We all know that cats are the undisputed kings of night vision. Their eyes are naturally designed to capture even the slightest glimmer of light. But what happens when you notice your feline friend hesitating before jumping in a dimly lit room or seeming strangely disoriented after dark?
Often, owners assume it is just "clumsiness" or normal signs of aging. However, these small changes in behaviour could be the first sign of a genetic condition known as Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA).
PRA is not an isolated condition, but a group of hereditary diseases in cats that cause the gradual degeneration of the eye's retina. This condition leads to irreversible vision loss which, in the vast majority of cases, begins to manifest as night blindness.
Understanding the feline condition
The biological connection
To understand Progressive Retinal Atrophy, we must view it as a family of genetic conditions. Although PRA can occur in cats of any breed (or crosses), science has shown that it has a particularly high prevalence in certain genetic lines, and is well-known in breeds such as Abyssinians and Siamese.
The progression of the disease
The process of PRA is slow but constant. The photoreceptor cells of the retina (rods and cones, responsible for capturing light and colour) begin to deteriorate and die progressively.
- Initial phase: The cat loses the ability to see in low light (night blindness or nyctalopia).
- Advanced phase: Over time, this loss progresses to affect daylight vision, culminating in total blindness.
Unlike other eye conditions, such as glaucoma, PRA is not painful. Physically, your cat does not suffer pain, but the loss of one of its main senses profoundly alters its quality of life, its safety, and its confidence when moving through its environment.
The Koko Genetics approach: Detection before symptoms
How do we detect progressive retinal atrophy in cats?
At Koko Genetics, we believe that information is the best care. Our DNA test for cats is designed to identify the specific genetic variants associated with Progressive Retinal Atrophy in cats. Through a simple saliva sample, we can read what your cat's eyes do not yet show.
The importance of early diagnosis
As we explain in our article on PRA in dogs, the goal of performing a genetic test is not to alarm, but to offer pet parents a clear roadmap. Knowing in advance if your cat carries the PRA mutation gives you invaluable time to act:
- Environmental adaptation: Allows you to implement changes at home (avoid moving furniture, install night lights, secure balconies and stairs) before your cat's vision degrades significantly, allowing it to memorise the space.
- Veterinary monitoring: You will be able to monitor its eye health together with a veterinary ophthalmologist from an early age, ruling out other diseases that could indeed cause pain.
- Empathy and understanding: It helps you understand the reason for its sudden fears of darkness or rapid movement, allowing you to be its best guide.
Is your cat a silent carrier of progressive retinal atrophy?
It is important to keep in mind that a carrier cat has only one copy of the genetic variant related to PRA. As it is usually a recessive disease, for the cat to develop it, it would have to inherit two copies of the variant, one from each parent. For this reason, a carrier cat is usually healthy and shows no symptoms, although it can pass that copy on to its offspring.
This information is of vital importance both for owners seeking to plan a healthy life for their companion and for responsible breeders who wish to ensure healthy litters and eradicate this mutation from their breeding lines.
Genetics does not absolutely dictate our destiny, but it provides us with the necessary map to navigate it safely. Progressive Retinal Atrophy in cats is a silent disease that advances in the shadows, but modern technology allows us to give a voice to those genetic risks before they manifest.
Do not wait for the lights to go out to act. Knowing the health of your cat's eyes today makes a difference to its quality of life tomorrow.
