye color of most wild cats in temperate regions, including Lynx and Bobcats. It’s also a standard eye color in feral cats. Breeds with hazel eyes include the Abyssinian, Bengal, Singapura, Cornish Rex, and Scottish Fold.
3. Green Eyed Cats
- ️ Rarity: 5/10
The green of a cat’s eyes can vary from a green with yellow undertones to a true green and a green mixed in with shades of blue. It’s also possible to see flecks of gold or yellow within the iris of a green-eyed cat.
Green eyes are found in breeds like the Egyptian Mau, which has green eyes in a bright gooseberry shade. Havana cats have emerald green eyes, and Norwegian Forest Cats can have eyes in various green tones. Russian Blue cats also have vivid green eyes!
4. Blue Eyed Cats
- ️ Rarity: 6/10
Cats with blue eyes don’t have any melanin in their irises. Blue cats’ eyes are clear, but we see the blue color due to light reflecting around the curved sides of the irises. It sounds far-fetched, but it is true! Blue eyes can range from a pale sky blue to a deep and brilliant sapphire.
Blue eyes are far more common in white cats. This is due to the dominant white gene known as the epistatic white gene. It blocks out any other genes that code for color, which results in a completely white coat. White cats with blue eyes, due to the dominant gene, are also at higher risk of being deaf than white cats with green or yellow eyes. The gene that codes for a white coat and blue eyes can cause the cochlea of a cat’s inner ear to degenerate within days of birth.
Some breeds are known for their distinctive blue eyes. These include the well-known Siamese and Ragdoll breeds. Other cats that can have blue eyes include the American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Balinese, Persian, Maine Coon, and Devon Rex.
Tonkinese cats have an unusual aqua-blue eye color that isn’t seen in any other breed.
5. Orange Eyed Cats
- ️ Rarity: 8/10
While it can sometimes be difficult to define the difference between a green eye with yellow flecks or a yellow eye with hints of green, there’s no confusion when it comes to orange cat eyes. This color was originally developed by British cat breeders who wanted an eye color that could stand out in vivid relief against any coat color.
Breeds including the Devon Rex, Japanese Bobtail, American Wirehair, Maine Coon, and Turkish Van can all have orange eyes.
6. Copper Eyed Cats
- ️ Rarity: 8/10
Copper is the darkest eye color you’ll see in cats. Their eyes will be light brown with tones of red and orange. Sometimes there may be flecks of yellow, green, or orange. This is a rarer color than some others, and while it’s distinguishable from orange, it’s just as unusual.
The British Shorthair, Japanese Bobtail, Maine Coon, Persian, Cornish Rex, and Chartreux can all be found with striking copper eyes.
7. Odd-Colored Eyes
- ️ Rarity: 9/10
Have you ever seen a cat with odd-colored eyes?
The technical term for odd-colored eyes is heterochromia iridium, where each iris is a different color. This can be inherited, congenital, or because of an accident or injury. Odd-colored eyes are most often seen in white cats with the epistatic gene. Usually, one eye will be blue and the other green, hazel, yellow, or orange.
Odd-colored eyes are popular in particular breeds, including the Turkish Van, Japanese Bobtail, Persian, and Sphynx cats.
8. Dichroic Eyes
- ️ Rarity: 10/10
Cats with dichroic, or dichromatic, eyes will have a combination of two distinct colors within both eyes. This is stunning and very rare indeed! It’s caused by the cat having different melanin levels in distinct sections of their irises.
Sometimes, the eyes will have a distinct oval of one color nearer the pupil, which then blends into another color. Other times, the colors will be split into sections, so a quarter or half of the eye will be one color, and the remaining section will be a different color. Sometimes, one eye will be solid colored, and the other will be dichroic. This is definitely the rarest cat eye color!
Cat Eye Color Is Linked to Melanin
The color of a cat’s eyes is influenced by several genes. That is why two littermates of the same parents can have different eye colors. The determinants of the color of a cat’s eyes are blue refraction, iris pigmentation, and breeding.
The iris is the part of the eye that presents different colorations. It has two layers. The base layer contains specialized pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. The darkness and intensity of the color will depend on the levels of the natural pigment produced by these cells, which is called melanin.
The more melanin in the cat’s iris, the darker the eyes will be, and the colors can range from lemon yellow to hazel to deep orange or brown. Another factor influencing the color of a cat’s eye is the stroma, which is the outer layer of the iris. The stroma is clear-colored and can vary from almost colorless tones of blue to deep blues and even violets.
A cat’s eye color is the result of the amount of pigment present combined with the blue reflection. Cats with blue-colored eyes lack any pigment; the blue color results from the light refracted by the stroma.
All kittens are born with eyes of cloudy blue. At roughly 6 weeks, this color may start to change to reveal their true eye color. This is when the color develops, depending on the amount of melanocytes present and the melanin produced. By 12 weeks, a cat’s final eye color will be fully developed.
Are Breed and Eye Color Linked?
In some cases, they are. The color of a cat’s eyes is influenced by genetics, just like the color of its coat. Certain breeds will only display one eye color. Siamese cats are a good example of a breed with an eye color linked to their coat color. All Siamese cats have blue eyes in varying shades of intensity. Siamese cats are temperature-sensitive albinos. This means all Siamese kittens are born with white fur that only develops color later in life thanks to a temperature-sensitive enzyme.
Generally, purebred cats will have more vivid shades of eye color than moggies.
Wrapping It Up
Whichever eye color your cat has, it’s absolutely perfect! It’s the combination of each cat’s eye color, coat color, and personality that makes us love them no matter what. If you have a cat with one of the rarer eye colors, we’d love to hear from you!
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Featured Image Credit: Rebecca L. Bolam, Shutterstock
18 Responses
Hi! I really enjoyed this post, especially because my cat has that rarest eye color: he has yellow outer eyes with green around the pupils. The cattery we purchased him from was very proud of this eye color: they still feature it on their home page. I’m sending a photo of Colby Jack, our 24 lb totally chill, chatty Maine Coon!
Wow, Ellen Yankee, he sounds astounding. Please do send us a photo t for our Cat of the Week contest: https://www.catster.com/submit-your-cat/ 🙂
A few weeks ago, I adopted a 14 week old long haired tabby cat from our local shelter. I have had cats all of my life but this little guy has eyes that are a copper, amber colour on the outside and a ring of green around the inside by the pupil. All my other cats had green eyes. He has beautiful markings, big paws and a very long tail. I have owned a maine coon mix before, and Cooper is showing some similar traits. He follows me around, is very affectionate and even comes to the door to greet me when I get home, very much like my dog used to. I am wondering if he could possibly also be a maine coon mix.
Hanna Warner, thank you for sharing your story; your cat sounds lovely. You might consider a DNA test to learn more about him: https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/best-cat-dna-tests/.
Also, we encourage you to submit a high-quality photo of your cat for our Cat of the Week contest here: https://www.catster.com/submit-your-cat/. 🙂
We adopted a feral kitty almost 3 years ago. She was black and white tuxedo with STRIKING green eyes. She gave birth the 5 of the most beautiful and different kittens. solid white, mackerel tabby, Grey/white tuxedo, slate blue and Grey tabby. Having eyes that ranged from bright blue
We are delighted to learn that you are enjoying Tuxedo and her kittens, Kristal. Please consider submitting high-quality photographs for the opportunity to be featured in our Cat of the Week contest: https://www.catster.com/submit-your-cat/.
I adopted a white cat with odd-colored eyes, named Icy because of her unique eye color. When I searched for her breed on Google, I discovered she’s a Khao Manee, a breed originally from Thailand. A few months ago, I found her in someone's basement at just 3 weeks old—dirty, malnourished, and neglected. I decided to adopt her, but first, I asked for permission from the owner, fortunately they gave it to me. She usually sucks on my blanket and easily falls asleep. Isn't it probably a throwback to her kittenhood when she would nurse from her mother? Now, she’s the heart of my small family, bringing joy and being the center of attention every day.
Hi Rosia, thanks for giving her an opportunity and for sharing your story with us. Yes, sucking behavior is relatively common, especially in oriental breeds and in kittens that were separated from their moms too early. You can learn more about it here: Kitten Suckling: Vet-Reviewed Behavior Facts & FAQ – https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/kitten-suckling/
You may also be interested in reading: Khao Manee Cat Breed: Info, Pictures, Temperament & Traits – https://www.catster.com/cat-breeds/khao-manee/ and surprised to learn that the breed goes for 7,000-11,000 USD! https://www.catster.com/cat-breeds/how-much-does-a-khao-manee-cat-cost/
Thank you for giving her an opportunity to be loved and cared for.
I believe my cat Missy aka Meme has Dichroic Eye color her eyes are yellow green on the outer layer then greenish blue on the inner layer before the pupil's sometimes they are apparently separate colors and sometimes when she's looking out the window they mesh .
Hi Amanda, thanks for your comment, your Missy aka Meme, sounds like an extra special kitty. Consider submitting her photo to our Cat of the Week contest. You can use this link ???? https://www.catster.com/submit-your-cat/ Thanks for reading us!
My sweet girl has gray eyes with specks of brown. Her eyes mimic her fur and it's colors.
Hi Jen, thanks for reading us and sharing her story. She is so cute! Please consider submitting their pictures to our Cat of the Week contest! You can use this link ???? https://www.catster.com/submit-your-cat/ Thanks for reading us!
Jackie,
I wanted to say thank you for taking him in, you're the one who won on that deal just like your kitty Ahoyka, which is an awesome name as well!! some people are just awful & I hope they never did get another animal! His eyes sound intriguing and beautiful! I bet he's gorgeous for sure.
Dan,
If it isn't 'normal' people tend to say it's weird instead, which tells me she's a striking cat! My mom has literally had at least 1 calico at all times in her life & mine growing up and calicos seem to always have striking & pretty eyes! ( IMO anyway).
To the author of this article,
I learned so much reading this!! I was putting my baby kitten, Loki asleep ( he thinks of me as momma, his mom was a new mom who weaned her babies way to early) but looking at his hazel eyes I wondered if there was any cats with brown eyes lol so I googled it and this is the article that caught my eye. But very informative and interesting as well! thank you very much!
Hi Rachel Marie, thanks for your comment, we are delighted to hear that you have enjoyed our post. Loki sounds like a special kitty. Thanks for sharing her story and for reading us.
My cat Ahokya, is a white male. He has three colors in each of his eyes. He is 5 1/2 M0. It's hard to tell if not in bright light. In the darkness looks more like pupil and reddish tone. I see blue, green, and amber. I thought he was special indeed. I rescued him from a hotel in April this year.Someone abandoned him behind a end of table in hotel room.
Hi Jackie, thanks for sharing this with us, Ahokya sounds like a lucky boy with unique and beautiful eyes. Thank you very much for rescuing and loving him. We always welcome pictures of our readers beautiful cats, if you ever wish to share his beauty with us please do not hesitate to email us a few pictures of Ahokya. Kind regards and best wishes.
My newest edition whose mom was a street cat brought in pregnant for foster. Her mom’s coat is a tiger/calico like mixture as far as I remember from pick up day. Going to verify that through the foster mom. What brought me to this post is that I’ve shown some coworkers a picture of my 6 month old, “Lady Gray” and they told me “WOW her eyes are weird.” After the second or third person said that they were “weird” instead of beautiful, it got me thinking. Why are they saying weird? Her coat is a beautiful short haired gray! And in my opinion her big beautiful eyes are somewhere between orange and copper! I was uneducated until the article and kept thinking they were going to start losing their intensity soon but I’m glad to hear that 12 weeks is when their adult color comes in! I have a great photo if you’d like to see shoot me an email!
Hi Dan!
Thank you for sharing the story of your beautiful “Lady Gray”! It sounds like she has a unique and stunning appearance. Gray coats and those rich, coppery eyes are such a striking combination! Everyone sees beauty differently, but it's great that you're appreciating her for the gorgeous cat she is. We're so glad the article helped clarify the eye color timeline for you.
Feel free to send that photo our way—we’d love to see Lady Gray in all her glory!
If you have any other questions or thoughts, don't hesitate to reach out.