Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a genetic disease which affects cats, dogs, pigs and people. How it is passed on in generations is still not clearly discovered. Since the 1970's it is known that HCM is the common cause for heart failure, thrombus and sudden death in cats. A major study has been done on Maine Coon cats in the USA which indicates that HCM in these cats seems to be inherited by a single dominant gene.
HCM is characterized by an abnormal thickness of the heartmuscle, mainly at the height of the left side of the heart. Because of the thickening of the heartmuscle the heart becomes less elastic, through which the heart can fill itself less easy. A second consequence is that there is less space for the blood left in the left ventricle, which causes a smaller amount of blood to be pumped around at each heartbeat than normal. The thick heartmuscle can create turbulence in the blood, or the leaking of some valves. This can then cause a heartmurmur, which can be heard by a vet with a stethoscope.
Cats with HCM can get fluid in or around their lungs which can lead to difficult breathing. Other animals may show no signs at all, but they can suddenly drop dead, mostly because of a sudden very severe rhythm disturbance. Some cats develop blood clots that may cause paralysis of the hind legs.
HCM is not a congenital defect, but a disease that develops very slowly. Cats that have HCM very often show no signs before they are six months old, and it can take several years before you can make a diagnosis of HCM. Therefore you must have a specialist performing an echocardiography report on several occasions.

Autosomal Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a progressive, inherited condition which causes multiple fluid filled cysts on the kidneys of Persians/Exotic cats & breeds with Persians/Exotics in their lines.
Cysts are present from birth, but start out small, slowly increasing in size. Cysts can range from very small to several centimetres in diameter. The increasing size of the cysts damage the normal kidney tissue, eventually causing kidney failure.
The number of cysts & the speed & size in which they grow varies from cat to cat. The average age of kidney failure in cats with PKD is 7 years, but some cats will suffer from kidney failure at an earlier age & some cats much later, and in fact succumb to something other than PKD.
How is PKD inherited?
•Genetic studies in cats have shown that PKD in cats is autosomal (non sex linked gene) dominant. This means only one parent needs the gene to pass it onto the offspring. There is a 50% chance of a cat inheriting PKD if a parent has it. If a cat is genetically free of PKD it is not possible to pass it onto offspring.
What are the signs of PKD in cats?
•Weight loss
•Depression Vomiting Polyuria (excessive urination)
•Polydipsia (excessive thirst)
•Lethargy Enlarged kidneys
How is it diagnosed?
•Ultrasound: Ultrasound diagnosis is 98% accurate after approximately 10 months of age. Ultrasound should be performed by a veterinarian skilled in the use of ultrasound.
•Genetic Test: A swab from inside the cheeks (buccal swab) is provided to a specialised laboratory for testing. This test is 99.9% accurate. ALL breeding cats should be tested for PKD.
How is it treated?
There is no way to slow down the growth of the cysts & they can't be removed. As the kidneys begin to fail, they lose their ability to filter out toxins. To understand the treatment it is necessary to give a brief summary of how the kidney's work; Kidneys help control blood pressure by releasing an enzyme called renin. When blood pressure drops and kidneys don’t receive enough blood, renin is released; causing blood vessels to contract (tighten). When blood vessels contract, blood pressure goes up. Kidneys filter waste products & excess water from the blood. The cleaned blood stays in the body & the waste products leave the body in urine. Stimulation of red blood cell production. They help maintain the proper balance of acid and minerals, including sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium, in the blood. Therefore helping reduce the level of toxins in the cat is important. Treatment is based on that of a cat with chronic renal failure & may include: Administration of fluids subcutaneously to treat dehydration. Prescription diet: Such a prescription diet contains a lower percentage of protein and less phosphorus than normal cat food. Cats need protein every day for growth, building muscles and repairing tissue. After the body uses the protein in the foods, a waste product called urea is made. Cats with kidney failure are not able to get rid of this urea normally. Damaged kidneys may not be able to remove phosphorus from the blood. This causes the level of phosphorus in the blood to become too high. A high blood phosphorus level may cause the cat to lose calcium from their bones. Phosphorus binders may be given. These come in tablet or capsule form. High blood pressure (hypertension): Medication may be prescribed if your cat's blood pressure is too high. Antacids & anti nausea medication. Erythropoeitine: The kidneys produce a hormone, erythropoietin, which instructs the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. Cats with kidney failure often have a low red blood cell count. Only the human form is available & some cats may eventually recognise this substance as foreign & antibodies will be created against it.
What is the likely outcome for a cat with PKD?
It really varies from cat to cat. How many cysts are present, how large they grow & how quickly they grow. A cat with only a few small & slow growing cysts may live to an old age & eventually die from something unrelated to PKD. Other cats may have numerous, large & quick growing cysts & die at an early age.
Is there a cure?
No, there isn't a cure for PKD. Breeders are advised to test their cats & if they are found to have PKD have them desexed.

What is Feline Immunodeficiency Virus?
Virologists classify feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) as a lentivirus (or "slow virus"). FIV is in the same retrovirus family as feline leukemia virus (FeLV), but the viruses differ in many ways including their shape. FIV is elongated, while FeLV is more circular. The two viruses are also quite different genetically, and the proteins that compose them are dissimilar in size and composition. The specific ways in which they cause disease differ, as well.
How common is the infection?
FIV-infected cats are found worldwide, but the prevalence of infection varies greatly. In the United States, approximately 1.5 to 3 percent of healthy cats are infected with FIV. Rates rise significantly-15 percent or more-in cats that are sick or at high risk of infection. Because biting is the most efficient means of viral transmission, free-roaming, aggressive male cats are the most frequently infected, while cats housed exclusively indoors are much less likely to be infected.
How is FIV spread?
The primary mode of transmission is through bite wounds. Casual, non-aggressive contact does not appear to be an efficient route of spreading FIV; as a result, cats in households with stable social structures where housemates do not fight are at little risk for acquiring FIV infections. On rare occasions infection is transmitted from an infected mother cat to her kittens, usually during passage through the birth canal or when the newborn kittens ingest infected milk. Sexual contact is not a major means of spreading FIV.
What does FIV do to a cat?
Infected cats may appear normal for years. However, infection eventually leads to a state of immune deficiency that hinders the cat's ability to protect itself against other infections. The same bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi that may be found in the everyday environment--where they usually do not affect healthy animals--can cause severe illness in those with weakened immune systems. These secondary infections are responsible for many of the diseases associated with FIV. What are the signs of disease caused by FIV?
•Early in the course of infection, the virus is carried to nearby lymph nodes, where it reproduces in white blood cells known as T-lymphocytes.
•The virus then spreads to other lymph nodes throughout the body, resulting in a generalized but usually temporary enlargement of the lymph nodes, often accompanied by fever. This stage of infection may pass unnoticed unless the lymph nodes are greatly enlarged.
•An infected cat's health may deteriorate progressively or be characterized by recurrent illness interspersed with periods of relative health.
•Sometimes not appearing for years after infection, signs of immunodeficiency can appear anywhere throughout the body.
•Poor coat condition and persistent fever with a loss of appetite are commonly seen.
•Inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and mouth (stomatitis) and chronic or recurrent infections of the skin, urinary bladder, and upper respiratory tract are often present.
•Persistent diarrhea can also be a problem, as can a variety of eye conditions.
•Slow but progressive weight loss is common, followed by severe wasting late in the disease process.
•Various kinds of cancer and blood diseases are much more common in cats infected with FIV, too.
•In unspayed female cats, abortion of kittens or other reproductive failures have been noted.
•Some infected cats experience seizures, behavior changes, and other neurological disorders.
How is infection diagnosed?
Antibody tests detect the presence of antibody in the blood of infected cats.
•Positive results: Because few, if any, cats ever eliminate infection, the presence of antibody indicates that a cat is infected with FIV. This test can be performed by most veterinary diagnostic laboratories and also is available in kit form for use in veterinary clinics. Since false-positive results may occur, veterinarians recommend that positive results be confirmed using a test with a different format. Infected mother cats transfer FIV antibodies to nursing kittens, so kittens born to infected mothers may receive positive test results for several months after birth. However, few of these kittens actually are or will become infected. To clarify their infection status, kittens younger than six months of age receiving positive results should be retested at 60-day intervals until they are at least six months old.
•Negative results: A negative test result indicates that antibodies directed against FIV have not been detected, and, in most cases, this implies that the cat is not infected. Nevertheless, it takes eight to 12 weeks after infection (and sometimes even longer) before detectable levels of antibody appear, so if the test is performed during this interval, inaccurate results might be obtained. Therefore, antibody-negative cats with either an unknown or a known exposure to FIV-infected cats-such as through the bite of an unknown cat-should be retested a minimum of 60 days after their most recent exposure in order to allow adequate time for development of antibodies. On very rare occasions, cats in the later stages of FIV infection may test negative because their immune systems are so compromised that they no longer produce detectable levels of antibody. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are designed to detect short segments of a virus's genetic material. While antibody-based tests are ideal screening tests for infection, in certain situations (such as confirming infection in antibody-positive kittens or determining infection of cats vaccinated with antibody-producing FIV vaccines), PCR-based tests, in theory, would be superior. Although PCR testing methods offer promise and are being actively explored, at this time unacceptable numbers of false-positive and false-negative results prevent them from routinely being recommended.

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV), a retrovirus, so named because of the way it behaves within infected cells. All retroviruses, including feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), produce an enzyme, reverse transcriptase, which permits them to insert copies of their own genetic material into that of the cells they have infected. Although related, FeLV and FIV differ in many ways, including their shape: FeLV is more circular while FIV is elongated. The two viruses are also quite different genetically, and their protein consituents are dissimlar in size and composition. Although many of the diseases caused by FeLV and FIV are similar, the specific ways in which they are caused differs.
How common is the infection?
FeLV-infected cats are found worldwide, but the prevalence of infection varies greatly depending on their age, health, environment, and lifestyle. In the United States, approximately 2 to 3% of all cats are infected with FeLV. Rates rise significantly—13% or more—in cats that are ill, very young, or otherwise at high risk of infection.
How is FeLV spread?
Cats persistently infected with FeLV serve as sources of infection. Virus is shed in very high quantities in saliva and nasal secretions, but also in urine, feces, and milk from infected cats. Cat-to-cat transfer of virus may occur from a bite wound, during mutual grooming, and (though rarely) through the shared use of litter boxes and feeding dishes. Transmission can also take place from an infected mother cat to her kittens, either before they are born or while they are nursing. FeLV doesn't survive long outside a cat's body—probably less than a few hours under normal household conditions.
What cats are at greatest risk of infection?
Cats at greatest risk of infection are those that may be exposed to infected cats, either via prolonged close contact or through bite wounds. Such cats include:
•Cats living with infected cats or with cats of unknown infection status •Cats allowed outdoors unsupervised, where they may be bitten by an infected cat
•Kittens born to infected mothers
Kittens are much more susceptible to infection than are adult cats, and therefore are at the greatest risk of infection if exposed. But accompanying their progression to maturity is an increasing resistance to FeLV infection. For example, the degree of virus exposure sufficient to infect 100% of young kittens will infect only 30% or fewer adults. Nonetheless, even healthy adult cats can become infected if sufficiently exposed.
What does FeLV do to a cat?
Feline leukemia virus adversely affects the cat's body in many ways. It is the most common cause of cancer in cats, it may cause various blood disorders, and it may lead to a state of immune deficiency that hinders the cat's ability to protect itself against other infections. The same bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi that may be found in the everyday environment—where they usually do not affect healthy animals—can cause severe illness in those with weakened immune systems. These secondary infections are responsible for many of the diseases associated with FeLV.
What are the signs of disease caused by FeLV?
During the early stages of infection, it is common for cats to exhibit no signs of disease at all. However, over time—weeks, months, or even years—the cat's health may progressively deteriorate or be characterized by recurrent illness interspersed with periods of relative health. Signs can include:
•Loss of appetite
•Slow but progressive weight loss, followed by severe wasting late in the disease process
•Poor coat condition
•Enlarged lymph nodes
•Persistent fever
•Pale gums and other mucus membranes
•Inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and mouth (stomatitis)
•Infections of the skin, urinary bladder, and upper respiratory tract •Persistent diarrhea
•Seizures, behavior changes, and other neurological disorders
•A variety of eye conditions
•In unspayed female cats, abortion of kittens or other reproductive failures