HCM in Cats

[Michaela]

I found this poem on the web of a breeder for SV ,BG and other cats.
They screen all the breeding cats

:::::::::::::::::::::::;;;;;;::
A Breeder's Poem

I love my little kitty; she makes my house a home.
She is my very sweetest little friend; I never feel alone.
She makes me smile; She makes me laugh; She fills my heart with love . . .
Did some person breed her, or did she fall from above?

I've never been a breeder, never seen life through their eyes;
I hold my little kitty and just sit and criticize.
I've never known their anguish; I've never felt their pain,
the caring of their charges, through snow or wind or rain.

I've never waited the whole night through for babies to be born,
The stress and trepidation when they're still not there by morn.
The weight of responsibility for this body in my hands,
This darling little baby, who weighs but 60 grams.

Should you do that instead of this . . . or maybe that was wrong?
Alone you fight and hope, one day, she'll grow up proud and strong.
You pray she'll live to bring great joy to someone else's home.
You know it's all just up to you; you'll fight this fight alone.

Formula, bottles, heating pads, you've got to get this right,
two-hour feedings for this tiny girl, throughout the day and night.
Within your heart you dread that you will surely lose this fight,
To save this little baby, but God willing . . . you just MIGHT.

Day one; she's in there fighting; you say a silent prayer.
Day two & three, she's doing well, with lots of love and care.
Day four & five . . . she's still alive; your hopes soar to the heavens.
Day six she slips away again, dies in your hands, day seven.

You take this little angel, and bury her alone.
With aching heart and burning tears, and an exhausted groan,
You ask yourself, "Why do this? . . . Why suffer through this pain?"
Yet watch the joy your kitties bring, and everything's explained.

So, when you think of breeders and label them with "Greed,"
Think of all that they endure to fill another's need.
For when you buy your kitty, with your precious dollars part,
You only pay with money . . . while they pay with all their heart.
.............. Author Unknown........


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Michaela L

 

[Bekki]

I had a friend tell me that they had always wanted a savannah cat but decided against it because a vet tech friend of hers said they were more prone to hcm because of over breeding. I had been doing research on what causes this and I would think Savannah's would be one of the least likely breeds to have hcm. as long as you go through a reputable breeder who you know isn't inbreeding their cats. this isn't common practice am I correct here? Why do they say bengals are more prone? As I have seen bengals bred in f1 and on. could someone help clarify?


"Those who wander aren't always lost"

 

[Michaela]

Everyone should be aware that HCM is something that can strike any cat and mammal. Even people get it. No breed of cat is safe...


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Michaela L

 

[Bekki]

are you recommended to run tests for hcm etc when you get your savannah?


"Those who wander aren't always lost"

 

[Michaela]

are you recommended to run tests for hcm etc when you get your savannah?


"Those who wander aren't always lost"

Not a breeder or a vet to make recommendations .
Is your SV having problems ?
Is your baby related to Romeo ?

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Michaela L

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I had a friend tell me that they had always wanted a savannah cat but decided against it because a vet tech friend of hers said they were more prone to hcm because of over breeding. I had been doing research on what causes this and I would think Savannah's would be one of the least likely breeds to have hcm. as long as you go through a reputable breeder who you know isn't inbreeding their cats. this isn't common practice am I correct here? Why do they say bengals are more prone? As I have seen bengals bred in f1 and on. could someone help clarify?


"Those who wander aren't always lost"

I think that generally a lot of veterinary staff hold the view that any purebred cat is "overbred" and hence at risk of genetic diseases. As you have brought up, the Savannah breed was founded on more outcrossing than most cat breeds and most Savannahs probably have a very low inbreeding coefficient (barring some catteries that have pursued inbreeding as it is an accepted practice in many areas of animal breeding).

Feral cat populations have HCM. It's not limited to purebred cats. Heart disease is the biggest killer of cats after car accidents. The reason we probably don't see it diagnosed so often in random-bred cats is that indoor/outdoor cats crawl under houses etc to die as it is an instinct of cats to hide away when they feel ill enough to die. And most owners unfortunately wouldn't do the testing on their domestic shorthair to diagnose the disease... it's really only when someone makes the financial commitment to purchase a pedigreed cat that they then might value the cat enough to spend on a specialist vet bill :-(

The Bengal breed has had a higher incidence of HCM in recent years, as have Maine Coons, Ragdolls and Sphynx. I think it was likely bad luck, a very gorgeous line of Bengals was probably used a lot in breeding so the genes got spread fast. With HCM a cat is often 5 years or more before they develop the disease, by which time they've had a lot of kittens potentially. Now that these breeds are aware, they test hence I believe we will see the incidence in these breeds decreasing because of that.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

are you recommended to run tests for hcm etc when you get your savannah?


"Those who wander aren't always lost"

I think that if you are concerned about this, ask the breeder if the parents have been screened. It's not perfect but its the best we breeders can do. I screen all cats here before using in a program, I know that doesn't mean a kitten of mine cannot develop HCM at some point, but I would feel so guilty if I hadn't done all I could to prevent that.

 

[Michaela]

I think that if you are concerned about this, ask the breeder if the parents have been screened. It's not perfect but its the best we breeders can do. I screen all cats here before using in a program, I know that doesn't mean a kitten of mine cannot develop HCM at some point, but I would feel so guilty if I hadn't done all I could to prevent that.

I wonder how many breeders out there use bengals in their savannah cats pedigree since bengals are prone to HCM ....?!

I had a short hair cat adopted with HCM tests treated for 8 years and echo was stable until he thromboses.
Not all pet Pet owners echo a adopted cat for 8 years

Not all breeders echo their breeding cats but thank you if you do.





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Michaela L

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I wonder how many breeders out there use bengals in their savannah cats pedigree since bengals are prone to HCM ....?!

I had a short hair cat adopted with HCM tests treated for 8 years and echo was stable until he thromboses.
Not all pet Pet owners echo a adopted cat for 8 years

Not all breeders echo their breeding cats but thank you if you do.





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Michaela L

I agree, I think it wonderful that you took such wonderful care of your cat like that!

Bengal was heavily used in our breed's development, I think it a rare Savannah past F2 that does not have "some" Bengal back in their pedigree somewhere (there are some F1s and F2s that have Egyptian Mau or something as outcross so no BG), sometimes it is disclosed, and sometimes the cats appear as "experimental shorthairs" or "domestic shorthair" as there was a short time in our breed where TICA very much frowned upon use of Bengal but some breeders didn't want to stop using them so they "covered it up".

 

[Bekki]

Hmm you're right I completely forgot the use of the outcross I've been looking at sbts so long that must have slipped my mind (face palm ).some very good points.


"Those who wander aren't always lost"