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- Matt Baker introduces a review of cat DNA testing. After previously making a video about five human DNA tests he had taken, Baker follows up with a different kind of genetic test designed for cats. He has three cats and received free breed and health DNA test kits from Basepaws for review purposes.
- The episode combines cat evolutionary history with individual DNA results. Baker first explains the relationships among domestic cat breeds, then examines the test results for his cats Milo, Ketzel, and Chuti.
- Domestic cats belong to the mammalian order Carnivora. This order includes animals such as bears and raccoons. Two prominent families within it are Canidae, which includes dogs and their close relatives, and Felidae, which includes domestic cats and large cats such as lions and tigers.
- Domestic cats evolved from the African wildcat. Baker places the African wildcat within the Felinae subfamily, alongside animals such as cheetahs, lynxes, leopard cats, and servals. He estimates that domestic cats evolved from the African wildcat approximately 10,000 years ago and identifies their scientific species name as Felis catus.
- The cat family tree is divided into four categories by Basepaws. The company classifies breeds into the eastern, western, exotic, and Persian branches. The Persian branch originated within the western branch evolutionarily but is treated as a separate category in the company's classification system.
- Cat breeds must be distinguished from coat patterns. Terms such as tabby and tortoiseshell describe fur patterns, not breeds. Baker explains that Basepaws analyzes breed ancestry rather than simply identifying a cat's visible coat pattern.
- The Siamese is the best-known breed in the eastern branch. It originated in Thailand, formerly called Siam, and is characterized by a triangular face, blue eyes, a long, slender body, and point coloration: a predominantly light coat with darker coloring on the face, ears, legs, and tail. Siamese cats are also known for being particularly talkative.
- Several eastern breeds are described in relation to the Siamese. Baker identifies the Burmese as a close relative and also describes a Siamese–Persian cross under the name Burmese. He says the Oriental Shorthair was developed by crossing a Siamese with an American Shorthair, while the Peterbald resulted from crossing an Oriental Shorthair with a hairless cat from Russia.
- The exotic branch is presented as especially close to the original wild form of the domestic cat. The Egyptian Mau, which originated in Egypt, is described as probably one of the oldest surviving cat breeds.
- Bengals and Savannahs incorporate ancestry from wild cat species. Baker explains that Bengals are created by crossing Asian leopard cats with Egyptian Maus, while Savannahs are produced by crossing servals with Maus. These exotic breeds can cost thousands of dollars, with some selling for more than $10,000.
- The Abyssinian is identified as the oldest breed in the western branch. It originated in Ethiopia, which was formerly known as Abyssinia, and has a characteristic reddish-brown coat. Baker notes that its bone structure resembles that of mummified cats discovered in Egypt.
- The Russian Blue and American Shorthair are prominent western breeds. The Russian Blue originated in Russia and has a bluish-silver coat. The American Shorthair is familiar to many North Americans, but Baker emphasizes that most American domestic cats are not pure American Shorthairs; many are mixed cats with ancestry from various breeds.
- Long-haired breeds developed from the western branch. Baker names the Persian, Turkish Angora, Norwegian Forest Cat, and Maine Coon among the examples.
- Maine Coons are the largest domestic cat breed described in the episode. They can weigh up to 20 pounds without necessarily being overweight. Despite their size, Baker characterizes them as gentle and friendly, and later notes that they are also known for being talkative.
- Ragdolls are associated with a distinctive behavioral trait. Baker says their breed originated from a mutation, probably in either a Turkish Angora or a Persian, that causes the cats to go limp when picked up. He presents the breed as particularly gentle.
- Persian-category breeds tend to have flatter faces. Baker contrasts their more squashed facial structure with breeds that have better-defined noses. Although Persians belong to the western branch evolutionarily, Basepaws separates them into their own classification category.
- The British Shorthair is identified as the breed most closely related to the long-haired Persian. This relationship is presented as an interesting feature of the breed family tree.
- The Exotic Shorthair combines Persian and American Shorthair ancestry. Baker describes it as resembling an American Shorthair but with a rounder, flatter face.
- The Himalayan combines Persian appearance with Siamese coloring. It was developed by crossing a Persian with a Siamese and retains the Persian-like appearance while displaying the Siamese's characteristic color pattern.
- The Scottish Fold's folded ears result from a mutation rather than a deliberate crossbreed. Baker distinguishes this breed from those developed through planned crosses and describes the ears as folding downward.
- Milo is a 17-year-old orange tabby with a large frame and a talkative personality. Baker adopted him when he was seven, ten years before filming. Milo is still fairly healthy, although he was previously overweight; his weight has since been brought under control. He remains unusually long and heavily built.
- Milo is especially attached to Baker. Although friendly with other people, Milo displays an almost dog-like devotion to Baker in particular. His frequent vocalizations are one reason Baker initially suspected that he had Siamese ancestry.
- Baker credits responsible cat care with supporting longevity. Milo's previous companion, Bobby, lived to 21. Baker attributes the possibility of a long, happy life to keeping cats indoors, feeding them well, and taking them to the veterinarian for regular checkups.
- Chuti and Ketzel joined the household after Bobby died. Three years before filming, Baker and his wife adopted the two kittens through a local organization called VOCRA. Both cats were three years old at the time of the episode.
- Chuti's name reflects her small size and appearance. The word means “small and cute” in Sinhalese, a language spoken in Sri Lanka, where Baker previously lived. Chuti remained unusually small into adulthood and continued to look somewhat like a kitten.
- Chuti is curious, playful, fearless, and apparently highly observant. When Baker uses a laser pointer, she looks at his hand rather than simply chasing the light. He interprets this behavior as suggesting that she is interested in how he controls the light.
- Chuti makes a distinctive “brr” sound when surprised or very happy. Baker identifies this as a unique behavior among the cats he has owned.
- Chuti has a corkscrew-shaped tail and occasional balance problems. Baker says such tails can result from genetics or trauma in the womb, but he does not know which explanation applies to Chuti. Her tail resembles that of a rabbit.
- Ketzel's name means “kitten” in Yiddish. Baker identifies Yiddish as a language spoken by Ashkenazi Jews and explains that Ketzel and Chuti are littermates, making them brother and sister.
- Ketzel and Chuti have sharply contrasting temperaments. Chuti is outgoing and brave, while Ketzel is timid and hides under the bed when the doorbell rings or the vacuum cleaner is switched on.
- The siblings also differ in appearance and size. Both are long-haired, but Chuti has a tuxedo coat, whereas Ketzel has a brown-gray tabby pattern. Ketzel is considerably larger, with a strong, sturdy build.
- Ketzel can jump more than five feet straight upward. Despite his timid nature, he is physically capable and is the most cuddly of the three cats when he is in the mood. He enjoys belly rubs and often climbs onto Baker's shoulder for an embrace.
- Basepaws supplies a breed and health DNA test using a cheek swab. Baker received the combined test free for review. The procedure requires rubbing a swab against the inside of the cat's cheek for at least five seconds.
- Collecting the DNA samples proved difficult. Baker says his attempts upset all three cats, and he was unable to obtain useful footage of the procedure. He instead shows a diagram explaining how to hold a cat's head when inserting a swab or toothbrush into its mouth.
- Each sample vial must be registered to the correct cat. Baker stresses that registering the number on the vial is essential; otherwise, Basepaws cannot identify which cat supplied the DNA. The sample is then returned to the company.
- Basepaws takes approximately one month to return the results. The report is 36 pages long and includes information about the breeds tested and an explanation of how the company makes its classifications. The two sections specific to an individual cat are its breed analysis and genetic health markers.
- Milo's DNA results contradict Baker's initial suspicion of Siamese ancestry. Despite Milo's talkativeness and strong attachment to Baker, his report shows practically no eastern DNA. Instead, his results suggest substantial Maine Coon ancestry, alongside other western breeds.
- Milo's probable results suggest he is almost one-quarter Maine Coon. Baker interprets this as a possible indication that one of Milo's grandparents belonged to that breed. The ancestry would fit Milo's large frame and talkative personality, although the DNA report does not establish a specific grandparent's identity.
- Milo also shows ancestry associated with Siberian and American Shorthair cats. His report contains a mixture of western breeds, including these two, with no exotic ancestry and only small amounts of Persian and eastern ancestry.
- Basepaws uses “Polycat” for ancestry that cannot be assigned confidently to a specific breed. Baker explains that the term represents DNA that is so mixed and generic that it cannot be attributed to an identifiable breed.
- The Basepaws report allows users to adjust the confidence level of breed estimates. A slider offers five different views of the results, ranging from more speculative classifications to more conservative ones. The more permissive settings allow ambiguous DNA to be distributed among possible breeds, while stricter settings leave more ancestry unclassified.
- Milo's Maine Coon estimate rises to 28% under the “maybe” setting. Baker explains that the percentages assigned to other breeds also increase as the system distributes more ambiguous DNA among specific categories. The broad classification and Polycat portions decrease accordingly.
- Milo's “confident” results leave approximately 70% of his DNA ambiguous. Under this setting, the report identifies 16% Maine Coon, 6% American Shorthair, 5% Siberian, and 2% Ragdoll. Baker regards the Maine Coon result as evidence supporting the possibility of a Maine Coon grandparent, while acknowledging that most of Milo's ancestry cannot be assigned confidently.
- Baker uses the “probable” setting to compare Ketzel and Chuti. Rather than using the most speculative or most conservative view, he adopts a middle-ground confidence level for the remaining two cats.
- Ketzel has more non-western ancestry than Milo, particularly in the Persian category. Baker considers this consistent with Ketzel's long-haired appearance. Ketzel also has substantial Maine Coon ancestry, which fits his sturdy build, and a notable amount of Ragdoll ancestry, which Baker suggests might help explain his affectionate behavior and enjoyment of belly rubs.
- Chuti has the most diverse breed results of the three cats. Her report shows more Persian ancestry than Ketzel's, considerably more exotic ancestry, less Maine Coon ancestry, and more Siberian ancestry.
- Baker speculates that Chuti's varied ancestry might help explain her distinctive characteristics. He connects her small size and unusual personality to the diversity of her results, and notes that Siberian cats are known for being brave and independent, traits that he sees in Chuti. These are suggested explanations rather than demonstrated causes of her behavior.
- Full siblings can inherit noticeably different combinations of DNA. Baker explains that each cat receives approximately 50% of its DNA from its mother and 50% from its father. Which portions are inherited is a matter of chance, allowing siblings to share many traits or differ substantially.
- Chuti and Ketzel may have different fathers despite sharing a mother. Baker notes that a female cat can be impregnated by two different males during the same reproductive cycle. He raises this as another possible explanation for their different DNA results, but does not establish that it happened in their case.
- All three cats tested clear for the genetic diseases included in the Basepaws panel. Baker reports that Milo, Ketzel, and Chuti showed no positive results for any of the genetic diseases tested. This finding applies to the diseases included in the test, rather than establishing that the cats are free from every possible health condition.
- The episode includes a commercial relationship with Basepaws. Baker explicitly discloses that the company supplied the breed and health DNA test kits free of charge for review purposes.
- Basepaws offers UsefulCharts viewers a 15% discount. Baker directs interested viewers to the link in the pinned comment or video description.
- Baker invites viewers to share their own cats' suspected breed mixtures. The episode closes by encouraging cat owners to discuss their cats' possible ancestry in the comments, extending the DNA-testing discussion to the audience.