Can cats also get Down syndrome?

March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day, also known as Trisomy 21.

Down syndrome was not named after the first recorded patient with the disease, but was named after the first doctor in history who described its pathological condition, John Langdon Haydon Down.

Image source: Wikipedia

Human chromosomes exist in pairs, with a total of 23 pairs. These chromosomes are an ingeniously designed factory, each with its own functions and abilities. Scientists have sorted and numbered them to facilitate research.

Trisomy 21 occurs because some people have a small malfunction during development, which causes chromosome 21 to retain an extra split monomer, turning 2 into 3.

Image source: Wikipedia

Chromosomes are the "database" of various external and internal characteristics of human beings. This error makes chromosome pairing disordered and disrupts the synthesis of various proteins, thus affecting all aspects.

It will not only be reflected in the face: flat face, small and upturned eyes, petite body, but also lead to below-average intelligence and poor learning ability...

Image from Wikipedia

Therefore, Down syndrome is also called "congenital idiocy". The average life expectancy of patients is shorter and they are more likely to be affected by diseases, such as congenital heart disease and epilepsy.

At this point, cat owners may be wondering, what does this have to do with cats?

Recently, rumors have been circulating among various animal lover groups that animals can also suffer from Down syndrome!

Monty, a cat with Down syndrome, from Facebook

This cat named Monty has no nose, moves clumsily, and has a looser bladder than most cats, so he often urinates and defecates involuntarily.

But Monty's unique appearance and gentle personality make him a big star on social media, and he has attracted more than 300,000 followers so far. His adoptive family has also used this attention to establish various cultural peripheral brands, hoping to invest the funds to help more cats like Monty.

Is Monty really a cat with Down syndrome?

It is said on the Internet that cats with Down syndrome have round drooping ears instead of sharp pointed ears, and their eyes are wide and round. They are prone to falling due to lack of coordination, and lack the vigilance of normal cats towards strangers, just like children with Down syndrome.

But in fact, in order for a cat to be diagnosed with Down syndrome, chromosomal abnormalities must be observed, that is, a pair of chromosomes becomes a trisomy. Currently, there is no relevant scientific evidence to prove that a cat has Down syndrome.

However, there are many similar studies in mouse models. Mice have trisomy 16 syndrome, which can be used as an animal model for Down syndrome.

But cats are more likely to suffer from other diseases caused by chromosomal mutations than Down syndrome. For example, folded ears are actually an incomplete dominant genetic disease of chondrodysplasia. Tortoiseshell cats are actually Kleiner syndrome, and some cats have an extra chromosome in their cell bodies.

Fold-ear cat Milla

Image from Tadpole Jun

The animals that have been observed to have Down syndrome include orangutans. Orangutans have 24 pairs of chromosomes, and the copies of chromosome 22 detected in some mentally retarded orangutans are considered "Down syndrome" in the ape world.

But the ugly tiger Candy with Down syndrome who is circulated on the Internet and has small eyes, short nose, and open face is not a real Down syndrome patient. It is just a victim of facial deformity caused by inbreeding.

Regardless of whether domestic animals or wild animals have Down syndrome or not, animals are our eternal friends and deserve our compassionate care and protection.

END

Audit experts:

Wu Lei is a national licensed veterinarian and a master’s student in clinical veterinary medicine at Sichuan Agricultural University.

Tadpole Musical Notation original article, please indicate the source when reprinting

Editor/Xiao Xitushuo