Ragdoll kitten and pkd screening, hcm screening. What do I need to know?

[NicoAndTheNiners]

Am currently looking for a ragdoll kitten and struggling to find any in a 50 mile radius which are from screened parents.

I've found some kittens where the dad has been tested for both and is clear. The mum hasn't been tested but apparantly both her parents were tested and were clear........does that definetely mean that mum would be clear. These kittens are £500.

Or there's some where it doesn't mention about testing at all so I assume they haven't been, for £425.

I'm not planning on breeding, or showing. Purely a pet so am not interested in them being registered or not so don't really want to pay £800 for a registered cat which would be from screened parents.

And please don't have a go at me for not adopting a rescue moggy. I have 2x rescue cats currently. This is a present for dd who is chronically ill and it's all she wants. I've tried suggesting just a normal kitten but she has her heart set on a Birman or a ragdoll and she is so poorly I will do anything for her. Thanks.

I had two Persians that were breeding queens rescued from a kitten farm. One of them had horrendous HCM. Her heart was a mess. (Not that you'd ever have known it, she was completely well.) she died aged 8. Her sister has it as well but much less severe.

Don't buy a kitten unless they've been screened. Both of my cats probably had loads of kittens who all have HCM. It's not worth the heartache and the expense. It's about £300 for a breed screen with the cardiologist my cat saw.

Thanks, think I will have to keep looking then for one which is health screened.

My understanding is that it is an autosomal dominant pattern so you would need both parents to be tested to be sure. I think that any breeder that does everything properly (like test both parents) will have a waiting list for kittens.

How about trying a specialist rescue? The cats may be slightly older but you would have a better idea of their health.

I've got a cat friendly dog but feel that introducing a kitten would be better. Plus dd really wants a kitten.

I've contacted some registered breeders about going on waiting lists. Looks like it might be nov/December before I get one but it's best to wait by the sound of it.