Thanks for clarifying Jan
We always had plans to test each kitten - the two we will breed from AND all their litters regardless of whether any will be kept for breeding or not. Some may see this as a slight overkill. However after the touch and go experience we had with one of our boys, we know very well what its like to have a very sick 12 week old kitten suddenly being so close to death. We want to protect the breeding program and the people who take our kittens home, but to us it is a MUCH higher priority to cater for the well-being of the kittens themselves. If we are unlucky enough to produce offspring that face severe health problems (which I suppose could be possible even if youve done your research and youre extremely careful), then we want to make sure in one way or another that its a single occurrence.
We are in talks with a few very reputable breeders here in Australia, one of which produces breeding cats that are highly sought after. I am confident we should have no problems with a breeding cat from one of these catteries especially when followed up with our own testing. One can never be too careful ....
DNA testing should be sufficiently reliable that the money retesting each pet kitten will probably be better spent elsewhere for the betterment of the kittens. However, you can start with that approach and then drop it when all the kittens are confirming the original results.
If you breed long enough, you will face health issues. Cats can get illnesses just like people and there is no "program" that will provide for perfect health.
(02-24-2010 11:46 PM)JanH Wrote: [ -> ]DNA testing should be sufficiently reliable that the money retesting each pet kitten will probably be better spent elsewhere for the betterment of the kittens. However, you can start with that approach and then drop it when all the kittens are confirming the original results.
If you breed long enough, you will face health issues. Cats can get illnesses just like people and there is no "program" that will provide for perfect health.
Yes, I think that would be a less overkill way. Maybe testing the breeding pair before mating and then just their first litter - triple guard.
Very true that cats can get sick, but we can do our best to keep it from happening
(02-24-2010 08:40 PM)JanH Wrote: [ -> ]Once again, you do not know what you are talking about. HCM was openly discussed by breeders, centered in the US, but with worldwide participation, for MANY years before the research even started.
Of course I know what I'm talking about..Worldwide participation? The List? Give me a break! There are many Breeders in foreign Countries that do not speak or understand English very well. I would also probably say that Breeders outside the USA would probably be very intimidated by a personality like Yours; You have the wonderful ability sometimes to make others appear stupid or inferior just for asking a simple question.
(02-24-2010 08:40 PM)JanH Wrote: [ -> ]For many years now there was a web site associated with the research funding effort that explained it all.
3 years is many years?
http://ragdollresearch.org/index.php
(02-24-2010 08:40 PM)JanH Wrote: [ -> ]However, the task is to work with the breeders who have related cats to see if the loss of the positive cats will be too much. In that case, perhaps just ONE or two of those breeders can produce ALL of the needed HCM mutation free next breeding generation.
Sounds like someone wants to have a monopoly selling Breeding cats.
(02-24-2010 08:40 PM)JanH Wrote: [ -> ]This process is basically over in the US and the new generation is on the ground. That is the largest segment of the breed gene pool and the danger to the breed gene pool is much less, if it still exists at all.
Jan, Now you sound just like Ann Baker! She always made announcements of improved versions of Ragdolls. Any particular Group of Breeders hire you as a Spokesperson.?
Curt, your claim was that this was not openly discussed and just "leaked out." There is a different issue of how quickly word gets to individual breeders. However, I can assure you that there are active breeders in Italy, France, Germany, Australia, the UK, South Africa, Denmark, the Netherlands, Japan, Spain ... who were knowledgeable about these issues from the get go and it has been obvious that many of them were openly discussing the issues locally in the local languages - even translating American English to Australian English no doubt. ; )
The web site was behind the beginning of the effort, but what would you consider "many" years. That was only one phase of the discussion and education about HCM, which has gone on for more than 15 years.
No. A monopoly on breeding cats does not work for this purpose. The breeders working together on this are the ones who already have closely related cats and all of them have an HCM mutation positive active breeding cat from that related group. Obviously, it does not serve the purpose of conserving the genetics of the lost cats to replace them with other than close relatives. Once again, your ignorance (and trolling) is showing. ; )
As to being inappropriately compared to Ann, my comment is merely that there are many breeders who have completed the process and either decided the HCM cats can be retired without damage to the breed gene pool or have bred them to get a replacement HCM mutation free kitten to breed. That means that a very large segment of the breed gene pool is already free of these mutations and those who have not gotten the word represent a much reduced risk to the gene pool by abandoning their cats. However, breeders who just discover the mutations in their breeding cats still need to go through the same process of investigating the value of that cat to the entire breed gene pool. I believe few appropriately will find their cat cannot be lost to the breed and must be bred once to get a replacement, but that is up to the breeder and the group of breeders who have closely related cats to determine -- and act upon as long as they take care of the kittens who need special care based on their decision.