White cats are rare because they need a special gene that covers up all other colors in their fur. Some breeds that can be white include the khao manee, Turkish Angora, and American shorthair.
White cats can have short or long fur and can be purebred or mixed. They often have light eyes.
Here are 20 cat breeds that can have white coats.
Tip
White cats with blue eyes may be deaf due to their genes, but not all of them are. If you have a deaf cat, keep them inside and use hand signals and gentle vibrations to talk to them. This way, they can live a happy and safe life.
American Shorthair
American shorthairs are purebred cats that come in many colors, including white. They are friendly, laid-back pets that can adapt well to different homes. While they love spending time with their owners, they can also play on their own with toys.
Breed Overview
Height: 8 to 10 inches
Weight: 10 to 15 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Gentle, affectionate, playful
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Short hair; various colors and patterns
Life Span: 15 to 20 years
Devon Rex
The Devon Rex looks almost like a cartoon character with its large eyes and high cheekbones. Its short, curly fur can be white or many other colors. These cats are lively and love to play. They get along well with kids and other pets because they’re so friendly.
Breed Overview
Height: 10 to 12 inches
Weight: 8 to 10 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Active, playful, social
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Short hair; various colors and patterns
Life Span: 9 to 15 years
European Shorthair
European shorthairs are common house cats that have lived in Europe for many years. Their fur comes in many colors and patterns, except pure white, and their eyes are usually amber, blue, or green. These friendly and smart cats love to play and can live happily in most homes.
Breed Overview
Height: 12 to 14 inches
Weight: 8 to 15 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Playful, intelligent, affectionate
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Short hair; Various colors and patterns
Life Span: 15 to 20 years
Maine Coon
Maine coons have a long, thick fur coat that comes in many colors and patterns, like solid colors, stripes, and mixed patterns. The most common color is brown with stripes. These cats are usually friendly and relaxed. They get along well with kids, new people, and other pets.
Breed Overview
Height: 10 to 16 inches
Weight: 10 to 25 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Amiable, gentle, dog-like
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Long hair; heavy and shaggy; various colors and patterns
Life Span: 12 to 15 years
Oriental Shorthair
The slim, sporty Oriental cat comes in many colors, including white. These friendly cats are active, talkative, and social, and they enjoy being around people. They often form strong bonds with their family members and can have a hard time coping when someone leaves.
Breed Overview
Height: 8 to 10 inches
Weight: 6 to 12 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Affectionate, playful, sociable
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Short hair; 300 color variations; solid, shaded, smoke, tabby
Life Span: 15 years
Persian
White Persian cats are very popular, but they also come in many other colors and patterns. Their long, soft fur needs daily brushing to stay neat and tangle-free. These cats are gentle, calm pets that love to sit on laps and do best in quiet homes with regular routines.
Breed Overview
Height: 8 to 10 inches
Weight: 7 to 12 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Sweet, gentle, affectionate
Energy Level: Low
Coat and Color: Long hair; blue, black, white, red, cream, chocolate, lilac, silver, golden; solid, tabby, tortoiseshell, bicolor
Life Span: 15 to 20 years
Siamese
White Siamese cats don’t have the usual dark patches on their ears, face, legs, and tail. All Siamese cats start white when they’re born, and their dark colors show up as they get older. These cats are very loving toward their families and like to get lots of attention. They also meow a lot to tell their owners what they want.
Breed Overview
Height: 8 to 10 inches
Weight: 8 to 10 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Sociable, friendly, vocal
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Short hair; seal, chocolate, blue, lilac; colorpoint
Life Span: 12 years
Siberian
Siberian cats are strong and nimble, with three layers of thick fur that comes in many colors and patterns. Their coat is easy to care for – just brush them twice a week, though they shed a lot at times. These cats love exploring and will climb everywhere in your house during playtime.
Breed Overview
Height: 9 to 11 inches
Weight: 10 to 20 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Friendly, intelligent, affectionate
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Long hair; all colors and patterns
Life Span: 10 to 18 years
Turkish Angora
Turkish Angoras are cats that first came from Turkey many years ago. While often seen in white, they also come in other colors like black, blue, and red, with various patterns. These cats are active and confident and need lots of playtime with their owners to stay happy.
Turkish Van
Turkish vans are mostly white cats with colored patches on their head and tail. They are energetic cats that love to move around and play. Unlike most cats, they enjoy swimming because they have strong muscles and a coat that keeps them dry. While they don’t like being picked up much, they do enjoy gentle petting and staying close to their human family.
Breed Overview
Height: 9 to 11 inches
Weight: 7 to 20 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Affectionate, adventurous, playful
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Medium-long hair; white with colored markings on the head and tail (red, black, blue, tabby, tortoiseshell, or any other color other than Himalayan pattern and colors); bicolor
Life Span: 17 years
British Shorthair
The British shorthair is a well-known cat breed that comes in white and many other colors and patterns. These cats are medium to large with short, thick fur. Their round face and head make them look like cuddly teddy bears. They are gentle, peaceful, and loving, making them perfect pets for families.
Breed Overview
Height: 12 to 14 inches
Weight: 7 to 17 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Affectionate, easygoing, calm
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Short hair; various colors and patterns
Life Span: 12 to 16 years
Norwegian Forest Cat
Norwegian forest cats have thick, long fur and come in many colors and patterns, including white. While friendly and good with families, they prefer not to sit in laps. They are independent cats that need regular brushing because of their thick coat.
Breed Overview
Height: 9 to 12 inches
Weight: Up to 18 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Friendly, interactive, independent
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Long hair; dense undercoat; almost any color or pattern with or without white markings
Life Span: 16 years
Cornish Rex
The special Cornish rex cat has curly fur that may be white. These loving cats enjoy playing with people. They don’t lose much fur, and they’re less likely to cause allergies, making them good pets for people with allergic reactions. However, they need lots of attention, so they’re not the best choice if you don’t have much time for them.
Breed Overview
Height: 8 to 12 inches
Weight: Up to 10 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Sociable, interactive, playful
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Curly short hair; various colors and patterns
Life Span: 20 years
Scottish Fold
White Scottish fold cats stand out because of their folded-down ears. While many are white, they come in other colors too. These cats from Scotland are gentle and friendly, making them great pets for families with children and other animals.
Khao Manee
The khao manee is a white cat from Thailand that first appeared hundreds of years ago. These cats have soft, smooth fur and are friendly pets that love attention from their owners. They’re nicknamed “diamond eye cats” because their eyes sparkle like gems and can be blue, gold, green, or even two different colors.
Breed Overview
Height: 10 to 12 inches
Weight: Up to 10 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Playful, curious, friendly
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Short hair; white
Life Span: 12 years
Exotic Shorthair
Though they look like Persians, exotic shorthairs have shorter fur that’s easier to maintain. These friendly cats do well with children and other pets. They are calm, laid-back, and don’t need constant attention to be content. You can find them in many colors and patterns, including white.
Breed Overview
Height: 10 to 12 inches
Weight: Up to 15 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Affectionate, loyal, easygoing
Energy Level: Low
Coat and Color: Short hair; black, white, golden, silver, smoke, bicolor, Himalayan; solid, pointed, tabby, tortoiseshell
Life Span: 15 years
Russian White
The Russian White cat is simply a white-colored version of the Russian Blue cat. The breed began in 1971 when breeders mixed a Siberian cat with a Russian Blue, creating a cat with white fur. These gentle, faithful cats form strong bonds with their owners and need daily attention and playtime.
Breed Overview
Height: 10 inches
Weight: 7 to 15 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Loyal, calm, affectionate
Energy Level: Medium
Coat and Color: Short hair; white
Life Span: 15 to 20 years
Japanese Bobtail
The Japanese bobtail cat has a short tail that looks like a rabbit’s tail. The tail can be curvy, bent, or straight. These cats can have short or long fur in many colors and patterns. They are friendly, love to play, and make great pets.
Breed Overview
Height: 8 to 9 inches
Weight: Up to 10 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Affectionate, friendly, sociable
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Short or long hair; white, black, chocolate, cream, red, lilac, blue; solid, bicolor, tricolor, tabby
Life Span: 18 years
Ragdoll
Ragdolls are big cats with soft, silky fur that doesn’t shed much because they lack an undercoat. They are pure white when born, but their face, ears, legs, and tail develop colors as they grow. This color pattern, called colorpoint, can take up to two years to fully appear.
Breed Overview
Height: 9 to 11 inches
Weight: Up to 20 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Friendly, easygoing, cuddly
Energy Level: Low to Medium
Coat and Color: Long hair; chocolate, red, seal, blue, lilac, cream; colorpoint, bicolor, mitted, van
Life Span: 17 years
Balinese
Balinese cats love attention and make sounds to get it, but they’re not as noisy as Siamese cats. They’re smart, friendly, and love to play. These cats came from Siamese cats through a natural change that gave them longer fur, which is why people sometimes call them long-haired Siamese cats.
Breed Overview
Height: 8 to 11 inches
Weight: 6 to 11 pounds
Personality/Temperament: Loving, outgoing, intelligent
Energy Level: High
Coat and Color: Long hair; creamy white body with various color points
Life Span: 12 to 20 years
