What’s So Special About White Cats

July 26, 2022

Photo credit: mfbtasarim2 

 
 

White cats are so special, they pop up everywhere - in advertising, art, cartoons and even in the arms of James Bond villains.They are the picture of softness and sophistication. But there has to be more to white cats than just stunning good looks.

 

Spotlight On The Birman Cat

 

Just ask German fashion mogul Karl Lagerfeld. After cat-minding a beautiful Birman for his friend, Lagerfeld fell in love with this beautiful white cat and it’s no wonder. The Birman cat is a charming and intelligent breed and loves to be the centre of attention. 

 

The ASPCA describes the Birman cat breed as affectionate, friendly, gentle, curious and easy-going with a kind demeanour. The most famous Birman cat comes from the temples of ancient Burma, where they lived among the Kittah priests. Legend has it that there were more than a hundred white cats with golden eyes living at the temple and one blue-eyed white cat by the name of Sinh. 

 

Choupette Lagerfeld 

 

From the temples of ancient Burma to the catwalks of Chanel, the most famous Birman cat today has to be Lagerfeld’s Choupette (French for Sweetie). She is the very same cat he had minded for his friend. This gorgeous white cat was so special, he just couldn’t part with her. So he persuaded his friend to let him adopt her. Amazingly, his friend agreed and from that day on, Choupette became one of the most famous white cats on Instagram. 

 

Choupette was so famous, in fact, that Lagerfeld would get modelling requests for her to appear in commercials and advertising. Lagerfeld told the fashion magazine, The Cut, in an interview that Choupette had made more than 3 million Euros in just one year, modelling for a German brand of car and for a Japanese beauty product. He said:

 

“I don’t allow her to do foodstuffs and things like this. She’s too sophisticated for that.”

 

Indeed she is. Choupette now lives in Paris in her own mansion and even has her own personal maids and round-the-clock care. The Birmans sure love to be pampered.

 

White Cat Breeds

 

The Birman is just one of the breeds of cats to display a beautiful white coat. You can find long-haired and short-haired white cats in many different breeds. Here is a list of some of the more popular white cats:

 

  • Persian cat
  • Himalayan
  • Ragdoll
  • Turkish Angora
  • Turkish Van
  • European Shorthair
  • American Shorthair 
  • British Shorthair
  • Oriental Shorthair
  • Exotic Shorthair
  • Maine Coon
  • Cornish Rex
  • Japanese Bobtail
  • Norwegian Forest Cat

 

White Cats Are The Stuff of Legends

 

White cats are rare and this adds to their uniqueness and universal appeal. The reason they are a rarity is that the colour white in cats is not a true colour. It is instead a gene mutation that masks the cat’s true colour, giving them the appearance of white. For this reason, perhaps, white cats are shrouded in mystery. 

 

Throughout the centuries, the white cat has been believed to possess spiritual powers, such as reincarnation and transmutation. They appear in many religious texts, including the Bible, where they are a symbol of purity and divine righteousness. In Japanese and Chinese myth, the Happy Cat or Lucky Cat is a “waving’ white cat believed to bring luck, prosperity and happiness. 

 

You can find white cats throughout folklore, mythology and history. In North mythology, Freya the goddess of love is the most powerful female divinity in the universe. Her powers extend way beyond procreation and divination. She is “golden” and considered just as precious to the survival of her people. 

 

Ceridwen is often depicted in art riding her splendid chariot across the heavens, pulled by her two glorious white cats, likely Birmans. Because of this association, white cats, especially fluffy white cats have become a symbol of sensuality and femininity. 

 

The Celtic goddess, Ceridwen, is depicted in art and sculpture with two white cats. She has enormous powers, including the ability to transform into other creatures. Ceridwen concocts potions in her magical cauldron and her two white cats are always by her side. When called upon, her white cats carry out her wishes and do her bidding, obeying their mistress to the death. In this legend, the white cat is seen as mysterious, magical and powerful.

 

What’s so special about white cats?

 

These are just a few examples of how special white cats have become in all cultures across the world over the ages. Today, white cats are almost a part of pop culture, often appearing in movies, advertising and commercials. From toilet paper to diamonds and haute couture, white cats are a feminine symbol of softness, style and sophistication.