Why does polydactyly occur in cats?
Polydactylism occurs in cats because of a spontaneous genetic mutation.
Continue reading →Category Archives: Genetics
What is a Colourpoint cat?
A Colourpoint cat has a pale ground colour and darker extremities at the face, feet, ears and tail. The classic Colourpoint is the Siamese. The gene which creates the temperature sensitive coat of the Siamese has been ‘injected’ into other … Continue reading →
Is the domestic cat a species?
Yes, the domestic cat is a species. Although I think it is a slightly tricky question because the domestic cat could be a subspecies. This is the science of TAXONOMY which is fairly settled nowadays but scientists are still making … Continue reading →
Can big cats be polydactyl?
Can big cats be polydactyl? The answer is probably, yes. Although, having read a lot about the big cats and all wild cat species and seen many photographs, I have not seen one polydactyl paw on any wild cat of … Continue reading →
There Should Be DNA Mapping of Pedigree Cats to Eradicate Genetic Diseases
A long time ago, perhaps about seven years ago, I wrote an article about genetic diseases in purebred cats. It is a comprehensive article. Many purebred cats are linked to inherited diseases due to defective recessive genes coming to the … Continue reading →
White spotting gene charts
Here is a series of very useful charts showing various aspects of the effect of the presence of the white spotting gene including theories on how the gene works to create varying amounts of white fur. The charts come from … Continue reading →
The Tip of a Cat’s Nose
This is a discussion about the tip of the cat’s nose and a follow up to my page on a condition called “Bengal Nose”. The tip of a cat’s nose is a triangle of skin and is made up of … Continue reading →
Adenocarcinomas of the small intestine and Siamese cats
The Siamese cat is predisposed to getting adenocarcinomas of the small intestine. This is a certain type of cancer and in this case it affects the Siamese cat’s small intestine. Compared to domestic shorthair cats (non-purebred cats) the Siamese is … Continue reading →
Domestic Cat World Groupings And Some Breed Origins
If you click on this you’ll be taken to a map that shows information about how the domestic cat – all domestic cats, genetically speaking – are clustered into four groups. The link opens a new page so you can … Continue reading →
“Marguerite” – sand cat x domestic cat, wild cat hybrid
This is a wild cat hybrid and a new cat breed called the “Marguerite”. It is a sand cat crossed with a domestic cat. The domestic cat, in this instance, is a female ticked tabby. The pictures show two young, … Continue reading →