Rare Genetic Cat Diseases

Due to over-population, spread of disease and genetic disorders, veterinarians, animal shelters and humane societies encourage people to have their cats spayed and neutered. Most breeders are aware of and have their cats tested for common diseases and genetic disorders prior to breeding. The Feline Advisory Bureau's (FAB) website lists most known disorders, including rare ones. A few of the rare disorders have been proven to be heredity as of 2010.

  1. Deafness

    • According to the FAB, congenital deafness occurs almost exclusively in cats with white coats and blue eyes. This type of deafness is caused by degeneration of the auditory apparatus of the inner ear. This degeneration can occur in one or both ears.

    Lysosomal Storage Diseases

    • Lysosomal storage diseases are extremely rare. Lysosomes within cells participate in metabolizing cellular products. Disorders occur when the lysosomes lack an essential enzyme, leading to a build-up of cellular products within the cells. Conditions caused by this rare abnormality show in clinical signs that are displayed by affected cats from an early age. Signs include an enlarged liver, stunted growth and ocular and neurological abnormalities.

    Muscular Dystrophy (r)

    • Hypertrophic Muscular Dystrophy is a rare genetic disease that is mostly found in male domestic short hair breeds. With this disease, the muscles are lacking a protein called dystrophin, making them very weak. Affected cats may have difficulty swallowing due to an enlarged tongue and a dysfunctional esophagus.

    Inherited Hyperchylomicronaemia

    • Inherited hyperchylomicronaemia is rarely seen and causes affected cats to develop fatty masses. Fatty masses are caused by fatty blood leaking out of damaged blood vessels, and these masses compress peripheral nerves, leading to nerve damage.