With constant exposure to diverse environmental factors and food sources, our cats’ mouths are a fascinating place populated by a multitude of microbial organisms. Like all living organisms, microbes can be classified using the taxonomic system all of us learnt in school.
The image below is a refresher. Each organism can be classified using thes...
A reference genome is a database assembled based on whole genome sequencing data from multiple members of a species of interest. This genome assembly is considered as a representative example of the genome organization of a typical member of the species. For an organism to be effectively studied from a genetics perspective, having a high qualit...
According to ancient feline DNA analysis, domestic cats are likely descended from the African wildcat (lat. Felis silvestris lybica) several thousand years ago. However, selective cat breeding only appeared over the last 50 years, which in evolutionary terms is a very short time for robust genetically different sub-populations within an animal s...
Black, white, brown, orange, or a bit of everything? Cats come in so many different colors and patterns that it’s simply too difficult to choose a favorite. The captivating colors of your special little kitty are written in its DNA, and some variations seem to be particularly beautiful and rare. Here are the top 10 rarest coat colors and patterns in cats. Do you have a favorite?
If your beautiful feline’s eyes are two different colors – yellow and blue perhaps – then you’ve got yourself an odd-eyed kitten! These captivating little creatures are carriers of a feline form of a condition known ascomplete heterochromia. Heterochromia in cats is a captivating genetic anomaly most commonly observed in white kitties.
