Question on baby coloring

I have a black & orange tortie mom and she mated with an all orange male.  She gave birth to an all orange male and a black & orange tortie girl.  But then I have what appears to be all white or very light cream or maybe even light silver??? twin girls.   Are they from a different dad?   Should I be worried about them being deaf?     Many thanks,

leigh

There are several possibilities for your light colored twin girls.  If they are in fact all white, they MAY actually be colorpoints.  That could happen if both the mom and dad are carrying the colorpoint (Siamese type) gene.  It has to come from both parents in order to be seen, so the only way to know is if any of the kittens end up being colorpoint.  This will show up later if they are because the cooler parts of the body will start turning a darker color while the main part of the body stays white.  The points are controlled by temperature, so feet, ears, tail and nose are where the color darkens.  It can be as pale as a cream point or as dark as a seal point.  Only time will tell.  If the kittens are truly white, then they will not develop darker coloring on the cooler parts of their bodies.  White is considered a "masking" color, not a true "color" at all, so the white kittens would be genetically either orange or cream (the dilute of orange) or else black or grey (the dilute of black) and this sometimes is expressed by a little splash of the hidden color on the head. Don't worry about them being deaf at this point, that's another whole genetic issue and only if they are actually white. 

Thank you!  It shall be very interesting to see.  My last pregnant cat (so should of started TNR in Jan) is in the middle of giving birth, and 1 of her babies is all white also.   Not sure of the father on this one.   The mom is calico and so far I have the all white one, a black & white one, and what appears to be an all orange one.  At least one more baby to go (so said the xray).   Any thoughts?        Dad possibilities are:   (1) black & white       (2)all orange    (3) orange & white     (2) white with black spots        Most of them are now fixed.