A Michael Broad Blog
Although I know a lot about the inherited diseases of the cat breeds including the Persian cat, I was unaware before preparing this Infographic that the Persian cat is predisposed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Further research is needed on this disease with respect to the Persian cat because my research did not shed any …
NEWS AND OPINION: This is a typical story of the decline of a wild cat species. In this instance, it’s the clouded leopard with its magnificent coat so treasured, so precious, so beautiful which has added to its persecution through human activity. All the extinctions of the wild cat species come back to human …
I’m going to refer to a study of 2007 which contains a lot of useful information (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.ygeno.2007.10.009). One of the conclusions which interests me and which might interest others is that the Siberian cat is the most genetically diverse cat breed according to these scientists. And at the opposite end of the spectrum, they …
At first glance this is a daunting and off-putting topic. However, we have Ben, the TikTok vet to ease us into the discussion 😎. He’s great and thanks Ben. He has a nice video of the COI of the most inbred pedigree dogs available in the UK. It is a very good start. This …
“Inbreeding depression” is a euphemism for a general lack of health in an individual purebred cat which has been selectively bred (using artificial selection) for appearance, which automatically incorporates inbreeding. Cat breeders often have to inbreed their purebred cats in order to fix their appearance. This is because the appearance is held on a …
On my travels through the Internet today I have bumped into what appears to be a huge problem with Sphynx cats: smelly, loose stools in nightmarish quantities. There really are some horror stories on the Internet. One Sphynx owner says that she changes the entire litter tray every time her cat goes to the …
There are at least 2 reasons why cheetahs reproduced poorly, which is an added reason why they are vulnerable to extinction in the wild. There has been an approximate 50% decline in population numbers over the past four decades. Inbreeding The first reason is inbreeding due to mating between close relatives. There have been …
Yes, it is probably fair to say that some cats of some cat breeds live slightly longer than other cats. However, there are no scientific studies which supports the notion that the cats of some breeds live longer than the cats of other breeds. This is about anecdotal evidence. It’s about what some people …
