Infographic summarises some Persian cat coat, eye and oral health problems

Flat-faced Persian cat coat, eye and mouth problems. INFOGRAPHIC.

What one takes away from this 2019 study is that the modern (contemporary flat-faced) Persian cat’s health could and should be improved with a change to the breed standard to neutralise the extreme facial anatomy and normalise a skull and facial features which are nearer to what we expect of the domestic cat. This …

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Explaining the evolution (creation) of the dense and long coat of Pallas’s cat (manul)

Natural selection created the Pallas's cat's long and dense coat which is not an adaptation to a cold climate but a genetic mutation which provided a benefit to this small wild species

Pallas’s cat (Latin, scientific name: Otocolobus manul) is considered to have the thickest coat of all the cat species. The obvious conclusion is that this small and charming-looking wild cat species needs a thick coat because they live in a very cold and harsh habitat. I’m told that the coat is so dense that …

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Small cat hair colour and pattern is determined by genes and their presence is determined by natural or artificial selection

Natural and artificial selection influences the genes that create coat type and colour

In discussing small cat hair colour, I think we have to divide the world of the small cats into two groups: the purebred cats and the non-purebred cats. Purebred cats These are created through artificial selection a.k.a. selective breeding. Selective breeding determines the genes that the cats carry and these genes determine the coat …

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‘Chinchilla’, its meaning in the cat world (infographic)

Chinchilla Persian miniature cat

The word ‘chinchilla’ is used a lot in the cat fancy and it is associated with Persian cats. Usually not the extreme bred, flat-faced variety but the traditional doll-faced types. But there appears to be a certain flexibility in the meaning and use of the word which I have illustrated in the infographic. In essence ‘chinchilla’ refers to a type of coat in the cat world, specifically the cat fancy. The name has been taken from the name of a South American rodent with the same coat.

Cats that change colour from orange to black and black to orange

Pugsley

Online currently there is a GeoBeats story about an adorable cat called Pugsley who when adopted from a rescue center was orange. It was an extreme case of tyrosine deficiency due to him being on a very unbalanced diet for a long time before he entered the shelter (on my assessment). Normally black cats …

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Does adding salmon oil to cat food reduce shedding?

Does adding salmon oil to cat food reduce shedding?

The above product cost £11.99 on Amazon in the UK. My research indicates multiple benefits to cats in taking fish oil supplements but I can’t find a scientific study supporting the suggestion that is helps to stop fur shedding. However, veterinarians would probably agree that fish oil does improve the skin and helps to …

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