Black Cat Eyes: 4 Beautiful Colors

There is something simply mesmerizing about a cat’s eyes but what determines the color? Black cat eyes generally appear in 3 common colors but there are many possibilities.

What Determines Eye Color?

Genetics is the determining factor in a cat’s eye color. In terms of black cat eyes melanin plays a part. The more melanin that the cat has, the darker the fur will be.

Melanin affects eye color and fur color in different ways, which would explain why black cats can have such dark fur yet such bright striking eyes.

Just like many creatures on this planet kittens are born with cloudy blue eyes due to the lack of pigment in the eye initially. Their true eye-color appears around 8 weeks after birth.

I wrote a blog post about blue-eyed black cats here…

Green Eyes

Black cat eyes are often green and in my experience running the My Mini Panther brand for the past few years, I’d say green is probably most common.

I wrote a blog post on our American Shorthair called Coco and he has green eyes. His eyes are amazing… In some photos, they are green, in others yellow, but either way, they are so striking!

Yellow Eyes

Black cat eyes are often yellow too. Like I said above, Coco’s eyes sometimes appear to be yellow but I’m not sure how much the lighting in our home has to do with it.

Also as we all know, cat’s eyes are highly reflective so objects and surfaces near to the cat must have an impact on the appearance of the cat’s eyes.

When entering into the realms of superstition, black cats have long been associated with witches and dark forces.

Yellow eyes have been associated with shape-shifting throughout the ages, is this why black cats have such a bad reputation?

Orange Eyes

Often referred to as copper-colored, black cat eyes can often be orange but this color tends to lean towards one black cat breed in particular… The Bombay Cat.

The Bombay Cat and the American and British Shorthair are often confused and there appears to be a lack of clarity on the breeds.

For the purposes of this blog, I am classifying a completely black cat with very close, shiny fur and orange/yellow eyes as a Bombay Cat.

Copper colored eyes on a black cat look stunning in my opinion.

Blue Eyes

Black cat eyes can be blue? Well, this is a bit of a grey area, the simple answer is yes but the common domestic black cat will almost always not have blue eyes.

The image above is a photoshopped image of Coco and I did this to highlight the fake images that you will find on the net if you search for ‘black cat blue eyes’.

I wrote a blog post about black cats with blue eyes and I revealed the one breed that may have blue eyes and black fur. You can read it here…

Do Black Cats Eyes Change Color?

Kittens are born with blue eyes and this eye color changes as the kitten gets older.

Kittens get their true eye color at around 6 or 7 weeks old and this is due to the pigment being present that gives an adult cat its eye color.

Cats eye color may change due to health issues. A change in eye color may be an indication of an infection and possibly something more serious.

If you have any concerns about changes in the coloration of your cat’s eyes then contact a veterinarian for professional advice.

My Final Thoughts

For me there is something very eye-catching about a black cat’s looks.

I think to sum it up, it’s the contrast between the black fur and the bright and colorful eyes.

When a black cat enters the room, everybody takes notice…

All cats have amazing eyes and I’d say that a cat’s eyes are the main distinguishing feature. In my mind, when I think of a cat, I think of eyes, right away.

When Coco is at a distance from me, his eyes really stand out against his black fur and I can really get a sense of what he is thinking and feeling at the time.

I can see the concern, relaxation, sleepiness and eye kisses very easily.

When people meet Coco for the first time, they always comment on his eyes!

Have you joined the My Mini Panther black cat community on Facebook?