Several veterinary genetic laboratories, both academic and commercial, offer multi-test profiles of a few dozen of the most popular genetic screens to more than 50. Several labs have added to their feline genetic screening profile two inherited blood clotting disorders: Factor IX (Christmas Factor) deficiency and Factor XII (Hageman) deficiency.
Why are these important, and what should a breeder do if one of their cats is found to carry one of these traits? Before we answer those questions, a brief discussion of blood clotting mechanisms and current laboratory screening tests of the efficiency of those mechanisms is necessary.
The Miracle of Blood Clotting
We take it for granted. We are playing with Fluffy and his favorite toy, and our hand gets in the way of that paw batting at the toy. We yelp a little, look at the scratch oozing a tiny bit of blood, then wipe it off with the nearest available absorbent form of paper. Already stopped bleeding, we think to ourselves. We shake it off and think to ourselves that Fluffy is overdue for a nail trim.
What we fail to appreciate is that not only does Fluffy need a nail trim, but those claws of his set off a cascade of biochemical reactions that has saved our life, time and again, and we don't even realize it. That process is more formally called hemostasis.¹ Hemostasis is essentially the same process in both humans and felines.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2023 من Cat Talk.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2023 من Cat Talk.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
No Kitten! Cats Are Part of the Military!
Felines have graced the decks of boats and ships back nearly to the beginning of time, roaming freely on passenger ships, war vessels, and merchant schooners, keeping vermin at bay.
Feline Summer Movie Fun!
School is almost OUT! Huzzah! But raindrops are plunking against the window, the amusement and water parks haven’t opened yet, camping is out, and roasted hot dogs and S’mores are another month away.
Kittens Are Special...
...and so are some of the show rules for them:
Genetic Pleiotropy and the Risks in Breeding Recessive Mutations
Nearly everyone loves what’s rare and unique. A slight defect in the minting process of a coin can create a demand and a value well beyond the face value of the coin. The coin is functionally no different than its perfectly minted counterpart, but its scarcity and uniqueness alone make it more desirable than the rest.
Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
Most new pet owners can hardly wait to get their new kitten home. How to explain why most breeders wait until the kitten is older? | Let's take a look at WHY breeders delay, and why new owners will be happier in the long run that they did.
Who's That Kitten?
Your queen has successfully delivered her litter!
Kittens & Worms
You have settled in for the evening with your soft, sleepy kitten. As you rub her, you notice that her belly is large, round, and squishy.
GESTATION What Is Normal & What Influences Gestation.?
About 46.5 million households in the United States report owning cats in 2024.
Preparing Kittens For the Show Hall
Socializing kittens and making sure they are confident for their new family is only a part of the job description for a show breeder.
Library Cats felis cattus bibliotheca
Introduction - The Middle Ages, sometimes referred to as “The Dark Ages,” spanned approximately one thousand years, between 479 AD and 1450 AD. This time period is not generally considered to have been friendly to anyone, human nor animal, but it was especially hostile toward felines. Ignorance of knowledge and science was rampant among the majority of the population, with the ability to read limited to clerics and the wealthy. Myths, legends, and galliard songs spread widely throughout Europe as people migrated from place to place, searching for food and a safe habitat. Fear of the unknown and the unexplainable, particularly of witches and their cat familiars, was spread not only by the stories and songs, but by the Popes themselves. Without touching on the atrocities of medieval times, let us just say it was not the best time to be a cat.
