Kangaroo cat
A kangaroo cat or, in colloquial English, a squitten is a cat in which the front legs are not fully developed. Medically, it is referred to as hypoplasia or hemimelia of the radius . One or both front extremities are shortened, the animals are lame and the range of motion in the elbow and pastern joint is restricted.
The word Squitten is a portmanteau word made up of squirrel (English squirrel ) and kitten (English kitten). Because of the deformity of the front legs, these animals often sit on their rear paws and cannot reach the ground with their front paws, so their appearance resembles squirrels or kangaroos . The front paws cannot walk or scratch due to the incomplete formation of the long bones.
The cause is probably a genetic defect, as parents with affected puppies will also produce offspring with this defect in the next litter. Copper, manganese or zinc deficiencies as well as embryotoxic drugs were also held responsible for this rare malformation . Treatment is not possible. In the event of severe functional impairments or injuries, amputation of the affected limb may be indicated. Parent animals should be neutered to prevent further spread. The targeted reproduction of such animals is criticized as torture breeding .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Harry Scott, Ronald McLaughlin: Feline Orthopedics . CRC Press, 2006, ISBN 9781840765373 , p. 136.
- ↑ John Bradshaw : The world from a cat's point of view. Ways to a Better Coexistence - Findings of a Behavioral Scientist . Kosmos, Stuttgart 2015, ISBN 978-3-440-14326-1 , Purebred Cats and Extreme Forms Preview via Google Books ( Preview via Google Books ).
- ↑ Hamburger Morgenpost: Macabre breeding
- ↑ Claudia Ehrenstein: People play God. The world . December 2, 1998, accessed April 7, 2016 .