What color are a puma's eyes at birth?

A puma’s eyes are blue at birth. Puma kittens, like many newborn cats, are born with blue irises, although their eyes are closed and they cannot see immediately after birth.

The blue appearance is linked to the low level of pigment in a young kitten’s developing iris. As the kitten grows, pigment production increases and the eyes may shift toward the adult coloration. The blue stage therefore does not mean that an adult puma will retain blue eyes.

Newborn pumas have other distinctive juvenile traits as well. Their coats are spotted, and their tails have rings. These markings help distinguish kittens from adults, whose coats become mostly uniform tawny, grayish or reddish-brown. The kittens are initially helpless and remain dependent on their mother.

A frequent mistake is to answer brown or green based on an adult puma’s appearance. The question asks specifically about the eyes at birth, when blue is the characteristic color. Puma, cougar and mountain lion all refer to the same species, Puma concolor.