CES 2019: DNA Testing for your CAT!

DNA testing seems to be an upcoming thing, but this is the first consumer cat DNA test that will tell you more about your cat’s ancestry, traits and health, for under $100.  DNA is collected via cat fur as well as a cotton swab of your kitty’s cheek, similar to human DNA collection.

Since this company is still in Beta, right now your cat’s breed (out of 32 cat breeds and 14 wild cats) as well as ancestral roots will be detailed in the report to start after ~12 weeks after DNA is received, but once your cat’s DNA is on record, further information via future upgrades is planned to be provided at no extra cost.

Some tests anticipated this year include maternal/paternal tracing, siblings test, certain health conditions they are at risk of including genetic disorders (32 diseases) that is found in their DNA, personality predictor, catnip-addict likelihood, physical traits and fun facts.  As the user base grows, they anticipate being able to provide tailored assessments and recommendations based on genetics for diet and wellness as well.

I had previously done DNA testing on myself to identify potential risks for certain health issues, but I think this is a cool option for cat owners to do the same for their fur babies.  As a former cat owner, I probably would have seriously considered doing this for my cat.  If you own a cat, would you?