Pedigree Cats Exposed

Pedigree Cats Exposed

The recent media storm over pedigree dogs and the problems they can suffer from has highlighted some serious problems within certain breeds and caused a flurry of calls for change. But what about pedigree cats? There is no doubt that, as in dogs, pedigree cats suffer from more problems than their cross-bred counterparts. The Feline Advisory Board (FAB) has several schemes set up to monitor the incidence and genetic basis of disease in some pedigree cats and tracks and records the occurrence of others. There are concerted efforts being carried out by vets and breeders to rid some breeds of particularly debilitating problems, for example screening programs for Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) in Persians and Hypertropic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) in Maine Coons. However, these, as with all inherited problems, rely on breeders willing to not breed from affected animals, however good for show they may be, and not exaggerating ‘desirable’ characteristics to the detriment of the animal’s health and welfare.

One of the most popular pedigree cats is the Persian, famed for its short nose and long coat. It could be described as the ‘Bulldog’ of the feline world, a popular breed, instantly recognisable by its flattened face, which, when too extreme, causes significant health and welfare problems. It is fair to say that the majority of the breed suffers problems because of their shortened nose these can range from the fairly mild; stained faces from tears unable to drain down the nose and a propensity to develop tartar on the teeth; to very sore faces and difficultly breathing and eating. They are also prone to developing painful eye ulcers due to their prominent eyes and flattened noses. Many Persians seem to find it difficult to groom their long, thick coats adequately which can lead to matting, they are certainly over-represented in my surgery requiring sedation to have their matted fur clipped away. They are also the most badly affected breed of cat of a disease called ‘Polycystic Kidney Disease’. This is a severe disease of the kidneys and is fatal, but thanks to screening of affected cats, the incidence of this is far less common.

Another breed which suffers for its looks is the Scottish Fold, which, for this reason, is not recognised by the Governing Council of Cat Fancy (GCCF) in the UK but is popular in other countries. The breed is noted for its folded ears, caused by a genetic defect in the cartilage. Cartilage is also present throughout the body in the joints and in these cats it is also defective. Kittens bred from parents who both have folded ears will have crippling joint disease, and so are rarely produced, but even if one parent has straight ears they will suffer to some extent and this is why the GCCF refuses to recognise the breed.

Other popular breeds which have been shown to have a genetic or breed predisposition to problems include Maine Coons and Burmese cats. Main Coon, the giants of the cat world, have been shown to have a genetic predisposition to a heart disease called ‘Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy’ which is a severe degenerative heart disease. It is common in cats in general but strikes Maine Coons at a young age and is more severe. There is now a genetic and ultrasound screening programme to help remove it from the breed. The oriental Burmese is prone to the only recently recognised condition of ‘Feline Orofacial Pain Syndrome’, of the 100 or so confirmed cases, the majority have been Burmese. The symptoms are related to severe pain in the region of the face and the underlying cause is likely a mal-functioning nerve. They are also very prone to developing Diabetes in later life.

Pedigree animals, because of their selected breeding and small gene pools, will always suffer from more health problems than their cross-bred counterparts. This is well recognised amongst the veterinary profession and is reflected by the higher pet insurance premiums you will pay for pedigree cat over a moggy. The ones which concern vets the most are the ones which do affect the animal’s quality of life and it is these that we should concentrate our efforts on. There are now well established screening programmes and records for many conditions but what often slips through the net is the physical characteristics of some breeds which cause welfare issues, such as the flattened nose of the Persian or the hairless skin of the Sphynx. Now that the spot-light has been shone on the pedigree dog world and positive steps are being made to improve their health and welfare we should use this opportunity to also look at cats, what issues they have and how we can work together; vets, breeders, the GCCF and others, to do the same for them.