"dontcountstars" wrote in message
> neuterings. (I'm a qualified veterinary nurse) Do you do anything to
> help, other than harrass people online?
He he he! Got a couple of days to read a list of all that Phil P. does to
help cats?
>
> Pedigree breedings are not to blame for overpopulation and abandoned
> animals, and without the continuation of the many hundreds of year old
> pedigree lines, these breeds would completely die out and become
> extinct, which would be a terrible loss for mankind.
Which pedigree charactersitics are so beneficial to the cat population that
they should be perpetuated?
The smushed-in face of the Persian and Himalayan that causes problems like
breathing distress, eye tearing, and malocclusions? As a result of their
short and concave underlying facial bone structure, the lacrimal sac and the
nasolacrimal duct of most Persian cats is blocked at the lacrimal puncta,
causing an excessive coagulation of debris and an overflow of tears from the
lacrimal glands. Excessive tearing is a common characteristic of Persian
and Himalayan cats and is caused by abnormal drainage of tears and may
result in epiphora. The two lacrimal puncta are the small openings to the
canaliculi (ducts) leading to the lacrimal sac. The nasolacrimal duct drains
the sac into the nose. The ducts of the lacrimal system are already very
small in felines and the facial conformation of extremely short-nosed,
large-eyed cats, namely Persians and Himalayans, is the single most common
cause of occlusion (blockage) of the lacrimal system and resulting abnormal
drainage of tears. Consequently, because of the epiphora and the blocked
lacrimal system, Persian and Himalayan cats suffer from chronic eye
infections. Bacteria build up in the obstructed lacrimal passages and thrive
on the debris deposited from the coagulated tears, inducing chronic
conjunctivitis, with characteristic symptoms such as a brown, mucus-like
discharge from the eye, blinking, and an exposed third eyelid. Persians are
also prone to Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease.
How about the skeletal and other problems of Munchkins? A skeletal
condition called thoracic lordosis, causes back pain and pressure. Munchkins
are predisposed to compressions in the chest, which can put pressure on the
heart and lungs with sometime deadly results. They're also predisposed to
radial hypoplasia.
The Osteochondrodysplasia in Scottish Fold cats? If Scottish fold cats are
mated to other Scottish fold cats, many of the offspring developed a severe
crippling lameness early in life. Cats so affected had shortened, malformed
legs and radiographic abnormalities affecting the growth plates that could
be readily appreciated. As a result of this discovery, the breed was
outlawed by the Cat Fancy in the UK. Recent work conducted in Australia has
confirmed earlier work that the cartilage defect that causes the ears of
these cats to fold is transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait, but
established for the first time that heterozygous Scottish Fold cats
invariably become afflicted by a progressive arthritis that varies in
severity from Fold to Fold.
There is also Autosomal Recessive Problems in Devon Rex cats if you don't
like any of the above. Two important autosomally recessive conditions have
been reported in Devon Rex cats, and interestingly the research concerning
these diseases has been done mostly in Australia. 'Spasticity' as it is
known to breeders, refers to a congenital myopathy somewhat similar to the
human condition limb girdle muscular dystrophy. Work done in the UK
established that the condition was inherited in an autosomal recessive
fashion with complete penetrance. Affected cats usually show obvious signs
of a locomotor problem when six to 20 weeks of age. Muscle weakness is the
predominant feature, with prominent ventroflexion of the head and neck,
dorsal protrusion of the scapulae, head bobbing, megaoesophagus and
pharyngeal weakness. Affected cats have a generally unsatisfactory quality
of life and are at risk of sudden death due to obstruction of the
pharynx/larynx with food. Detailed studies done in collaboration with
Professor Clive Harper have shown the underlying problem to be a primary
muscle disorder, although the molecular basis of the condition has not yet
been determined.
Oh, hell, here's a list compiled for you including some I missed in the
above (data taken from Medical, Genetic, & Behavioral Aspects of Purebred
Cats; Ross D.Clark, DVM, Forum Publications, Fairway Kansas, 1992)...
Abyssinians? Renal amyloidosis, retinal atrophy, psychogenic alopecia,
patellarluxation.
American Shorthair? Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, polycystic kidney disease,
mucopolysaccharosidosis.
Bengal? Entropion.
Birman? Hip dysplasia, epibulbar dermoids
British Shorthair? Hemophilia
Burmese? Ocular dermoids, primary endocaridal
fibroelastosis,meningoencephalocele, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, erosion of
cartilage of third eyelid,lethal midfacial malformation.
Chartreux? Patellar luxation, hip dysplasia.
Cornish Rex? Hypothyroidism, hypotrichosis.
Devon Rex? Hypothyroidism, patellar luxation, hip dysplasia, hypotrichosis,
spasticity (prevents swallowing).
Himalayan? Cataracts, psychogenic alopecia, cutaneous asthenia, polycystic
kidneydisease.
Korat? Gangliosidosis.
Maine Coon? Pectus excavatum, patellar luxation, hip dysplasia,
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Manx? Spina bifida, atresia ani, rectal prolapse, corneal dystrophy.
Persian? Chediak-Higashi syndrome, congenital ankyloblepharon,
entropion,congenital epiphora, primary glaucoma, mannosidosis, seborrhea,
polycystic kidneydisease, peripheral pseudocysts, patellar luxation, hip
dysplasia.
Ragdoll? Hypertrophic cardiomyopathyScottish Fold. Severe vertebral
abnormalities, prognathis, incapacitating joint diseasewith fold to fold
breeding, polycystic kidney disease.
Siamese? Feline hyperesthesia syndrome, feline endocrine alopecia,
adenocarcinomasof the small intestine, mucopolysaccharidosis,
gangliosidosis, malignant mammarytumors, numerous congenital heart defects
(PDA, aortic stenosis, AV valve malformation, pyloric stenosis, etc),
primary endocardial fibroelastosis, strabismus,nystagmus, sphingomyelinosis,
hydrocephalus, asthma, mast cell tumors, cutaneousasthenia, esophageal
hypomotility, cutaneous mastocytomas, hypotrichosis, glaucoma,cervical neck
lesions, hip dysplasia Somali.GingivitisSphinx.Spasticity, alopecia
universalis.
Tonkinese? Susceptible to upper respiratory infection, sensitivity to
vaccines.
Yes, indeed, there are so many reasons to keep breeding "pure-bred" cats
until, like over-bred dogs, every single breed has its concommitant (usually
painful, often deadly) defects - while perfectly healthy moggies are
euthanized for want of a home.
Hugs,
CatNipped
>
> So really, I resent your assumption that I am an irresponsible,
> morally bankrupt person, and feel that perhaps you should not jump to
> conclusions next time, and also work on a better way to get your
> message across, other than being inappropriately rude when someone
> asks an innocent question.
There was no assumption, only fact - and *I* resent *you* and all you stand
for.
>> Stay informed about: Tom Cat won't breed with in-season queen!?? 
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