Patellar luxation and Abyssinian cats

Abyssinian cat. Photo: Helmi Flick with her express permission.

Patellar luxation is more common in some cat breeds than was once thought. Rather disturbingly, surveys of Abyssinian cats from California in 1991 and1992 discovered that 26/69 (38%) of examined Abyssinian cats had "patellars that could be dislocated, compared with 1/84 other cats tested". This condition can sometimes be found at the same time with hip dysplasia. The kneecap slides to the inside of the leg rather than remaining on top of the joint i.e. in its trochlear groove. There may be intermittent lameness and a reluctance to jump.

The source of the information comes from the studies listed below:

1. Giger Urs, P.A. Green and G.K. Smith: "Hip Dysplasia and Patellar Luxation in Cats", Veterinary Proceedings from the North American Veterinary Conference, 1992 Vol 6:321. This study is referred to in Medical, Genetic & Behavioral Risk Factors of Devon Rex Cats by Ross D Clark DVM.
2. Guger Urs; Presentation at the 13th Annual Robert Winn Foundation Symposium on Feline Health, June 20, 1991. "Patellar Luxation and Hip Dysplasia" summary by Diana Cruden. Cat Fanciers' Almanac, Nov. 1991, p. 84.