In addition, the genetic make-up of a cat (what blood type genes it is carrying) can be found by sending a blood sample or a cheek swab to a veterinary genetics laboratory. For example, the Siamese and some related breeds appear only to have blood group A, while other breeds may have as many as 50% group B cats.Ī cat’s blood group can be determined quite simply by tests that are available to use within a veterinary clinic (such as card tests or immunochromatography tests), or in a diagnostic laboratory using similar or more advanced techniques. However, if two group B cats are mated together all the kittens will also be type B (as both parents will be homozygous for the ‘b’ gene).Īlthough blood group A cats are generally the most common, the frequency of type A and B cats varies between countries and between different breeds of cat. The blood group AB is inherited independently and the AB gene appears to be dominant to the B gene, but recessive to the A gene.ĭepending on the parent cats’ genotypes (what genes they carry), a variable proportion of kittens from a mating may be group A or group B. For a cat to be blood group B, it must carry two type B genes (ie, it is homozygous for type B) – see Table 1. In a heterozygous cat, because the A gene is dominant, it will still be blood group A. This means that a cat which is blood group A may have either two type A genes (termed homozygous – two genes the same – for type A), or may have one type A gene and one type B gene (termed heterozygous, having two different genes). A single pair of genes are generally responsible for determining the blood group and the gene for group A is dominant to the gene for group B. Determination of blood groupsĪ cat’s blood group is determined genetically. Group AB appears to be rare in all breeds.īecause pedigree cats in different countries are sometimes bred from quite different gene pools, in some cases the frequency of blood group A and group B cats can vary between countries so the likely blood group of any individual cat should never be assumed. Group A is the most common, but group B is quite common in certain pedigree breeds. There are three major feline blood groups: A, B and AB. These are important as the blood groups determine the compatibility of blood. Just as in humans and dogs, cats have different blood groups.

Blood types percentages