Hernias?

My brother is looking into adding a cat into his family and contacted a breeder. The breeder has one loving male kitten looking for a home. However, this kitten currently has an umbilical hernia that the breeder will repair at their cost prior to releasing him to his new home.

We're wondering - after the hernia is fixed, are there still any health concerns? Will this kitten be more prone to other problems due to this hernia? Is the hernia a sign of poor health? I read that it can be congenital...then does that mean he doesn't come from very good genes?

TIA.

Umbilical hernias are fairly common in kittens and are usually not a big deal. If left untreated it can possibly pose problems in the future but it's very easily fixed and once it is the cat should have no further problems. I have had several kittens with umbilical hernias that I usually have fixed when they are being spayed or neutered and none have had any additional issues what so ever. A repaired umbilical hernia does not make a cat prone to other problems.
I'm a rescuer, not a breeder, so I'm not very knowledgeable about gene issues but I highly doubt that an umbilical hernia is a sign of bad genes. It's just one of those things that happen in some kittens. Not all kittens are born with it either. It could be caused by the mom tugging too much at the umbilical cord when she's chewing it off at birth and of course that has nothing to do with genes.

I wish your brother would get one of the thousands of wonderful homeless kittens that are waiting for homes in shelters and rescues but if he has made up his mind about buying a kitten from a breeder I don't think he will have any problems with this one. At least not due to the hernia.

Thank Lizita, that really helps. My brother is getting a Cornish Rex because he has bad cat allergies and this breed is the only one his body seems to tolerate. With all other cats, within half hour of being in the same house as them, he gets an asthma attack...

Umbilical hernias happen to human babies, too with no known cause. My 2nd son had one that appeared shortly after birth. It healed itself as his abdominal muscles strengthened.

Anyway, I, too just adopted a stray cat who I believe has an umbilical hernia...unfortunately this cat is pretty much full grown already. The bit of research I've been doing leads me to believe that it happens to cats just as an idiopathic anomale and should not cause problems in the future once repaired. I don't think there's any real evidence linking it to genes.
Good luck with your kitty!

I would agree that there is no risk to the cat once it is fixed!