Take one look at this beautiful cat, and you’ll see why their name translates to “Blue Eyes” in Spanish. If you’ve never heard of the Ojos Azules, that’s because they’re a rare breed that few people have. Therefore, it’s hard to find documentation about the temperament and personality of this cat.
Breed Overview
Height:
8–12 inches
Weight:
9–12 pounds
Lifespan:
10–12 years
Colors:
A wide range of colors with white patches but rarely solid white; bright blue eyes
Suitable for:
Those looking for a sweet but energetic and sociable kitty
Temperament:
Affectionate, intelligent, and playful
The only thing that is certain about this feline is their vibrant blue eyes. You may find them in a variety of colors, as there are no “standard” colors. You’ll never find a solid white one, but an Ojo Azules may have white patches around their face, feet, and tail.
If you want a beautiful cat that few people have, this may be the kitty for you. Continue reading to learn more about this rare and unique breed.
Ojos Azules Characteristics
Energy
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A high-energy cat needs a lot of physical and mental stimulation to keep healthy and happy, while a low-energy cat needs minimal physical activity, but still needs mental stimulation. When choosing a cat, It’s important to ensure their energy levels match your lifestyle.
Trainability
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Cats that are easy-to-train are more willing and skilled at quickly learning prompts and actions with minimal training. Harder-to-train cats are usually more stubborn or aloof and require a bit more patience and practice.
Health
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Certain cat breeds are more prone to various genetic health problems, and some more than others. This doesn’t mean that every cat in those breeds will have these issues, but they do have an increased risk, so it’s important to understand and prepare for any additional needs they may require.
Lifespan
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Due to their size or potential genetic health issues of a specific breed, some cats have shorter lifespans than others. Proper nutrition, exercise, mental stimulation, and hygiene also play an important role in your cat’s lifespan and quality of life.
Sociability
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Some cat breeds are more social than others, both towards humans and other cats and animals. Cats that are more social have a tendency to rub up on strangers for scratches or jump on laps for cuddles, while cats that are less social shy away, hide, are more cautious, and even potentially aggressive. No matter the breed or gender, it’s important to socialize your cat and expose them to many different situations.
Since there isn’t much information available about the Ojos Azules cat, anyone who is considering owning one needs to be okay with not knowing exactly what the personality and temperament of their cat may be as they grow from a kitten to an adult. We don’t mean to say that these kittens have bad personalities. What each one requires just may not be as evident as it is with other cats.
But that’s one of the fun parts of owning a pet. You get to learn and adapt with them as they grow older. That’s exactly what you’ll get with an Ojos Azules. While generally sociable and affectionate, the exact amount of sociability and affection will vary based on the kitten that you get.
Sadly, if two Ojos Azules cats are bred together, it can lead to some of the kittens being stillborn due to genetic mutations that occur when they inherit two copies of the blue-eyed gene, one from the mother and one from the father.1 To prevent this, an Ojos Azules cat is often bred with a cat from another breed that doesn’t have blue eyes.
Cats from different breeds can have different personalities, which is why two Ojos Azules kittens may have different character traits depending on what genes were inherited from the cat that wasn’t an Ojos. That’s also partly why there isn’t a lot of documented information about the exact temperament of this breed. When owning one of these cats, you’ll most likely have to learn as you go.
The key to getting a healthy kitten of any breed is to buy from a reputable breeder. They know what they’re doing and invest a lot of time and money into making sure their kittens are healthy. To this point, in the case of Ojos Azules kittens, many breeders have stopped breeding them due to the previously mentioned concerns about genetic mutations and birth defects.
If a reputable breeder is breeding Ojos Azules kittens, you need to be aware that the kittens may not be purebred. This will be the case if the breeder decided to breed an Ojos Azules with a non-blue-eyed cat of a different breed in order to protect the overall health of the litter. However, this can also lead to some of the kittens in a particular litter having the signature blue eyes while the others don’t. This can also make the price of the blue-eyed kittens higher due to rarity and demand.
When purchasing a cat from a reputable breeder, it’s a good idea to visit the breeder in person if possible. That way, you can see the conditions in which the cats are living. The breeder should also be able to provide you with information about the kittens’ overall health, including vet records. Be wary of breeders who are selling Ojos Azules kittens for cheap or those who say they can’t provide you with the aforementioned information. It could mean that the kittens aren’t healthy or that the breeder is using poor breeding practices.
Keep in mind that if you do find an Ojos Azules kitten from a reputable breeder, they likely won’t ship the kitten to you. You will have to pick them up in person, and you may have to travel a long way to do so. It may cost you more than just the price of the kitten in order to get them.
Temperament & Intelligence of the Ojos Azules
There is still little information that is known and documented about the temperament and intelligence of the Ojos Azules. However, there are a few common traits that have been seen in the breed. For the most part, these cats are active, energetic, sociable, and affectionate.
The exact temperament that an Ojos Azules can have varies. But most cats love affection, so make sure you’re providing your pet with plenty of attention and give yourself time to play and socialize with them too. Doing so can help your kitten grow and develop into a healthy and happy adult cat.
Are These Cats Good for Families? 👪
Due to their nature, which is generally known to be affectionate, Ojos Azules cats should be fine in a family atmosphere. This will have more people to give the cat attention and play with them. However, as with any pet, small children should be supervised around an Ojos Azules and be taught how to interact with them properly for everyone’s safety.
Ojos Azules cats tend to be sociable, so they should get along fine with most pets, especially other cats. Other pets can also provide a source of entertainment. However, a lot of how well they get along with another pet depends on the personality of the other pet. It’s important to properly introduce pets to each other to prevent any aggression or unwanted behaviors.
Things to Know When Owning an Ojos Azules
Caring for an Ojos Azules is not that different from caring for other cats. You’ll need to provide them with proper nutrition, for example. However, there are other things to be aware of. Here is additional need-to-know information if you’re considering getting an Ojos Azules.
Food & Diet Requirements
Unless recommended by a veterinarian, you don’t have to worry about feeding your Ojos Azules any kind of special diet. They will greatly benefit from high-quality cat food that has a meat-based protein as the main ingredient, and cat food with meat as the first two or three ingredients is even better. Cats need a high-protein diet in order to keep them at their healthiest.
As far as what type of food you should feed your cat, wet vs. dry, it’s really just up to your and your cat’s preference. If you have a kitten, kitten food is best because it contains smaller kibble. Older cats may benefit from food specifically designed for them too.
Whichever food you end up feeding your cat, make sure to follow the proper guidelines regarding how much food to provide. Feeding your cat the proper portions can help them maintain a healthy weight. The feeding guidelines can usually be found somewhere on the cat food packaging.
Ojos Azules cats tend to have a playful nature, so you should have no trouble getting them to exercise. However, if you keep your cat indoors, you will have to help with providing toys for such enrichment. Scratching posts, cat trees, feather toys, and even remote-controlled toys that they have to chase can provide your cat with exercise.
Cats can also get exercise outside, but there are risks associated with this. If you live in a house that sits by itself and away from major roads, letting your cat outside may be okay, though it’s still not recommended. However, if you live in a city or suburb or you just want your cat to go outside and still be safe, consider walking them on a leash and harness. This will be easier to do if you start doing this from kittenhood, but a lot of cats will generally warm up to the idea with practice.
Training 🧶
From what we know about the Ojos Azules, they seem to be fairly intelligent. With any cat, you may have to train them to use the litter box, but you can also train them to do tricks. In either case, training should be fairly easy as long as you use positive reinforcement methods, such as treats and praise.
Grooming ✂️
One of the great things about cats is that they typically groom themselves, especially if they have short, silky, and smooth hair, like what most Ojos Azules cats have been known to have. They may shed at certain times throughout the year, in which case, you can brush your cat weekly to remove some of the loose hair.
Since the Ojos Azules cat is rare, if not extinct, there isn’t much known about the health conditions that this breed may be predisposed to. The most severe issue relates to the fact that breeding two Ojos Azules cats seems to cause genetic mutations that result in brain deformities and stillbirths.
Other health conditions that generally affect domestic cats are dental disease and feline diabetes, especially as they get older. Overweight cats are also more likely to get feline diabetes. Feeding your cat a healthy diet and taking them to the vet regularly can help ensure that your pet stays healthy and that any health conditions are caught early and treated.
Male vs. Female
Since there is little documented information about this breed, it’s hard to say whether there are any temperamental differences between males and females. That said, choosing a boy or girl is ultimately up to you, but depending on the breeder, you may not get a choice.
Some breeders have stopped breeding these cats altogether until more genetic research is done, while others only breed this cat with a non-blue-eyed cat. Remember that when an Ojos Azules is bred with a cat that doesn’t have blue eyes, some of the kittens in the litter may not have blue eyes either. If you want a true Ojos Azules with blue eyes, you may have to get whichever kitten the breeder has available or wait a long time before you get the desired sex.
No matter whether you choose a male or female, it’s a good idea to spay or neuter your cat, especially if you have other cats in the house. Spaying and neutering can help reduce or prevent any undesirable behaviors, such as spraying. It can also lower your cat’s risk of getting certain types of cancer.
3 Little-Known Facts About the Ojos Azules
1. The breed was first discovered in New Mexico in 1984.
Ojos Azules cats were first discovered among a group of feral cats in New Mexico. The first cat to be classified as an Ojos Azules was a tortoiseshell cat named Cornflower. (Cornflowers are purplish-blue flowers, hence the name.) When she was bred with cats that didn’t have blue eyes, all the kittens still had blue eyes, which proved that the blue-eyed gene in this cat was dominant instead of recessive, like in other cats.
Since most breeders have stopped developing this cat, there are no longer any true Ojos Azules, as the standard requires that they come from Cornflower’s lineage. All purported ones that you may find nowadays are hybrids or just cats with blue eyes.
2. The blue-eyed gene is not linked to coat color.
In breeds that always have blue eyes, such as Siamese cats, the blue-eyed gene is linked to certain colors and colorpoints. That’s why Siamese cats have colorpoints and are always lighter in color and why white cats also often have blue eyes. For Ojos Azules cats, the blue-eyed gene is not linked to color, which is why they can come in so many different colors and patterns except white.
3. Other characteristics besides blue eyes are common.
Although their most distinguishing characteristic is their deep blue eyes, other features, such as a triangular face shape, a white-tipped tail, and a short, silky coat, are common with the Ojos Azules cat. It’s not uncommon for them to have white on their face and paws, but having white on the chest and belly is considered “undesirable.”
Final Thoughts
Although not much is known about the Ojos Azules breed, what is known is that these rare cats have beautiful, striking, deep blue eyes. If you want one of these kitties, you may have to wait a while, though. Their numbers are minuscule compared to other cat breeds that are available, and many breeders aren’t even developing them right now due to genetic concerns. If you are lucky enough to acquire one of these cats, you’re sure to have fun getting to know their personality, and they will be worth the wait.
Savanna is a former science teacher who is now a full-time freelance writer. She is currently living in the United States with her husband and daughter. Other members of her family include a long-haired Chihuahua named Penny, three cats (Bubba, Kittylina, and Thunder), and an aquatic turtle named Creek. In addition to writing, her passions include gardening, traveling, and protecting our wildlife and natural resources.
