Medical, Genetic & Behavioral Risk Factors of the Top 13 Cat Breeds

By Ross Clark

This book provides you with a thorough description and positive attributes of this breed of cat including origin, history, normal heights and weights, acceptable colors and behavioral traits. Our books di?er from most books on cat breeds because this book also provides you with a comprehensive and authoritative source of all the known predisposed hereditary health syndromes for the breed. You will ?nd extensive references for each problem described. We also provide addresses of registries for this breed and a list of laboratories and organizations that can provide professional help and information.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 6, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524581107

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 by ROSS D. CLARK, DVM. 732234

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017901745

ISBN:   Softcover           978-1-5245-8111-4

             Hardcover          978-1-5245-8112-1

             EBook                978-1-5245-8110-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 01/20/2017

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

MEDICAL, GENETIC &

BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTORS

OF THE TOP 13 CAT BREEDS

INSIDE:

I. ORIGIN AND HISTORY

II. DESCRIPTION

III. SHOW RING REQUIREMENTS

IV. CARE AND GROOMING

V. BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

VI. RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN TOP 13 CAT BREEDS

DENTITION

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY

DERMATOLOGICAL

GASTROINTESTINAL

MUSCULOSKELETAL

NEUROLOGIC

OPHTHALMIC

UROGENITAL

VII. MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND RESOURCES

GENETIC TESTS

REGISTRIES

BY: ROSS D. CLARK, DVM

On the Cover (left to right):

Row 1: Oriental Shorthair, Maine Coon Cat, Sphynx

Row 2: Scottish Fold, Ragdoll, Exotic Shorthair

Row 3: Persian, Abyssinian, Siamese, Birman

Row 4: Burmese, American Shorthair, Devon Rex

PREFACE

This book provides you with a through description and positive attributes of this breed including origin, purpose, history, normal heights and weights, acceptable colors and behavioral traits. Our books differ from most books on cat breeds because this book also provides you with a comprehensive and authoritative source of all the known predisposed hereditary health syndromes for the breed. You will find extensive references for each problem described. We also provide addresses of registries for this breed and a list of laboratories and organizations that can provide professional help and information.

After having written extensively about the differences in purebred dogs, I have turned my attention to purebred cats. The dog is the world’s most physically diverse species with over 400 different breeds recognized worldwide. Sizes range from a three pound Chihuahua to the 200 pound Irish wolfhound. Coat types range from the curly-coated Poodle to the hairless Xoloitzcuintli. Pedigreed cats, on the other hand have less variation in size and type with the largest breeds, the Maine Coon Cat and the Ragdoll weighing up to 20 pounds and the diminutive Singapura weighing only six pounds. Head shape shows much more diversity including the long, sleek head of the Siamese to the round massive head of the Persian. Coat type also has extensive varieties from the long thick double coat of the Himalayan to the short tight curl of the Devon Rex to no hair at all in the Sphynx and Donskoy. Diversity in cats appears to be less about size and function and more about coat, color and conformation.

Classification of cat breeds varies by registry and fanciers. The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF), the main registry in the United Kingdom divides the breeds into groups based on coat type and origin; these include: Persian group, Semi-longhair group, British group, Foreign group, Burmese group, Oriental group and Siamese group.¹ Another classification involves origin of the breed. Breeds are divided into the following: Established breeds; those breeds that have been in existence for some time but whose appearance may have been modified by selective breeding. These breeds include the Siamese, Persian and British Longhair. Original breeds; these cats appear as they did when they began their existence as farm cats or street cats. Crossing these breeds with other breeds is usually not allowed and modifying their appearance is not desirable. Original breeds include the Turkish Van, the Japanese Bobtail and the Norwegian Forest Cat. Combination breeds are cats that have been created by crossing two or more existing breeds. These include the Burmilla, Ragdoll and Tonkinese. Mutation breeds are recent breeds that have been developed from cats possessing certain traits that someone found desirable. This may be differences in coat, shape and tail or lack thereof. Breeds include the Sphynx, American Bobtail, Cornish Rex and Munchkin.² At present up to seventy-three different breeds of cat have been recognized by one registry but most registries recognize only 40 to 50.

It may appear that some breeds are more predisposed to genetic problems than others but this may be a factor of time and numbers. Established breeds like the Siamese and Persian represent a large population and have been bred by cat fanciers for over a century allowing for the recognition of certain characteristics and health problems. It may be noted that the majority of the problems noted in purebred cats also can be found in random bred cats known as Domestic shorthairs.

Conscientious cat breeders have recognized hereditary problems in their cats for years and have attempted to eliminate them through selective breeding. Since some of these problems do not appear until the cat is older, removing cats carrying a certain trait from a breeding program has been difficult. Now with the sequencing of the feline genome it is possible to locate mutations causing these problems through DNA testing of breeding stock. Work by Drs. Leslie Lyons and Barbara Gandolfi of the Feline Comparative Genetics Laboratory at the University of Missouri, Dr. Kathryn Meurs of the University of North Carolina and Dr. Niels Pedersen of the University of California, Davis and others have led the way in feline genetics making it possible to detect carriers of genetic diseases and eliminate them from breeding programs.

I have combined information from breeders, feline registries, veterinarians and genetic researchers to create a concise description of the physical, behavioral, medical and genetic aspects of this breed of cat.

This book will provide veterinarians, researchers, pet owners and breeders with a comprehensive guide to all the known problems veterinarians and cat owners should consider during pet selection and throughout each life stage of our feline friends.

Ross D. Clark, DVM

References

1. Cat Breeds; Governing Council of the Cat Fancy: www.gccfcats.org/Cat-breeds

2. Verhoef-Verhalen, Esther J. J. The Complete Encyclopedia of Cats Edison, NJ, Chartwell Books, 2005

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PERSIAN

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

DESCRIPTION

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

CARE AND GROOMING

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN PERSIAN CATS

DENTITION

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY

DERMATOLOGICAL

GASTROINTESTINAL

MUSCULOSKELETAL

NEUROLOGIC

OPHTHALMIC

UROGENITAL

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND RESOURCES

GENETIC TESTS AVAILABLE FOR PERSIAN CATS

REGISTRIES

REFERENCES

MAINE COON CAT

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

DESCRIPTION

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

CARE AND GROOMING

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN MAINE COON CATS

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY:

DERMATOLOGIC

GASTROINTESTINAL

MUSCULOSKELETAL

NEUROLOGICAL

UROGENITAL

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND RESOURCES

GENETIC TESTS AVAILABLE FOR MAINE COON CAT

REGISTRIES

REFERENCES

EXOTIC SHORTHAIR

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

DESCRIPTION

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

CARE AND GROOMING

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

LONGHAIR EXOTIC

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN EXOTIC SHORTHAIRS

DENTITION

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY

DERMATOLOGICAL

GASTROINTESTINAL

OPHTHALMIC

UROGENITAL

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND RESOURCES

GENETIC TESTS AVAILABLE FOR EXOTIC SHORTHAIRS

REGISTRIES

REFERENCES

SIAMESE

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

DESCRIPTION

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

CARE AND GROOMING

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN THE SIAMESE

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY

DERMATOLOGICAL

ENDOCRINE

GASTROINTESTINAL

MUSCULOSKELETAL

NEUROLOGIC

OPHTHALMIC

UROGENITAL

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND RESOURCES

GENETIC TESTS AVAILABLE FOR THE SIAMESE

REGISTRIES

REFERENCES

ABYSSINIAN

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

DESCRIPTION

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

CARE AND GROOMING

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN ABYSSINIANS

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY

DERMATOLOGICAL

ENDOCRINE

GASTROINTESTINAL

MUSCULOSKELETAL

NEUROLOGIC

OPHTHALMIC

UROGENITAL

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND RESOURCES

GENETIC TESTS AVAILABLE FOR THE ABYSSINIAN

ADDITIONAL BREED RESOURCES

REGISTRIES

REFERENCES

RAGDOLL

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

DESCRIPTION

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

CARE AND GROOMING

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN THE RAGDOLL

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY

MUSCULOSKELETAL

OPHTHALMIC

UROGENITAL

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND RESOURCES

GENETIC TESTS AVAILABLE FOR THE RAGDOLL

REGISTRIES

REFERENCES

BIRMAN

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

DESCRIPTION

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

CARE AND GROOMING

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN THE BIRMAN

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY

DERMATOLOGICAL

MUSCULOSKELETAL

NEUROLOGIC

OPHTHALMIC

UROGENITAL

MISCELLANEOUS

GENETIC TESTS AVAILABLE FOR THE BIRMAN

REGISTRIES

REFERENCES

AMERICAN SHORTHAIR

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

DESCRIPTION

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

CARE AND GROOMING

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN AMERICAN SHORTHAIRS

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY

MUSCULOSKELETAL

REGISTRIES

REFERENCES

ORIENTAL LONGHAIR AND SHORTHAIR

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

DESCRIPTION

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

CARE AND GROOMING

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN ORIENTALS

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY

DERMATOLOGICAL

GASTROINTESTINAL

MUSCULOSKELETAL

NEUROLOGIC

OPHTHALMIC

UROGENITAL

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND RESOURCES

GENETIC TESTS AVAILABLE FOR THE ORIENTAL LONGHAIR/SHORTHAIR

REGISTRIES

REFERENCES

SPHYNX

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

DESCRIPTION

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

CARE AND GROOMING

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN THE SPHYNX

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY

DERMATOLOGICAL

MUSCULOSKELETAL

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND RESOURCES

GENETIC TESTS AVAILABLE FOR THE SPHYNX

REGISTRIES

REFERENCES

SCOTTISH FOLD

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

DESCRIPTION

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

CARE AND GROOMING

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

HIGHLAND FOLDS

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN SCOTTISH FOLDS

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY

MUSCULOSKELETAL

UROGENITAL

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND RESOURCES

GENETIC TESTS AVAILABLE FOR THE SCOTTISH FOLD

REGISTRIES

REFERENCES

DEVON REX

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

DESCRIPTION

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

CARE AND GROOMING

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN

THE DEVON REX

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY

DERMATOLOGICAL

ENDOCRINE

GASTROINTESTINAL

MUSCULOSKELETAL

NEUROLOGIC

UROGENITAL

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND RESOURCES

GENETIC TESTS AVAILABLE FOR THE DEVON REX

REGISTRIES

REFERENCES

BURMESE

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

DESCRIPTION

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

CARE AND GROOMING

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN BURMESE

CARDIOVASCULAR-HEMATOLOGICAL-RESPIRATORY

DERMATOLOGICAL

ENDOCRINE-EXOCRINE-ENZYMATIC

GASTROINTESTINAL

MUSCULOSKELETAL

NEUROLOGIC

OPHTHALMIC

UROGENITAL

EUROPEAN BURMESE

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND RESOURCES

GENETIC TESTS AVAILABLE FOR THE BURMESE

REGISTRIES

REFERENCES

PERSIAN

8%20month%20old%20Persian%20kitten.tif

8 month old Persian kitten

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

The Persian cat has consistently been ranked number one in breed popularity over the years accounting for almost 80% of the pedigreed cat population. The breed is thought to have derived from a long-haired breed which moved westward from Persia and Iran. The exact origin of Persian cats is not known, but they have been referenced back as early as 1684 B.C., according to some authors. In the 1600s, the Italian traveler Pietro della Valle brought the first Persian cats to Europe. In his writings, he mentioned both the angora and Persian cats. He believed their origin to be the Khorasan province in Persia (now Iran). ⁹ This breed received its name from its supposed country of origin. The Himalayan division resulted from Persian and Siamese cross-breeding and is now considered an accepted color variation of the Persian breed. The breed’s popularity increased rapidly in the late 1800s when they figured prominently in the first modern cat show held in London in 1871 which was about the same time they first appeared in the United States. 2014 saw the Persian slip from the number one ranking, dropping to number two just behind its cousin the Exotic Shorthair.

DESCRIPTION

COLOR: Persians have been divided into six color divisions on the competition level based on color pattern. These divisions are: solid, shaded and golden, smoke, tabby, parti-color and Himalayan.

Solid division: white, black, blue, red, cream, chocolate, lilac.

Shaded and Golden division: chinchilla, silver, shaded silver, chinchilla golden, shaded golden.

Shaded and Smoke division: shell cameo (Red chinchilla), shaded cameo (Red Shaded), shell cream (Cream Chinchilla), shaded cream (Cream shaded), shell tortoiseshell, shaded tortoiseshell, shell blue-cream, shaded blue cream, black smoke, blue smoke, cream smoke, red smoke, tortoiseshell smoke, blue-cream smoke.

Tabby division: classic tabby pattern, mackerel tabby pattern, silver tabby, silver patched tabby, blue-silver tabby, blue-silver patched tabby, red tabby, brown tabby, brown patched tabby, blue tabby, blue patched tabby, cream tabby, cameo tabby, cream silver tabby, chocolate tabby, chocolate patched tabby, lilac tabby, lilac patched tabby. All colors may lave either classic or mackerel patterns.

Parti-color division: tortoiseshell, blue-cream, chocolate tortoiseshell, lilac-cream.

Calico and Bi-Color division: calico, dilute calico, chocolate calico, lilac calico, bi-color, calico smoke, dilute calico smoke, chocolate calico smoke, lilac calico smoke, Shell cameo and white, shell cream and white, shell calico, shell dilute calico, shell chocolate calico, shell lilac calico, shaded cameo and white, shaded cream and white, shaded calico, shaded dilute calico, shaded chocolate calico, shaded lilac calico, red tabby and white, brown tabby and white, patched tabby and white, other tabby and white.

Himalayan (pointed) division: seal point, chocolate point, blue point, lilac point, flame (red) point, cream point, tortie point, chocolate-tortie point, blue-cream point, lilac-cream point, Himalayan lynx point, seal lynx, blue-lynx, flame lynx, cream lynx, tortie lynx, blue-cream lynx, chocolate lynx, lilac lynx, chocolate tortie lynx and lilac cream lynx points. ⁸

Eye color should be brilliant copper, blue or odd-eyed except for silver, silver and white and blue silver and white or patched tabby may have green or hazel colored eyes.

Dilute%20calico%20Persian.tif

Dilute calico Persian

APPEARANCE: The Persian should give the impression of a heavily boned, well balanced cat with a sweet expression. The head should be round and massive with a wide skull margin and short, thick neck. The nose is to be short and broad with a break, the cheeks full and the jaws broad and powerful. The chin should be well developed and reflect a proper bite. The ears are small, round-tipped, tilted forward and not unduly open at the base. They should also be set far apart and low on the head without distorting the rounded-head contour. The eyes are to be large, round and full, set far apart. The body should be deep chested and massive across shoulders and rump with good muscle tone. There is a focus on quality rather than size. The forelegs should be straight; the paws have their toes carried close with five in front and four behind. The coat should be long and thick, standing off from the body with an immense ruff ⁸ Adult males weigh from 9 to 14 pounds; adult females weigh from 7 to 11 pounds.

SHOW REQUIREMENTS

The disqualifying features include a locket or button, a kinked or abnormal tail, incorrect number of toes, crossed eyes, weakness in the hind quarters and spine deformities. Any deformity of the skull resulting in an asymmetrical face or head is also grounds for disqualification. Pointed cats also disqualify for white toes and eye color other than blue. ⁸

CARE AND GROOMING

Many Persian breeders allow kittens between twelve and sixteen weeks of age to be purchased, having completed their inoculations. Sixteen weeks is also the minimum age for showing and for transportation by air. The long coats of Persians require an indoor, protected environment. Tangles and hairballs can be avoided by a daily maintenance with a metal comb. Bathe only after completely combing through and clipping the nail tips. This will keep the coat healthy, clean and flowing. ⁹

Two%20bi-color%20Champion%20Persians.tif

Two bi-color Champion Persians

BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

Persian cats favor environments of security and serenity. This breed has a gentle personality once adapting to new environments and make wonderful pets as they are known for being playful but never demanding. The cats are very responsive and offer excellent companionship to their owners. Above all, the Persian is an INDOOR CAT.

RECOGNIZED RISK FACTORS IN PERSIAN CATS

Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS) or oculocutaneous albinism is a well recognized problem in this breed. It is an autosomal recessive trait causing hypopigmentation so that affected cats have a lighter