Two questions decide whether a test belongs in a pre-breeding panel: does the result change with age, and does it change what you do with the cat? A DNA test for a single-gene mutation answers both the same way every time, so it is run once and filed forever. An echocardiogram, a virus test and a mycoplasma swab are snapshots, and a snapshot older than 12 months is not evidence. Mixing the two categories is how breeders end up with a folder full of paper and a cat that should never have been mated.
Tests you run once per cat
These are genotype tests. The cat's DNA does not change, so a negative result at 14 weeks is still a negative result at 6 years, provided the laboratory validated the assay for the breed.
- PKD1 (polycystic kidney disease). Autosomal dominant, so one copy is enough to produce cysts. A negative cat cannot pass it on. Found historically in Persians, and through them in British Shorthairs, Ragdolls, Exotics and related lines.
- SMA (spinal muscular atrophy). Autosomal recessive in Maine Coons. Clear to clear is safe; carrier to clear produces no affected kittens but keeps the carrier status in the line.
- PKDef (pyruvate kinase deficiency). Autosomal recessive, seen in Bengals, Abyssinians, Somalis and Egyptian Maus. Carriers are healthy and easy to miss without a test.
- Blood type. A, B or AB, inherited simply. Run it by serology or by DNA; if the DNA panel does not report AB explicitly, confirm with a card test before you plan a mating.
- HCM variant tests. Maine Coon and Ragdoll have well-known MyBPC3 variants. A positive result raises risk but does not diagnose disease, and a negative cat can still develop HCM, so these tests inform the plan rather than replace the echo.
Tests that expire
Phenotype screening measures the cat now. Repeat it on a schedule that matches how fast the disease develops, and never assume last year's normal result covers this year's mating.
- Echocardiogram for HCM. In Maine Coons and Ragdolls, start at 12 months and repeat every 12 months for an active breeding cat; many cardiologists prefer 12–18 months, and a cat used heavily at stud should be scanned annually until 8 years. HCM can appear at any age, which is why a single normal scan at 2 years proves very little.
- FeLV and FIV. Test within 30 days of mating, and only breed cats that are negative and kept indoors. A negative cat with recent exposure needs a retest at 30 days minimum, or a PCR if you cannot wait.
- Mycoplasma. PCR from a conjunctival or oropharyngeal swab when there is a history of recurrent upper respiratory signs in the cattery. Treat, then retest before mating; carriers are common in multi-cat households.
- Baseline bloodwork and urinalysis. Once before the first litter, then annually. Not a genetic test, but it catches early kidney and thyroid changes that make a pregnancy risky.
Breed to panel: the tests that matter most
| Breed | DNA, once | Repeat screening |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Coon | SMA, PKD1, HCM variants, blood type | Echo yearly from 12 months; FeLV/FIV 30 days pre-mating |
| Ragdoll | PKD1, HCM variants, blood type | Echo yearly from 12 months; FeLV/FIV |
| British Shorthair | PKD1, blood type (B is common) | Echo every 12–18 months from 12 months; FeLV/FIV |
| Persian and Exotic | PKD1, blood type | Echo from 12 months; renal ultrasound if PKD1 status unknown |
| Bengal | PKDef, PKD1, blood type | Echo from 12 months; FeLV/FIV; mycoplasma PCR if URI history |
| Abyssinian and Somali | PKDef, blood type (B up to 20–40% in some lines) | Annual bloodwork including PCV; FeLV/FIV |
| Devon and Cornish Rex | Blood type (B frequent), PKD1 | Echo from 12 months; skin and respiratory checks each cycle |
Timing the panel before a mating
Work backwards from the planned mating date, not from the heat. DNA panels take 5–10 business days plus shipping, so order 8 weeks ahead. Book the echo 4 weeks ahead; cardiology appointments in most cities run 2–4 weeks out, and a re-scan after an equivocal result needs another slot. Virus tests sit inside the 30-day window before mating, and a mycoplasma treatment course plus retest needs 3–4 weeks on its own.
If the queen is already in call and the tom is not tested, skip the cycle. A single missed heat costs six weeks; a litter from an untested carrier costs a year and a reputation.
What a result should stop
Disqualify, or at least refuse the pairing, on: a positive PKD1, a homozygous SMA or PKDef result, a positive FeLV or FIV, a moderate or severe HCM phenotype on echo, or a blood type combination that puts newborns at risk. Carrier status for a recessive is not disqualifying, but it dictates the partner: carrier to clear only, and keep the carrier kittens' status on their paperwork.
HCM deserves its own line because the genetics are incomplete. A cat with a negative DNA test and a normal echo at 3 years may still develop disease at 6, so the echo schedule continues for life. For the murmur grading and screening protocol, see heart murmur and HCM screening; for the reference ranges you will be comparing against, the annual panel described in senior cat bloodwork is the same one used as a breeding baseline. Retrovirus testing logic, including the window period, is set out in FIV and FeLV testing.
Five steps before the next mating
- List both cats' breeds and write the required panel for each, not for the cattery average.
- Order DNA tests 8 weeks out; file the certificate number, not just the result.
- Book echoes 4 weeks out and keep every report, so you can show a trend.
- Run FeLV/FIV inside 30 days and keep the cats indoors from test to mating.
- Write the disqualifying results into your contract, so a carrier kitten is sold with its status stated.
Frequently asked
How often should a breeding cat have an HCM echo?
Once a year from 12 months of age for Maine Coons, Ragdolls and other breeds with a known family history. Some cardiologists accept every 12-18 months in a cat with repeated normal scans, but because HCM can first appear at any age, a single normal echo never closes the question.
If a DNA test is negative, can I skip the echo?
No. The known MyBPC3 variants explain only part of HCM in Maine Coons and Ragdolls, and the disease also occurs in cats with no variant at all. The DNA result tells you about one risk factor; the echocardiogram measures the heart as it is today, so both stay in the panel.
Do both parents need testing, or only the queen?
Both. A recessive carrier is healthy and looks normal, so testing only the queen leaves the tom's status unknown and can produce affected kittens from a pairing that looked clear on paper. Testing both also tells you whether a kitten is a carrier, which belongs on its paperwork.