Cat breeding

Cat breeding is the planned mating of domestic cats to preserve or develop inherited traits, including appearance, temperament, and health.

Pedigree cat: A domestic cat whose ancestry is recorded in a recognized breed registry. Breed pedigrees document ancestry and help breeders plan matings.
Inherited diseases in cats: Disorders caused or influenced by genetic variants passed from parent cats to offspring. Breeding choices can increase or reduce the frequency of these conditions.
Cat fancy: The organized hobby and institution of breeding, exhibiting, and registering pedigreed cats. Cat breeding often operates through the clubs and registries of the cat fancy.
Persian cat: A long-haired domestic cat breed known for a rounded head and compact body. Persians illustrate long-running selection for a distinctive coat and body type.
Cat coat genetics: The inheritance of genes that determine a cat’s coat color, pattern, length, and texture. Coat traits are among the most visible targets of selective mating.
Polycystic kidney disease: An inherited disorder in which fluid-filled cysts develop in the kidneys and can impair their function. This disease became prevalent in some Persian-related breeding lines.
Cat breed standard: A written description of the ideal features used to judge cats of a particular breed. Breed standards define which traits organized breeding programs aim to reproduce.
Siamese cat: A short-haired breed with color-pointed markings and blue eyes. Siamese breeding has preserved color points while changing the breed’s preferred shape.
Mendelian inheritance: The transmission of inherited traits through predictable patterns of dominant and recessive alleles. These inheritance patterns help predict possible traits in kittens.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A disease in which the heart muscle thickens, potentially impairing cardiac function. Inherited forms occur in several breeds and complicate breeding decisions.

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