We've Moved

Sorry for the inconvenience. But we've decided to move to another site, please feel free to visit us at http://thedevonrexponent.wordpress.com/. Thank you and we hope to see you there!

A Story About Strep G

It's been a while since I last made an entry. And for my comeback, I found this entry about Strep G and Feline Fertility Problems. This article is divided into two parts and really found this information very interesting. Got the link from my good mentor, Ms Debbie Van Patten of Pattnchat Cattery. But the article was written by Ms Marva Morrow of 7th Heaven Oriental Shorthairs. Happy reading!

http://www.kittykouch.com/articles/gstrepupdate.html

Some Very Useful Sites on the Web

Some of the sites listed below are not "cat-related." But regardless, they have been helpful in my continous pursuit for knowledge. These are also sites recommended by my kind mentors in the cat fancy. I hope you find them relevant and employ a practical purpose for it in your cattery.



Do I Need A Mentor by Michael Canalizo

Planned Breeding by Lloyd Brackett

Cat Breeding and Basic Genetics by the European Cat Fancy

Cat Color FAQs by the Cat Fanciers Mailing List

Inbreeding, Linebreeding and Crossbreeding by Netpets

The Pigment Parade by Lorraine Shelton

UC Davis Veterinary Laboratory contains lots of helpful information about forensic and genetic testing in animals.

Feline Husbandry by Dr. Neil Perdersen is also available online (in PDF file)

Feline Blood Groups by the Feline Advisory Bureau

Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy by Chick Newman, DVM

Some Helpful Reading Materials

When my fascination over cats turned into a fixation, I started digging for more and even more information. I also knew that with my new found passion; I needed to equipt myself with knowledge. Not just about cats in general, but proper care, breeding/ husbandry, genetics etc. Here are some of my own "must read" books or materials that I consider essential:

Breeding Pedigreed Cats by Carolyn Vella/ John McGonagle

Complete Book of Cat Breeding by Dan Rice, DVM

Robinsons Genetics for Cat Breeders and Veterinarians by Carolyn Vella, Lorraine Shelton, John McGonagle and Terry Stanglein

Feline Husbandry Diseases and Management in Multiple Cat Environment by Neil Pedersen

The Devon Rex Handbook by Anne Gibney and Gerri Logan

Pyometra in Cats

(Left: An x-ray film of a cat suffering from pyometra)

Pyometra is the medical term used to describe an infected uterus. This infection can be open (draining pus from the vagina) or closed (pus is contained in the uterus by a closed cervix).Pyometra can be a life threatening infection and may even require emergency surgery. A closed pyometra is more of an emergency than an open pyometra, since there is no drainage of pus in a closed pyometra. If left untreated, cats become very ill and some may not survive. With early treatment, about 90 percent of affected cats recover.Since pyometra is an infection of the uterus, all unspayed cats are susceptible. Pyometra is uncommon in cats from September to December, when their heat cycles are at rest.

Things to watch for:

- Vaginal discharge
- Lethargy
- Lack of appetite
- Depression
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Drinking excessive amounts of water and urinating often

Different breeders have there own individual approach in handling pyometra. Some would suggest ovariohysterectomy (spaying) and some would try a series of antiobiotics before opting for surgery. In my humble opinion, some queens suffering from pyometra tends to react quite satisfactory to treatments by giving Clindamycin, Amoxicillin or Clavamox. But if the queen is still suffering from pain and infection considering that antiobiotics have been given, spaying should be considered. It is advise that we consult our veterinarians for diagnosis and treatment plans.

HYBRIDIZATION: Expanding the Feline (Devon Rex) Gene Pool

(Left: A Devon Rex/ ASH F1 Hybrid)

“Hybrids" are crosses between populations, breeds or cultivars of a single species. There are a number of hybrids between various felid species. The main goal is to broaden the feline gene pool. It is estimated that only one percent of cats in the world are pedigreed cats. Making the gene pool relatively small, this is one of the reason why some cat registries allows specific cat breeds to be crossbred with another pedigreed cat breed. Examples of this breed are the Devon Rex, Havana Brown, Exotic Shorthair, Balinese, Colorpoint Shorthair, Oriental Shorthair, Sphynx, Selkirk Rex etc. Most allowable outcrosses are either Siamese, American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Persian or Domestic Shorthair; since these breeds have a very diverse or establish gene pool. They also possess the necessary physical traits that helps establish other breeds.

Lets take the Devon Rex as an example. The principles of Devon hybridization are quite simple. Remember that the Devon Rex coat factor is a recessive gene. CFA allows Devon litter registrations on any Devon Rex crossed with either a registered British Shorthair or American Shorthair. The first generation, all registered as Devon Rex, produce normal coated cats carrying the recessive gene for curly coat. Any of these then taken back to a curly coated Devon will produce a litter of Devon half with curly coats and the other half will have the dominant normal coat, but will carry the recessive gene for curly coat. This ratio (1 to 1) of curly to normal coated kittens will continue with all subsequent breeding of hybrid to curly. Once a recessive curly coated Devon is produced, it will be pure for that trait and will never be able to produce a normal coat unless bred to a normal coated cat. All normal coated cats are registered as Devon without any restrictions or indication of coat type. Though these Devon Rex cats are not eligible for shows since they lack a curly coat, they provide a wonderful opportunity in a breeding program to strengthen and reinforce desirable traits while providing outcross strength and vigor.

Some Devon breeders have been reluctant to undertake a Devon hybridization program feeling they would forfeit type. If the outcross chosen has been carefully selected, this should not be a major obstacle. When choosing either an American Shorthair or a British Shorthair for a Devon breeding program, one does not select by either American or British standards of excellence, but rather those potential outcrosses should reflect desirable Devon characteristics. For example, either an American or British with finer boning than would be required in their respective breed standards, would make an excellent choice for a Devon program since the Devon standard requires a finer boned cat.

Last year the [CFA] Devon Rex breed council requested and was granted an extension of the Devon outcross programs. Litters will be registered to Devon outcross to British or American Shorthairs born before May 1, 2013 and therefore the last opportunity to incorporate new genes into the Devon Rex pool. Hopefully by then we will have had a chance to introduce those desirable characteristics we wish to add or to strengthen the gene pool.

Feline Blood Type

Three blood types have been identified in cats - type A (most common), type B, and type AB (very rare). In the United States, nearly 95% of all domestic mixbreed cats are blood type A. AH Siamese, Burmese, Tonkinese, American Shorthair, and Oriental Shorthair cats tested so far have type A blood. However, the following pure breeds have a 10-50% frequency of blood type B cats:

- Abyssinian
- Birman
- British Shorthair
- Cornish Rex
- Devon Rex
- Exotic
- Japanese Bobtail
- Persian
- Scottish Fold
- Somali
- Sphynx

The frequency of blood type B in other pure breeds has not been determined. Similar to humans, cats have naturally occurring antibodies to blood types other than their own. Blood type A cats have low amounts of weak antibodies to red blood cells (RBCs) from type B cats. Blood type B cats have high amounts of strong antibodies to type A RBCs. Because of these strong anti-A antibodies, incompatibility between type A and type B cats can cause potentially fatal reactions under two circumstances:

- transfusion of type B cats with type A blood
- breeding of type A toms to type B queens to produce type A kittens

Transfusion of blood from a donor cat to a recipient cat of the same blood type rarely causes problems, and the transfused RBCs usually last for 30 days in the recipient. However, transfusion of blood from a type A donor to a type B recipient results in rapid destruction of the transfusion within minutes to hours due to the strong anti-A antibodies in the type B recipient. This transfusion reaction causes anaphylactic shock and even death, and can be prevented by blood typing all cats prior to transfusion. A simple, rapid card test (DMS Laboratories) is now available for determining blood types in cats.

The transfer of maternal antibodies via colostrum from the queen to the newborn kitten not only provides protection from infection, but also may cause a life-threatening crisis called neonatal isoerythrolysis. Neonatal isoerythrolysis (NI) is a major cause of the Fading Kitten Syndrome in purebred cats. NI is caused by a blood type incompatibility between the queen and her kittens. Since blood type A is dominant over type B, the mating of a type A tom to a type B queen produces type A kittens. When the type A kittens nurse the type B queen, they ingest colostrum containing antibodies to their blood type. These anti-A antibodies in the colostrum are absorbed from the intestine into the blood during the first day of life. The antibodies rapidly destroy the kittens' RBCs similar to a transfusion reaction.

The kittens appear healthy and vigorous at birth, but some kittens suddenly die after nursing while others 'Fade" and die 3-7 days later. The fading kittens stop nursing, become pale or jaundiced due to RBC destruction, and have red urine. The red urine distinguishes NI from all other causes of the Fading Kitten Syndrome. Breeders should check all kittens for red urine during the first 2 days of life. The diagnosis of Nl is confirmed by blood typing the tom and queen, or the queen and kittens.

Once the symptoms of NI are noticed, some kittens may be saved by a transfusion of RBCs from the queen. Since the queen's blood contains anti-A antibodies, the RBCs must be thoroughly washed with saline to remove these antibodies. The washed RBCs are given intraperitoneally (5 ml per kitten. Surviving kittens usually recover to full health but may develop necrosis of the tail tip at 2 weeks of age.

In the Devon Rex, British Shorthair, and Cornish Rex, nearly 25% of all matings are incompatible producing kittens at high risk for NI. If an incompatible mating is known to occur, NI can be prevented by removing the kittens at birth prior to nursing, and fostering them on a type A queen or hand-rearing on artificial milk for 2 days. These kittens should receive serum from a type A cat to provide immune protection (5 ml per kitten intraperitoneally). After 2 days, the kittens may be safely returned to the queen since anti-A antibodies in the milk can no longer be absorbed from the intestines.

Knowledge of the feline blood type is important when transfusing blood, diagnosing and treating NI in newborn kittens, and counseling breeders on selection of breeding cats. Only blood type-compatible breedings should be performed in breeds with a high frequency of blood type B. Breeders may even elect to eliminate type B queens from the breeding pool.