These advancements offer the opportunity to reach a specific diagnosis of an affected animal even before clinical signs develop. Furthermore, as most genetic diseases are recessively inherited, biochemical and molecular tests allow the identification of asymptomatic carriers. Elimination of affected and carrier animals from the breeding pool will prevent the further spread of these diseases. Examples of hereditary metabolic and hematologic diseases will be given. The frequency of cats with type A, type B, and type AB blood varies geographically and among breeds.
Cats develop at an early age naturally occurring alloantibodies against the other blood type.
Anti-B antibodies may cause acute transfusion reactions. Breeding and transfusions based upon blood typing test results can assure blood compatibility and prevent any life-threatening reaction. Brief overviews of the pathogenesis of amyloidosis and polycystic kidney disease will precede discussion of the specific diseases as they occur in the cat. Discussions of the specific feline diseases will include clinical presentation, genetic basis as presently understood, laboratory findings, and pathologic findings. The main behavior problems in cats are house soiling and aggression.