It has now been a few years since our discovery of the mutation in the Maine Coon cat that results in the development of feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart disease that can result in heart failure (difficulty breathing), sudden death and even paralysis. One thing that we know about the disease in both the Maine Coon cat and human beings with the disease is that not all individuals with the causative mutation will develop the same severity of the disease. This is sometimes referred to as "incomplete penetrance" by geneticists and may be due to the effect that other genes in the individual have on the abnormal gene. This summer we will begin to look at this confusing area of cardiac genetics a bit more closely in the Maine Coon cat. We will start by trying to obtain some clinical information on cats that have tested both positive or negative for the mutation. We will begin by asking people who have submitted DNA samples on their cats to fill out a brief survey on the presence of clinical signs (if any) in their cat. We will be sending out the survey by email and hope that as many individuals as possible will be willing to send in information on their cats. The more we know, the more information we can provide to Maine Coon fans everywhere!
This is a picture of one of the many beautiful Maine Coons that we have had the pleasure of meeting!
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