Noah’s Ark Ragdolls - The kittens that weave their way into your heart, and before you know it you are hooked!

Unfortunately there are a few health problems affecting the ragdoll breed. The two main problems are PKD (polycystic kidney disease) and HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). PKD is not quite as common these days,however we still test for both conditions. Until recently, many breeders were led to believe that HCM had been eradicated, but sadly this is not the case.  

HCM has been known to rear it’s ugly head in lines that were previously thought to be healthy, and where no health problems had been experienced for a decade or more. Out of nowhere this disease has caused devastation to a number of breeders. We have witnessed a dear friend’s encounter with HCM and this is the reason we are so dedicated to improving the health in the ragdoll breed so that they will be around for us to enjoy for many years to come. In working with a select group of like minded breeders and conducting thorough DNA testing (only recently available), we have eradicated these problems from our ragdoll lines. All of our cats have tested negative for both HCM and PKD.

Fortunately, most breeders are now DNA testing and I hope by all working together we can quickly improve the health in the ragdoll breed. Here at Noah’s Ark Ragdoll Cattery, we are currently looking into the need for MPSM testing, and will perform further testing on our cats as information becomes available.


Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
HCM is a heart condition which causes the wall of the heart's left ventricle to thicken progressively as the cat gets older. This means, eventually, that the heart may not be able to function efficiently and the thickening can progress until it causes the cat’s death. There is no cure for HCM. HCM is a genetic condition that is inherited from parents who carry the gene. By testing our breeding cats, and breeding with negative stock, we are assured that the known hcm mutation will not be present in our lines. Although there are suspected to be more than one gene that causes HCM in cats, and a current negative dna test doesn’t guarantee that the cat won’t get a different form of HCM in it’s lifetime, we feel it is a step in the right direction as we are eradicating the only currently identified gene from our lines.

For more detailed information on HCM, please feel free to contact us, or refer to
www.animalsdna.com/animal-dna-testing-newsletter/animal-dna-testing-june-2008.pdf


Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
PKD is an inherited kidney disease where cysts form on one or both kidneys (present from birth) and eventually impair their function. PKD is predominately found in Persians and Exotics, but due to the persians being used in outcross programs in the past, pkd has been known to affect ragdolls amongst several other breeds. Thankfully we now have dna testing available for pkd, and along with the use of ultrasound technology, affected cats have been able to be detected and removed from breeding programs.

For information on testing for PKD, please feel free to contact us, or refer to
www.animalsdna.com/feline/disease/


FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus - Cat AIDS)
FIV is an infectious disease similar to the human HIV virus. FIV attacks the cells of the immune system and causes a feline version of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency virus).

FIV is carried in the cat’s saliva and is transmitted mainly through bite wounds. It can also be passed from mother to kitten. It is most common in cats who are allowed to roam unsupervised especially entire males (studs) who are likely to be territorial and become involved in a fight.

There are many reasons why we, on recommendation of our vets and mentors, have chosen not to blood test or vaccinate our cats for FIV. The vaccination for FIV is not 100% effective and can give false positive results making testing useless if we ever had the need to test in the future. The most commonly used test for FIV is also not 100% accurate. A cat would need to be tested regularly to be truly classed as negative, and even then there are no guarantees. A test will only show as positive if the cat is producing antibodies at the time the test is taken. This disease consists of various stages, containing many periods in which the cat may not be producing antibodies and therefore give a false negative result.  

All of our cats at Noah’s Ark have been selected from healthy proven lines and have also come from long standing closed catteries (they do not allow their cats to mix with others). They are from like minded breeders who have had a very steady population of cats, and have shown no signs of ill health. Our cats are only allowed outside into enclosed runs or on a lead under strict supervision, meaning they do not mix with other cats. Majority of the time they are inside and have various window shelves and small cages attached to the house to get fresh air and sunlight. Even our spoilt stud sleeps inside with us! We only have a total of 8 cats meaning there is plenty of space for them to get away from each other if they get out of the wrong side of the bed, meaning they do not become involved in fights. For more information CLICK HERE


FELV (Feline Leukaemia)
FELV is a virus similar to FELV which can affect the immune system and can also cause cancer and various other problems, however many exposed cats are able to clear themselves of the infection. The incidence of FELV in the Eastern States of Australia is less than 2% of the entire cat population. This virus is mainly shed through saliva and respiratory secretions, but is also shed through urine, faeces and milk.  

On recommendation of our vets, we have also chosen not to test for FELV as our cats are not at risk of exposure and once again tests can give false results. The vaccine for this disease is also not 100% effective and has been known to cause sarcomas (tumours) at the injection site. Given the limited number of cats, the background these cats come from, and our strict hygiene practices, we have been advised by our vets not to carry out unnecessary testing. Our cats have never had any health problems and are not allowed to mingle in large populations or with unknown cats, so the risk of disease is virtually eliminated. For more information on FELV please CLICK HERE or HERE