Most of us who share our home with one or more cats, don’t care much about where he or she came from. We love the little furballs and accept them for who they are. But occasionally someone might ask, “Is she part Siamese?” or say, “He looks like he could have Persian in his ancestry.” Where did the M on her forehead come from? Do those ear tufts mean she’s part Maine coon? What about the ticking in her fur—is that an Abyssinian feature? The fact that he loves water might mean he’s related to a Turkish van cat. And what about that constant meowing—what breeds tend to be vocal?
At some point, surely you’re curious about your kitty’s heritage. Well guess what? You can have your cat’s DNA tested and learn volumes about him. Check out this site: https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/cat/ancestry/faq.php
I found it fascinating that there are only four original cat races. All of the cat breeds we 
recognize now developed from these four—coming from the Arabian Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean, South Asia, and Western Europe. The DNA test can 90% accurately determine from which of the four your cat’s heritage originates. And in many cases, it will define what percentage of, say, Persian, Birman, Egyptian Mau, Australia Mist, Siamese, etc., your cat is.
There are also DNA tests for genetic health indicators—is he prone to certain diseases? Here’s a link to a company that does this sort of genetic testing: https://www.basepaws.com/
I’d love to hear from anyone who has done DNA testing on their pet.
