What affects us affects cats
For me cat DNA and genetics is all about cat breeding. Do cat breeders, even those registered with cat associations, have a good knowledge of genetics? They should have because artificial selection as opposed to natural selection (think Charles Darwin) is nearly always inbreeding to fix the recessive gene that makes some purebred cats …
As you might well imagine, the reason why tortoiseshell cats are nearly always female is to do with the genetics and how the genes that dictate the coat colour and pattern are linked to the sex of the cat. Female mammals have 2 X chromosomes while males have one X and one Y chromosome. …
Dr Desmond Morris calls them “abnormal breeds”. I had never heard the term before. He is referring to cat breeds born out of a genetic mutation which only has a minor disadvantage to the cat. These breeds are controversial. Some cat associations accept them while others don’t. They are on the borderline between acceptance …
To answer the question, I believe that it is sensible to divide the domestic cat world into two categories: purebred and non-purebred cats (moggies). That’s because there is a distinct difference when answering the question between these two categories. Purebred cats Thanks to selective breeding i.e. artificial selection within the cat fancy, the normally …
There are three questions in the title. I will answer them in reverse order! Why do white cats have white fur? Cats which are completely white have a gene in their genetic makeup which is called the dominant white gene. It stops the development of cells in the skin that produce pigment. These cells …
The problem with this question is that it is badly formulated. Therefore, it doesn’t really make sense which means it is difficult to answer. If it was well formulated it would still be difficult to answer (for me at least) 😉. I’ll have a stab at it. But it will be an overview. Above: …
This study tells us how the fragmentation of the distribution of a population of wild cats negatively impacts genetic diversity and survival. Small population numbers lead to a reduction in genetic diversity which in turn can lead to sterility due to inbreeding, which in turn again leads to a smaller population and a vicious …
The woolly cheetah no longer exists. They were shot rather than captured. If the woolly cheetah was a different species of cheetah we will never know. When they were in existence some people thought they were a different species while others thought they were the same species but subject to a genetic mutation which …
