The most obvious inherited health issues of the Peke-face Persian: BAS.

Although the Peke-face Persian (flat-faced Persian) can suffer from all or one of 16 inherited diseases, the one highlighted in the infographic below is the most obvious. It is perhaps the classic consequence of breeding cats with unnaturally shaped heads and faces to try and meet an aesthetic which pleases the eye of some. Heavens knows why because the Peke-face is certainly uglier than the Doll-face.

There is no cure for this or the other Peke-face Persian inherited diseases because they are caused by a distorted face and head due to extreme breeding. You have to change the breeding practices over a long time if you are to 'cure' this shameful state of affairs where the cat fancy have abdicated their responsibilities to ensure that they breed healthy cats. In fact I think you'll see that the CFA demands in their breed standards that health should not be compromised BUT IT IS (in the most gross way)! And has been for decades in really serious ways causing distress and unhappiness in these cats. 

Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome (BAS) in Peke-face Persian cats by Michael Broad

If you click on this link: Infographics on Peke-face Persian health problems, you'll see some more health issues associated with this breed, if that interests you. Each one is a 60 second read. The goal is to explain sometimes complicated medical information in studies in an infographic. I want everyone to have access to this kind of information as it is good for cat welfare and to educate potential adopters of purebred cats.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Time for the cat fancy to do something about the Persian cat's polycystic kidney disease

It is well beyond the time when the cat fancy - and I'm referring mainly to the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) - does something tangible about the shameful health of the flat-faced Persian cat, created through decades of selective inbreeding of cats carrying the disease to fix the cats strange appearance which as a consequence, and as a side effect, has led to this breed suffering, interminably, from a nasty kidney disease which quite often proves fatal.

That disease, as mentioned in the title, is polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Cysts form on the kidney rendering the organ ineffective and it can start at a very young age. Ultrasound detects it which is why sometimes it cat shows you will see an ultrasound engineer on site to scan the interior of a Persian cat and other cats if need be. See video at end of article. The infographic sums it up.

Update: Some cat associations such as the UK's Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) require breeding Persians to be screened for the PKD gene defect. Langford Veterinary Diagnostics have documented a decreasing prevalence of the PKD gene in Persians in the UK, from ~28% in 2005 to ~2% in 2016, showing how effective this type of targeted intervention can be. - quote from the following study: Persian cats under first opinion veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders.

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) in Persian cats in an infographic by Michael Broad

I know I have banged this drum for far too long. I've become boring in constantly restating my distaste at knowing that the cat fancy has allowed this ill-health to be perpetuated for so long. The Persian cat was an extremely popular cat. In fact it was the top cat breed in terms of popularity for many years in America.

But nowadays, it has relinquished that top position to other cat breeds such as the Maine Coon. And it is very plausible to argue that a major reason is this inherited health problem combined with other inherited health problems such as tear duct overflow due to a distorted tear duct thanks to the flat face.

It's just not right. We don't have to be so obsessed with the appearance and in any case the cat fancy has overshot the mark with the Persian cat because initially they wanted the face to be a little more flat but now it has to be completely flat as if the cats been punched in the face. All the elements of the face of got to be in vertical alignment which is frankly madness. How did they get to this situation?

My answer to that is that the CFA administrators have been working in this closed shop for decades feeding off on another and supporting each other with what can only be crazy ideas. They think that the flat face is attractive compared to the traditional Persian cat which has a much more normal face which is in truth far more attractive. They tried to make that attractive Persian face more attractive but ultimately they went in the other direction and made the cat very unnatural and unattractive in my view and I would argue in the views of many others.

Let's tackle this PKD problem in Persian cats as soon as possible. The only way to do that is to lay down some laws regarding the breeding of this cat which would introduce fresh genetics into the Persian breeding lines to improve genetic diversity, to remove some of the inbreeding which would change the appearance of the cat but most importantly improve their health. And as mentioned to screen for PKD and 'cull' (remove) these cats from breeding programs.

Inbreeding causes inbreeding depression among other things. This is a weakened immune system and general ill-health.

Health supersedes appearance if we are really concerned about domestic cats. Unfortunately for many years appearance has trumped health in the cat fancy or in various elements of the cat fancy. I can't generalise because some breeds are healthier than others and clearly some administrators are more concerned about health than others.

On this page is an Infographic, as you can see, which was created by me and which summarises in a few words the important information about PKD in Persian cats. I hope it helps.

Below is a video of ultrasound scan on a Persian cat at a cat show in the US to check for PKD:

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

American insurance company Nationwide stops insuring 100,000 cats and dogs

AMERICA: I'm told by news media that Nationwide is America's largest pet insurer. And they've decided to stop insuring 100,000 pets. But read on. 

Image: The Canine Review.

It seems very bizarre because normally it is people who decide to stop insuring their pet's health because the insurance premiums are too high. This is the other side of the coin as this insurance company blamed inflation and the cost of veterinary care as two reasons why they have decided they can no longer insure pets. 

It would seem that some pets are uninsurable as far as Nationwide is concerned. It is pretty cynical because the policy concerns pets that need insurance. Nationwide want to insure health pets!

It has 100,000 pets on its books whose insurance policies are being terminated. There will be many customers who will no longer be receiving pet health insurance when their policies terminate unless they can find an alternative. Some pet owners are concerned that they won't be able to find an alternative at a suitable price.

Another problem which may be the central problem and which is not been fully clarified to me is that there have been recent underwriting changes in the insurance industry concerning Nationwide. The company feels that these changes have made it unviable to continue.

The announcement was quite sudden and made in a statement on June 14. All 100,000 policies will not be renewed at the date of their renewal. The non-renewal is not connected with the companion animal's prior claims history - they say. True or false?

'Inflation in the cost of veterinary care and other factors have led to recent underwriting changes and the withdrawal of some products in some states - difficult actions that are necessary to ensure a financially sustainable future for our pet insurance line of business.'

Overall the company says that it it insures more than a million pets - the largest in the country.

Profitability

The reporting is a little confusing and I'll tell you why. Nationwide insure 1 million pets but they are dropping insurance policies on 100,000 pets which indicates that they are being selective and that the termination of these insurance policies is connected with the high level of claims made by some customers because their pets are inherently unhealthy. That's my opinion until I receive better reporting.

And this thought of mine appears to be supported by the fact that many of the affected premiums are for older pets with pre-existing conditions.

My gut feeling is this: this insurance company has decided to take strong action to improve profitability and they are achieving that by stripping out of their customer database those pets that require consistent and routine treatment because of inherited and long-term or chronic illnesses. On the face of it is a cynical move to increase profitability by being more selective in the animals that they insure.

In response, a Facebook page has been set up by disgruntled customers entitled "Dropped by Nationwide Pet Insurance Whole Wellness? Join Us!

I've applied to join the group as it is private. I've not received an acceptance as at the time of publishing this article.

As I said, I think this is a reflection on the fact that some dog breeds are inherently unhealthy such as the French Bulldog. I have boldly claimed that that dog breed is the most unhealthy of all the dog breeds with 21 different inherited illnesses. Extraordinary; right? Other bulldogs have more than the usual inherited health issues. 

Avoid extreme breeding e.g. flat-faced dogs and unnatural looking animals. Mess with anatomy and there is a price to pay - literally.

It would seem that some animals are becoming uninsurable as is the case by the way with some vehicles. Interesting correlation here because in the UK some Range Rover models are uninsurable because they're being stolen all the time forcing the manufacturer to start up their own insurance company!

Self-insurance

Pet owners really should remind themselves that pet insurance companies are moneymaking machines. If they can't make a good profit from ensuring pets they either drop the animal from their books as is the case in the story or they put up the premiums. Either way they make more money.

It's another reminder that the best form of pet health insurance is to start your own savings account which is ring fenced. This is called self-insurance. Save $50 a month ideally before you adopt a companion animal and then when you have adopted the animal you have some savings in the bank allocated solely to treating your companion animal.

In addition, I would do your research on inherited diseases afflicting purebred dogs and cats. It's important you know about them so you can decide whether pet health insurance is necessary or a wise choice in respect of your to be adopted paired or adopted pet.

RELATED: Genetic diseases in cats.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Cats inherit prey killing skills but they are refined with learning (infographic)

Image in the public domain.

You might, in an idle moment, ask yourself if domestic cats inherit their ability to kill prey or whether they learn the skill from their mother. Fair question and the answer can been seen in the infographic below which I prepared based on my own knowledge refined with information from Dr Desmond Morris who I believe is still the world's best cat behaviour. He was the first to apply his considerable skills to writing a book - a bestseller the world over - 'Catwatching' about cat behaviour. He explains cat behavior so elegantly and logically. All subsequent books on cat behaviour follow his.

Is actually killing prey a learned behavior for cats? by Michael Broad

The domestic cat is a killing machine. Their anatomy has evolved over eons to be hight tuned up for killing prey animals. Hunting is the raison d'etre of cats. As kittens when they play they are practicing their hunting skills. All play for cats is based on hunting and killing.

I have argued that the inherited hunting prowess of the domestic cat stands in the way for many people of a good relationship. Think of their claws for instance. Some people hate them and ask their vet to remove them. A cruel act as far as I am concerned because claws are an important and integral part of the sophisticated anatomy of the cat. Without them their behaviour is affected and many declaw ops are botched horribly.

Cats are very quick. Their reflexes are faster than those of snakes. They can avoid being bitten by a snake as they can back of extremely rapidly in reaction to a lunge by a snake. Just one more example of the super-refinement of the domestic cat making them a wonderful hunter.

If the domestic cat was not such a refined hunter they would be better pets! We love the cat but we put up with their constant desire to hunt and the refined skills that accompany it.

The desire to hunt can be squashed out of a cat by keeping them indoors full-time long enough. They give up trying to express their natural desires and curl up and go to sleep. For me, this is a failure in our relationship. It is unfair. Humans fight for their basic rights. Yet millions of humans deny their cat some basic rights.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Boy adopts rescue cat with the same odd eye colour and cleft lip as himself

There is a nice symmetry in this relationship. The boy was bullied at school because of his cleft lip and odd-eye colour but he found his soul mate in a bicolour cat - grey tabby and white. The piebald gene causes the bicolor coat and that gene made one of the cat's eyes blue and the other yellow. And as it happens the cat has a cleft lip. Both of these conditions are fairly rare in cats.

Heterochromia iridium is the scientific name for on-eye colour. It was probably inherited by the boy although it might have been caused by trauma. For the cat, it was also inherited because the cat inherited the piebald or white spotting gene which gives him his coat and his odd-eye colour.

The boy's cleft lip is inherited as well. It may be a genetic mutation and deficiency or it might have been something that the mother came into contact with in her environment or what she ate or drink or the medications that she took during pregnancy.

This is obviously a great relationship because both the boy and the cat benefit tremendously from it. The boy can mentally process the fact that he was bullied by interacting with his cat. He can find solace there and some comfort. And of course, the cat will benefit tremendously as well.

It is possible to operate on a cat with a cleft lip. The boy has already undergone that operation quite clearly. I remember funding a cleft lip operation of a cat in Malta. The cat was rescued by a charming woman, Martha Kane, and she didn't have the money to pay for an operation so I used monies acquired through advertising on my website to pay for the operation. I'm proud of that. Although I forget about it most of the time and it has just come to my mind while writing this article.

TikTok vet Ben says 'Dear God, never get a Munchkin cat'. He explains why.

TikTok vet Ben says 'Dear God, never get a Munchkin cat'. He explains why. Screenshot.

Here is Ben the Vet on TikTok explaining why people who love cats should shun the Munchkin, the founding dwarf cat. 

I wrote about the diseases that these cats tend to inherit many years ago. The health problems are linked to the dwarfism which makes them cute. This is due to a genetic mutation. To the problems that he mentions I can throw my knowledge into the ring and say that they can inherit: Lordosis and Pectus excavatum. You can read about them by clicking on this link.

If we are honest there is a moral dimension too. It is unacceptable really to breed dwarf cats. It is what the Germans would call torture breeding. Funnily humans see dwarfism as not cute in humans but cute in cats. It sheds light on the human-to-cat relationship.

@ben.the.vet #stitch with @Margie the growing popularity of Munchkin cats is a great animal welfare concern #catsoftiktok #veterinary #animallover #learnontiktok ♬ Puff - Hany Beats

Please note that the video above does not have a super-long lifespan as its presence here depends on its presence on TikTok. If it is deleted on TikTok it disappears here as you can expect and I have no control over it.

There are no studies on these diseases in dwarf cats regrettably. They are very cute cats and are still quite popular despite the potential health issues. 

This is because humans tend to place appearance above all other aspects in many walks of life. For example, during Covid-19, in the UK, people adopted French Bulldogs in large numbers in the knowledge (or they should have had the knowledge) that they suffer from health issues. 

RELATED: 21 genetic diseases inherited by the French bulldog. Are they always in pain?

And that they were often imported from European puppy mills. They just loved the appearance. There is a bit of a backlash now as they understand that pet health issues are in fact more important than appearance at the end of the day.

Fedya, the cat with a permanently startled face and chunky cheeks

Fedya lives in Rostov, Russia with his human caretaker Natalia Zhdanova, 40. She found him as a poorly stray kitten in her garden, took him in and nursed him to good health with the help of her neighbour's cat, Handsome, who looked after Fedya, nursed him and licked him and now they are the best of friends.

Startled Fedya. It's permanent and he isn't startled! Photo: his Instagram page.

The point of this short post is that Fedya has a permanently startled expression which is a nice change from a permanently grumpy expression. Grumpy Cat started off the grumpy cat look and there were one or two after her who did very well on social media.

What I noticed about Fedya is that he looks like a male cat who has not been neutered with his chubby cheeks. This is a typical non-sterilized male cat look. I don't know whether he has been sterilised but except for his started appearance he looks like a fully intact male, blue British Shorthair, which he isn't because he was a stray cat in Russia. His coat is definitely a classic blue (grey in non-cat fancy parlance).

When she found him, she said that he was "very weak and was dying". He turned into a very playful, intelligent, sweet and gentle individual who purrs very loudly and who is inseparable from Handsome. As expected, he has an Instagram page which I can't find but he's gathered together about 4,000 followers at the moment which no doubt will grow rapidly as his fame spreads far and wide!

Natalia and Fedya. Photo: Instagram/Natalia.

The best guess is that the startled look is simply the way his face is built. You get this sometimes. It's about facial anatomy and is just in the lap of the gods as to whether cats end up with these fixed expressions which are quite rare. All the former cat celebrities have some sort of facial deformity. It is a inherited skeletal condition. It does not affect his health as far as I know.

Neighbour's cat called Handsome helped nurse Fedya back to health when he was a rescued stray kitten. Photo: Instagram/Natalia.

Apparently, when he was found he also had "wonky legs". And his eyes were misaligned. That is why they say that he looks permanently startled but that isn't the reason in my opinion because his does not look cross-eyed like a Siamese cat. His eyes look quite well aligned to me. They just look wide open, very round and stuck in the middle of his very large round, chubby-cheeked head!

Split Foot Cat

A stray cat who has been named " Clawdia" has a very rare congenital condition called split foot. The medical terminology is ectrodactyly. She is an ectrodactyl cat (a cat with less than the normal number toes), the opposite to a polydactyl cat (a cat with more than the usual number of toes).

Photos: PH

She is in the care of Cats Protection, UK. As you can imagine she is very popular because she is so unusual (and her character is great). At the date of writing this article (25/02/2018), I believe that she is still available for adoption and if you are interested you can visit the following website: http://warrington.cats.org.uk/

I'm told that she has four weeks of prepaid pet insurance and she is spayed, vaccinated and micro-chipped. She is also wormed. She is a great looking cat in good health and ready for adoption.

Apparently, every effort was made to find her owner but the search has now been exhausted. She is believed to be about 11 years old. She was found as a stray in the Great Sankey area of Warrington.

The usual number of toes on each front paw is five (the fifth is the dewclaw). Therefore she is missing three on each front paw.

She was born with some of her toes fused together. You can see that the central digits are missing giving a claw-like appearance. It is a rare form of congenital disorder. This disorder is seen in humans as well. In humans it is seen with other congenital anomalies. As far as I'm aware Clawdia does not suffer from any associated congenital anomalies.

This is the first time that I've seen a cat with this condition.