Foreign White

History:
Around 1960 people developed the idea to breed a uniform white cat in the same type as the Siamese. Since white cats with blue eyes are often deaf, a solution had to be found in order to avoid this deafness. They chose to use the blue eyes of the Siamese. Pat Turner, a famous cat geneticist started to breed the first nest.    

She crossed a white European Short-hair with a Seal Point Siamese. In Ireland they also developed a line with a Red Point and a European short-hair-white. 
 
  
Lines in which deafness occurred have been stopped. In this way deafness could be avoided maximally. Foreign White cats which are showed or bred must be tested on innate hearing defects (cochlear deafness) by means of the so-called BAER test. Although most cats with blue eyes risk getting deaf kittens, this is totally different with Foreign White cats. This is caused by the fact that they are actually pointed Siamese cats beneath their white coat. Siamese cats are always born white. Their colored pointes are developed later on, but the Foreign white remains as white as snow, although he is a pointed cat beneath his white coat.

Breed description
Head: Wedge-shaped and the head must form a perfect equilateral triangle with the large, slantingly positioned ears. The chin may not be too pronounced, but may certainly not draw back. Long nose, preferably with a Roman profile, but certainly without groove, flowingly continuing in the crown of the skull.
Eyes: almond-shaped, pure dark blue positioned a bit slantingly. Ears: large, positioned slantingly.  Body: elegant and supple figure. The elegant body is long, rangy and muscled; it may not show roughness. The hind paws are longer than the forepaws. The paws are rangy and long, the feet oval. Tail: long and thin, comes to a point like a whip.  Fur: silky, short, smooth and fine structure. Relatively little undercoat.  Color: white, a hint of yellow or another color may not occur in the fur.      

Character:
They have a pronounced character and are clearly present. They are known because of their talkative nature. They are extremely social and if they don’t get enough attention, they will certainly demand it. You cannot leave them alone too long. They can get along well with congeners and with dogs as well.
 
They love to be cuddled and stroked and can lie on your lap for hours. They are almost always happy, they are playful and they can be taught to fetch. The Foreign Whites can make clear what they want from you with their profound look. Care: The fur doesn’t need special care. A wet shammy can remove loose hairs during the moulting period.

Pictures & breedinformation by: Cattery It Mandefjild