SUBMISSION FORMS AND TEST PRICES FOR OWNERS AND BREEDERS
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Cat long hair mutations
The fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) gene determines the length of a cat's hair. The wild-type form of the gene causes short hair and is dominant. Four mutations have been identified in the FGF5 gene that are associated with long hair; these mutations are recessive. Long haired cats have either two copies of the same mutation or two different mutations. One of the mutations is present in all breeds of long haired cat and three mutations are breed specific.
Mutation #1 (M1) - found in Ragdolls
Mutation #2 (M2) - found in Norwegian Forest Cats
Mutation #3 (M3) - found in Ragdolls and Maine Coons
Mutation #4 (M4) - found in all breeds of cat including Ragdolls, Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest Cats
When submitting samples please ensure you state the breed, we will then test for the long hair mutations relevant to that breed.
Results are reported as:
N/N - the cat does not have the respective long hair mutation.
N/M1, N/M2, N/M3, N/M4 - the cat carries one copy of the respective long hair mutation.
M1/M1, M2/M2, M3/M3, M4/M4 - the cat has two copies of the respective long hair mutation.
Interpretation of results
If the cat does not have ANY of the long hair mutations (N/N) it will have short hair.
If the cat carries ONE of the long hair mutations (N/M1 or N/M2 or N/M3 or N/M4) it will have short hair.
If the cat has two copies of a long hair mutation (M1/M1 or M2/M2 or M3/M3 or M4/M4) it will have long hair.
If the cat carries TWO of the long hair mutations (N/M1 & N/M2 or N/M1 & N/M3 or N/M1 & N/M4 or N/M2 & N/M3
or N/M2 & N/M4 or N/M3 & N/M4) it will have long hair.