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The disorder leaves the cat with a full-size body, but disproportionately short and thick legs. Dwarf cats often suffer from spinal disorders, such as lordosis (excessive curvature of the spine) and pectus excavatum (hollowed chest). [7] As with human dwarfism, there are still a lot of unknown mysteries in the science behind feline dwarfism.
In some breeds of cats congenital sensorineural deafness is very common, with most white cats (but not albinos) being affected, particularly if they also have blue eyes. [1] The gene responsible for this defect is the KIT gene and the disease is studied in the hope that it may shed light on the causes of hereditary deafness in humans. [ 8 ]
Polydactyly also occurs in dogs, cats, and small mammals such as guinea pigs [78] and mice. [79] Cats normally have five digits on the front paws and four on the rear. Polydactyl cats have more, and this is a moderately common condition, especially in certain cat
One of the polydactyl cats at the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West, Florida.This particular cat has seven (two extra) toes on each paw. A polydactyl cat is a cat with a congenital physical anomaly called polydactyly (also known as polydactylism or hyperdactyly), which causes the cat to be born with more than the usual number of toes on one or more of its paws.
Teratology is the study of abnormalities of physiological development in organisms during their life span. It is a sub-discipline in medical genetics which focuses on the classification of congenital abnormalities in dysmorphology caused by teratogens.
Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. [2] The disabilities can range from mild to severe. [6] Birth defects are divided into two main types: structural disorders in which problems are seen with the shape of a body part and functional disorders in which problems exist with how a body part ...
Image credits: ecofarian In addition, if the average body temperature of cats is higher than, for example, that of humans, then at rest it invariably decreases. And since cats love both warmth and ...
Flat-chested kitten syndrome (FCKS) is a disorder in cats wherein kittens develop a compression of the thorax (chest/ribcage) caused by lung collapse. [citation needed] This is a soft-tissue problem and is not caused by vertebral or bony malformation.