Cat Eye Disorders

EYE TUMORS

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Seventy-five percent of eye tumors in the cat are malignant, aggressive forms of cancer (in dogs the ratio is reversed, 75 percent of tumors are benign and do not spread or become life-threatening). An Iris melanoma is the most common type of tumor affecting cat's eyes. Older cats may develop a visible brown or black spot on the iris of their eye. The Iris is the colored part of the eye. The spots may be single or multiple and are pigmented cells called Melanocytes that have overgrown. Examination involves the use of a slit-lamp biomicroscope, which determines whether or not the tumor is cancerous. If the pigmented area on the iris is flat, the lesion is referred to as an Ins Melanosis. This is considered to be pre-cancerous and is rechecked at six-month intervals.

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IRIS MELANOMA / GLAUCOMA

Iris melanoma is also called Melanosis and/or Melanocytoma. Iris melanoma is the term used if the pigmented area on the iris is raised. This is a cancerous lesion. Treatment involves using a diode laser to destroy the cancer cells. Without treatment, Iris melanoma is generally result in Glaucoma. Glaucoma occurs because the cancer cells spread and obstruct the drainage angle of the eye, which is where the fluid within the eye normally drains. Since fluid can not drain from the eye, it builds up within the eye which increases pressure within the eye and causes Glaucoma. In dogs, Glaucoma rapidly results in blindness due to irreversible damage to the retina.

The only sign of Glaucoma in cats may be a slight difference in the size of the pupils which are the dark central area of the eye. Surgical removal of the eye, which is called Enucleation, is often necessary in advanced cases of Ins Melanoma. This alleviates the pain of Glaucoma and removes the cancerous mass.

RETINAL DEGENERATION

Retinal Degeneration is an inherited condition in Abyssinian cats. It occurs between four to six years of age and results in blindness. A dietary deficiency of the amino acid Taurine can also occur in cats fed primarily dog food which results in Nutritional Retinal Degeneration. This condition was first described in 1975 and was called Feline Central Retinal Degeneration (FCRD). Commercial cat foods are now fortified with Taurine to prevent this problem.

Cat Eye Disorders

Copyright 2007 Dr. Carol Osborne

Dr. Carol Osborne is the inventor of PAAWS, the pet anti-aging wellness system seen on TV. VitaLife is Dr. Carol's newest line of pet vitamin supplements and is the best supplement available for arthritis and anti-aging in dogs and cats. PAAWS and VitaLife are revolutionary breakthroughs, with all natural nutrients that virtually peel away the years, seeming to reverse the aging process normally experienced by pets.

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Cat Breeding - The Breeding of Designer Cats and Cats With Genetic Disorders

Banning wild cat/domestic cat hybrids

savannah cat

Recently the USA state of Iowa banned the keeping of Bengal cats. This ban included all cats with a wild ancestry meaning wild cat/domestic cat hybrids. These cats are the Bengal, Chausie, Savannah and Safaris for example. The Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) refuses to register domestic cats with "wild blood" in them. Fourth generation Bengal cats have about 12% Asian Leopard in them. The CFA is the most conservative registry. The International Cat Registry is more adventurous and registers more breeds including the Bengal. There is divided opinion about wild/domestic cat hybrids. The Bengal though is a very popular cat demonstrating the desire of the public to keep wild cat substitutes.

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There is a continuing desire by the cat lovers to "own" (I prefer keep or adopt) unusual and valuable "objects" and that includes animals and one of the most popular animals to keep are cats. How do cat breeders keep up with the demand for the exotic and unusual while maintaining a moral code and high standards of animal welfare?

Moral issues/arguments

The moral issue is whether it is good for wildlife to create designer and exotic cat breeds by mating wild and domestic cats. The idea is that in keeping such a hybrid cat the keeper is reminded of the plight of the dwindling number of wild cats in the world.

The counter argument is that this form of breeding damages the wild cat in that the increased interest is fed by the breeding program which encourages malpractice by importers of wild cats into the West and increases the importation of wild cat breeds into Western countries. The biggest market for exotic pets and cats by far is the USA.

Genetic Mutations

Not only are there questions about exotic cats the same moral dilemma exists in relation to the breeding of cats that suffer from genetic defects (mutations). These cats such as dwarf cats, tailless cats and cats with malformed ears are interesting and rare. Once again the unusual catches the eye of the public consumer and cat lover and breeders feel an obligation to create more of these rare cats. But is it right to create more cats that have a major defect/disorder which sometimes (rarely with careful breeding) has fatal consequences and secondary conditions that harm the cat (e.g. flat chest kitten in dwarf cats). You can see links to articles about a number of mutated breeds at the Different Breeds Page of my website. Examples are the Bobtailed cats and the Dwarf cats.

Commercial pressure

There is then commercial pressure to breed more cats and it could be argued cats of the wrong type. The public's desires are being checked and controlled by the authorities (see the Iowa ban above).

Conclusion

It is not possible to make a cattery highly commercial and prioritize the cats welfare in my opinion. Catteries should be small and one litter should ideally be bred at one time. The exception appears to be the Allerca cat, a wild/domestic hybrid being bred by a company and which sells at high prices (up to ,000 per cat or so). The company treats these cats as a product. I find this to be an incorrect moral attitude.

As to the exotics and mutated breeds; I can accept the exotic designer breeds provided the breeders observe high standards and can see the wider issues (effect on wildlife). I cannot, however, agree that creating more cats with disorders is acceptable and in that regard I agree with the CFA who don't register for example Dwarf cats for that reason.

Cat Breeding - The Breeding of Designer Cats and Cats With Genetic Disorders

The author is Michael Broad, as retired solicitor and cat lover, who runs his website http://www.pictures-of-cats.org for the charitable purpose of helping cats less fortunate than the majority of those in the Western World. The website is being continually added to and includes well researched facts and photographs by the world renown cat photographer Helmi Flick plus many other fine amateur made photographs from a wide range of legitimate sources.

SAVANNAH CAT