Hi all, I would like to know if there are DNA tests for cats, a kind of test that is able to say if two cats are somehow related. On the internet I only find tests for genetic diseases or similar things.
A bit of background info.
I tend a feral cat colony of about 20 cats. They are nearly all related, like mothers, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc. It's easy to see traits of certain breeds in them, many have cream spots on their coat, they have blue eyes and/or are cross-eyed. Somewhere in their genetics they have noble ancestors. Two cats have just recently joined the colony, and they are Maine Coon, or half this breed.
About three months ago I spotted another cat colony 2 km south from my original one, they were 13 cats. I rescued 11 of them, five have been adopted out due to their sweet character. Well, among this 11 rescued cats, a couple of them look very like two cats in my colony, to the point that for a moment I thought they were the same cats. I know that many cats look alike, but these two are rather peculiar, and seeing other two very similar cats is just curious.
So, my question is, is there a test to see if two cats are related, if they have a close relative in common? Like the test to see if two persons are family related (siblings, father-son).
I suspect that these cats have a mom, or a grandmother in common. I could ask the vet, but I would like to ask them for something certain, rather than being looked at like an extra-terrestrial.
Thanks!
A bit of background info.
I tend a feral cat colony of about 20 cats. They are nearly all related, like mothers, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc. It's easy to see traits of certain breeds in them, many have cream spots on their coat, they have blue eyes and/or are cross-eyed. Somewhere in their genetics they have noble ancestors. Two cats have just recently joined the colony, and they are Maine Coon, or half this breed.
About three months ago I spotted another cat colony 2 km south from my original one, they were 13 cats. I rescued 11 of them, five have been adopted out due to their sweet character. Well, among this 11 rescued cats, a couple of them look very like two cats in my colony, to the point that for a moment I thought they were the same cats. I know that many cats look alike, but these two are rather peculiar, and seeing other two very similar cats is just curious.
So, my question is, is there a test to see if two cats are related, if they have a close relative in common? Like the test to see if two persons are family related (siblings, father-son).
I suspect that these cats have a mom, or a grandmother in common. I could ask the vet, but I would like to ask them for something certain, rather than being looked at like an extra-terrestrial.
Thanks!