Genetics questions

[doodlebuggirl]

Hi all I am new to this board

and it seems to be better than some boards I have seen.

I have a girl and boy exotic, I have learnt a lot within the past few months but am still kind of confused about Genetics.

The breeder I got them from has helped me quite a bit about learning my goals but he shows a lot (cats and dogs) and we lived so far away that I don't have a chance to talk to him. But I also found out some things about him that I am not very happy about though I will not list his name or what I have heard. I have learned I should do my homework about a breeder more than what I did. What kind of questions should I ask before getting a breeding kitten from a breeder to know if I am getting my head

or not?

Can anyone recommend a good gene website and explain how to understand it? I know some people have talked about the AA and BB, ECT genes, but how does one know about these genes from a cat that is way back in the pedigree? How do I go about learning more about the background of a cat? What questions should I ask about background, health issues, ect?
If I cannot find a breeder that cats were bred from in pedigree, how do I go about finding out information about their cats? How do I know if a line will work with another? I know that I need to know what my goals are and everything. But I know some lines do not work well with others. I have heard by several people some lines will not click at all while others works wonders and produce nice. So how do I know..? only way I know is to just give it a try but I mentioned that to a lady and she kind of got all torn up but yet didn't give me an example when I asked how does one to know??? Which didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t make sense as we all were newbieâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s at one point in time but I can see her point in a way?

I haven't yet found someone whom willingly to help me to understand the genes and all but I'm not going to give up as I'm sure there will be somebody who will help me sooner or later, hopefully sooner! I think thats all for now but I'm sure I will think of something else to ask as I tend to forget!


Thanks everyone
DoodleBuggy

 

[hissy]

Cornell University offers a Genetic's course- plus we have a genetics forum that has been closed but it is open for viewing purposes-

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/cat/fg01/catcourses.html


And the genetics forum can be seen in our Health and Nutrition forum section, it's a sub forum

 

[gayef]

Originally Posted by DoodleBugGirl

Hi all I am new to this board

and it seems to be better than some boards I have seen.

I have a girl and boy exotic, I have learnt a lot within the past few months but am still kind of confused about Genetics.

The breeder I got them from has helped me quite a bit about learning my goals but he shows a lot (cats and dogs) and we lived so far away that I don't have a chance to talk to him. But I also found out some things about him that I am not very happy about though I will not list his name or what I have heard. I have learned I should do my homework about a breeder more than what I did. What kind of questions should I ask before getting a breeding kitten from a breeder to know if I am getting my head

or not?

Can anyone recommend a good gene website and explain how to understand it? I know some people have talked about the AA and BB, ECT genes, but how does one know about these genes from a cat that is way back in the pedigree? How do I go about learning more about the background of a cat? What questions should I ask about background, health issues, ect?
If I cannot find a breeder that cats were bred from in pedigree, how do I go about finding out information about their cats? How do I know if a line will work with another? I know that I need to know what my goals are and everything. But I know some lines do not work well with others. I have heard by several people some lines will not click at all while others works wonders and produce nice. So how do I know..? only way I know is to just give it a try but I mentioned that to a lady and she kind of got all torn up but yet didn't give me an example when I asked how does one to know??? Which didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t make sense as we all were newbieâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s at one point in time but I can see her point in a way?

I haven't yet found someone whom willingly to help me to understand the genes and all but I'm not going to give up as I'm sure there will be somebody who will help me sooner or later, hopefully sooner! I think thats all for now but I'm sure I will think of something else to ask as I tend to forget!


Thanks everyone
DoodleBuggy

First ... what registry are your cats registered with? In the CFA, there is a breeder-mentor program you can join which will pair you with an experienced breeder. Check with your registry organization to see if they have such a program. That would be your first step.

Second ... is there a local cat club sponsored by your registry organization in your area? CFA sponsors many local cat clubs all across the United States. There is a listing of them on their website - http://www.cfainc.org - search through and see if you can find one nearby you and join it. There is a wealth of knowledge and assistance from the other breeder/members should you choose to tap into it.

Third ... become an expert at line-chasing. If you want to know all about the cats in any particular line, the best way is to contact the breeder of that line directly. However, as that isn't always possible, you can request the pedigree or reverse pedigree of any particular cat to see where that line's products are now and perhaps get in touch with someone who has a cat out of that line. You can ask them about any health issues they have experienced or other issues that might be of interest to you. I will warn you though, line-chasing is time-consuming and oftentimes extremely expensive. CFA charges $60 for a six-generation pedigree. You might have to spend a lot of money to get the information you want.
You should also know that there are a lot of breeders out there who won't help you no matter how nice you are to them. In my own experience, I found that most would have loved nothing more than to see me go over the side of a cliff in a burning vehicle at an alarming rate of velocity even if good manners and common courtesy demanded they keep up gracious appearances. And you can bet your last dollar that there were more than just a few who had absolutely NO problem at all telling me exactly where that cliff was located and at just what time of day I should go careening over it fully ignited so they could adjust their busy schedules to come watch with great glee.

Don't get discouraged. If you have a question, don't be afraid to ask it. Don't be intimidated by those who would rather see you fail. Stand fast to your goals and remember that above all else, breed for HEALTH. Even though you must adhere to your registry organization's Standard for your chosen breed, it is secondary to health.

Hope this helps at least a small bit,

Gaye

 

[royal vision]

Hello Doodlebuggy,

Great advise given to you,also there is a web site called cat Pedigree.com
there you can due more study on your pedigree. Breeding takes alot of work and time.
Go to some cat shows sit at a ring and watch the exotics being shown to see what the judges want,there you will also find breeders but,some can be mean. Try not to take it so personal, find other exotic breeders. I have a good friend whos been breeding exotics for years. It does take time to get the look you want. You will do just fine! We have all started not knowing everything.
God Bless
Rachel

 

[anne g]

If you really want to dig into cat genetics and breeding practices, there is a book you should have: Robinson's Genetics for Cat Breeders & Veterinarians, 4th edition. It is available from Amazon.com.

What I have done so far with my two cats' pedigrees is this:

I have searched the internet for the ancestor cats names and/or the cattery names. Most catteries have their own website with lots of information about their cats, the litters, the show results etc. and photos of the cats. It may take some time and effort, but it is worth it.

I have made a book for each of my cats, giving each ancestor two pages, where I put one picture and a set of information that I have decided I need. When the websites do not give me all the information I need I contact the owner or the breeder of the cat in question, and so far most of them have been very nice and responded to my requests. (These are Norwegian and Swedish breeders)

Also when I take my cats to shows, I look up the owners of any ancestor present, and talk to them, telling them I own their cat's great grandson (or whatever), I praize their cats (flattery gets you anywhere!), and they all are most willing to talk about their cats.

Information I feel I need is

Cat size (weight according to standard)
Merits
Litter size, stillborn kittens (reproductivity)
Offsprings' qualifications at shows
Health issues
etc etc

Such a book could easily be computer based, using Word or Excel, but I prefer paper.