How to take a mouth swab

For vets

1. The cat’s mouth should be free of food therefore delay sampling for an hour after the cat has eaten.
2. Kittens can be tested from birth, but since they should be removed from the mother 30-60 minutes before sampling we recommend they are not tested until 2-3 weeks of age.
3. A standard dry, cotton tipped swab is used (DO NOT use charcoal swabs or any swab with transport media) - this is inserted into the cat’s mouth and placed between the cheek and gums.
4. The swab is then twisted several times for a few seconds to collect cells onto the swab.
5. The swab is removed and immediately placed into its plastic sheath.
6. The swab should be clearly labelled with the cat’s identity.

For owners

1. The cat’s mouth should be free of food therefore delay sampling for an hour after the cat has eaten.
2. Kittens can be tested from birth, but since they should be removed from the mother 30-60 minutes before sampling we recommend they are not tested until 2-3 weeks of age.
3. A standard dry, cotton tipped swab is used.
4. If using a Q-tip cut off one end and discard (do not touch the remaining cotton tip).
5. Insert the cotton tip into the cat’s mouth between the cheek and gums.
6. Twist the swab several times to collect the cells.
7. Remove the swab from the cat’s mouth and replace in its plastic sheath (use a separate envelope or plastic bag for each Q-tip).
8. Label the plastic sheath, envelope or plastic bag with the cat’s name.

Please note: The test is run on DNA extracted from the cheek cells, not on saliva. Failure to collect adequate cellular material on the swab will result in a non-diagnostic sample. The genetic test identifies if a sample is non-diagnostic, in such cases repeat sampling will be required.

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