Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is a degenerative disorder of the retinal photoreceptors (the cells in the retina that react to light). Research has shown that a defective protein produced by a mutation in the CEP290 gene is linked to progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) in Siamese cats.
The gene mutation needs to be passed on from both parents to cause blindness.
Affected cats have normal vision at birth but typically develop late-onset blindness. The vision loss is gradual and variable, with most cats losing their sight by 3-5 years of age. Some affected cats won’t lose their sight until much later in life.
There is no treatment available for the condition.
Carriers, cats that have one copy of the mutation, have normal vision but have a fifty per cent chance of passing the gene to their offspring.
Both our queens are PRA negative and we only breed with PRA negative studs.
