One of the most common non-medical questions we are asked at Cats Only Veterinary Clinic is, “What breed do you think he/she is?” It makes sense, we see all these pictures of glorious Maine Coons, slinky Siamese, and silvery Russian Blues, it’s hard not to compare them to our house cats and wonder: could they be related?
Breed testing:
Pet DNA tests were created almost 2 decades ago for dogs, but in recent years cats have found their own niche in the market. It can be tempting to want to find out what breeds make up your cat, but there are some details that are absent from these tests that make them less than reliable for breed determination in cats.
- While cats likely began their relationship with humans way back in the fertile crescent some 10,000 years ago, the actual selective breeding for specific traits, such as body shape and color, didn’t start until the 1800’s. Compare this to dogs, who were first selectively bred to perform certain tasks starting around the same time as cats decided to accept their human caretakers more than 10,000 years ago. Considering the vast differences between different dog breeds (Such as a pug and a German shepherd), one can see that it has taken thousands of generations to reach these differences. Compared to cats where the differences are less drastic, and most cats can easily be looked at and identified as a cat.
- Many cat breed organizations have continued to allow outcrossing, or breeding between other stocks, as well as domestic shorthairs/longhairs (cats with no specific breed) to keep the gene pool large and to try to limit or eliminate health issues that have developed with time of breeding similar individuals. This mixing of genetics adds to the complications of breed identification using DNA tests. Most dog breed organizations have strict guidelines on outcrossing, so the genetic variation typically falls in a specific pool.
These reasons explain why even a pedigreed cat, with a known lineage going back 8+ generations, may still show up as a mix of different breeds on some DNA tests . So when a test claims a cat is mixed with Maine coon and Siberian, this isn’t necessarily a marker for what breed this cat is, but that it does share some similar genetics. We also know that Maine Coons, Siberians, and Norwegian Forest Cats all developed from a similar population of cats and then traveled across the north as populations moved.
Genetic Health Testing:
Can these tests still be beneficial? Yes! A quality DNA test can be helpful in individualizing your cats’ healthcare needs. Some recommendations are:
Wisdom panel– Offering combination breed and DNA tests, they also have an economical option called Optimal Selection that contains the DNA test-side, only, that is marketed towards breeders. This panel has plenty of benefits for non-breeding cats to be aware of possible genes that could lead to health issues for them down the line.
BasePaws- Offering combination breed and genetic disease testing comparable to Wisdom panel. A more comprehensive, Whole Genome Sequencing panel, is available for those looking to stay as proactive as possible as new gene – disease connections are discovered.
There are other companies working on feline DNA testing that are not as popular. Generally, they seem to be less comprehensive, testing for fewer genes, and may not be using the same standard of testing for the most accurate results. At this time, Cats Only Veterinary Clinic cannot recommend other tests, but that could change as testing improves.
When Should you consider a DNA test? You will get the most potential benefit by testing as soon as your cat comes to you. Whether they are a young kitten from a breeder or an adult stray from the neighborhood, determining if they are genetically at risk for these diseases can help you and your veterinarian to make better decisions for treatment and preventative care for your cat’s future.
At Cats Only Veterinary Clinic, we’ve always treated our cats as cats,with their own, focused care, and not small dogs. Now with gene testing, we can go even further to treating your cat as the unique individual that they are.
If you have more questions about DNA tests and your cat, please don’t hesitate to contact us to schedule a consultation.
