HCM RAGDOLL MUTATION FOUND !

Dr. Meurs lab has identified an HCM mutation in the Ragdoll breed and a test is now available.  For information on how to order test kits, how to take samples of your cats and FAQ's on Ragdolls can be found at the WSU Feline Cardiac Genetics Research (VCGL) site

This does not mean that our need to continue to raise funds for HCM has ended! There are 200+ mutations that can cause HCM in humans. This means we feel there are more than two (2) in cats and so we're still looking for more.  Also, this test will NOT tell you if a Ragdoll has an active case of HCM, just that the ragdoll has the genetic mutation so it is very important to still have your cats scanned (an echo).  Also, if your cat tests Negative for this mutation, YOU STILL NEED TO ECHO your cat routinely. Maybe your cat is clear of this mutation but it could have a mutation that can cause HCM that is currently waiting to be identified. If your cat tests Positive for this mutation, you probably need to be a lot more vigilant about echos for that cat because your cat is at higher risk.

This discovery has been made possible by the generosity of many breeders and pet owners.  PLEASE keep giving to the Ragdoll HCM Research so that we can take HCM completely out of our breed !

Help Our Ragdolls!

You Can Further the Search for the Deadly HCM Genes in Cats 

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a heart condition in all breeds of cats (and random bred cats) which causes the wall of the heart's left ventricle to thicken progressively as the cat gets older.  This means, eventually, that the heart may not be able to function efficiently and the thickening can progress until the cat's life cannot be supported.  Too many cats die from HCM each year.

There is no cure for HCM.  HCM is a genetic condition and can be inherited.

Today, HCM can be diagnosed only by a scan of the heart or by a necropsy; however, sometimes a slow progression of HCM may not show up on a scan for years.  This means that there is no sure way to tell if a breeding cat is free of HCM until the cat is older and has already started breeding and may then pass it to the kittens.

The Maine Coon breed has been most studied in connection with feline HCM.  Recently, there was a major breakthrough when one of the genes for HCM in the Maine Coon was identified.  There are a number of genes which can be the source of HCM in cats, so that wonderful success does not end the search.

HCM has been identified in many breeds and in random bred cats.  Ragdolls are one breed in which HCM has been found.  The research on HCM in Maine Coons has helped understand, diagnose, and treat the condition in Ragdolls and other cats.  No doubt research of HCM in Ragdolls will also benefit all other cats.

There is now an opportunity for research to start on breeds other than the Maine Coon to find the genetic mutation that causes HCM in those breeds.  It is expected by the experts that different genes will be responsible for HCM in different breeds.

The Winn Feline Foundation is a long established and well respected charity that funds feline medical research.  It is associated with the cat registry CFA. The Washington State University Foundation (WSUF) is the charitable organization through which funding of  Dr. Meurs' research at the university is possible. This site is to help stimulate contributions to Winn and WSUF for the purpose of funding research to find the HCM gene(s) in Ragdolls.

Kathryn M Meurs, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVIM (Cardiology), who led the effort to find the recently discovered HCM gene in the Maine Coon, has expressed her interest in this research project. Dr. Meurs is at Washington Sate University, where the research will be conducted. Dr. Meurs has already started the collection and analysis of pedigrees of Ragdolls living with HCM and has even requested blood samples of some Ragdolls for this project. She has also hired a very good research assistant to help in this project. 

Her effort at this stage is to understand the availability of DNA for the study and to design the research program.  This will permit drafting of grant request to study HCM DNA in Ragdolls.  She has submitted a grant proposal to the Winn Foundation, and several other groups.   The greater the contributions the more accelerated the program will be to find the HCM gene(s) in Ragdolls.

When we know all the HCM gene(s) in Ragdolls, we can start testing our breeding cats for HCM before they are bred.  Each gene that is identified means that breeders can avoid producing kittens with that genetic defect.  When all the genes are identified, we will no longer risk having kittens born who have inherited HCM.  The more we contribute and the faster the research is undertaken, the sooner we will be able to protect against inherited HCM and the heartbreak that it causes.

We hope, and expect, that research will start next year headed by Dr. Meurs after the next grant request and approval cycle.  In any event, our contributions will make sure the earliest possible attention and effort is applied to fighting HCM in Ragdolls by discovering which genes are causing it.  That seemed only a distant dream last year.  Let's make the dream come true and contribute generously.  That will allow the accumulation of funds to defeat HCM in Ragdolls and you can be an important part of that.

Click here to go to the Update page

Send checks made payable to The Washington State University Foundation with “Dr. Meurs’ Ragdoll HCM Research” on the memo line to:

Ragdoll Research,
c/o Carol Jaquez
451 Tierra Del Sol
Hollister, CA 95023

You can help make the dreams to stop inherited HCM come true,
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