DNA TESTING

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is an autosomal, progressive, inherited condition which causes multiple fluid filled cysts on the kidneys. Because this condition/disease is autosomal dominant this means only one parent needs to have the gene to pass it onto the offspring. There is a 50% chance of a ragdoll inheriting PKD if a parent has it, if a Ragdoll is genetically Free & Clear of PKD it is not possible to pass it onto offspring.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common form of heart disease in cats. The inherited form of HCM is autosomal dominant which means that like PKD only one parent needs the gene to pass it onto the offspring. It's important to note that there are many forms and causes of HCM. HCM leads to a thickening of the heart wall, particularly on the left side and has been found to be inherited from the parents. So, if the parents are DNA tested Clear/Negative of any mutations, then the kittens will be too.

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is contagious among cats. Unlike many other viruses that enter specific cells in the body and destroy them, FeLV enters certain cells in a cat’s body and changes the cells’ genetic characteristics. This permits FeLV to continue reproducing within the cat each time infected cells divide. This allows FeLV to become dormant (inactive) in some cats, making disease transmission and prognosis (outlook) difficult to predict.

Like FeLV, Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is also contagious among cats, and a cat can be infected with FIV for many years without showing any clinical signs of illness. Although FIV is not contagious to humans, FIV has some similarities to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and has been used to help researchers better understand HIV.

Which is why here at Ragroyalty Ragdolls we DNA test for PKD, HCM, FIV & FeLV and we are very proud to be able to confirm and say all our Ragdolls are Clear/Negative of all four of these nasty problem’s, also because we run a closed cattery once our cats are tested clear they are clear for life. Also, if we ever imported or purchased outside breeding cats for our program they are DNA tested before ever meeting any of our current cats, so we can always maintain a Clear/Negative Cattery. We wouldn't have it any other way.