The Southern British Shorthair
Cat Club organised a PKD testing session in June
2008. We did originally conceive of this plan as
being one of two sessions in the year, thus allowing
cats who had kittens for the first date or owners
with alternative appointments another chance to
come. This is a summary of what we learned which
might act as an aide memoire should we repeat the
experiment and may be of help to other clubs who
might be thinking of doing the same.
Why do it?
At present 8% of British cats test positive for
PKD. In place of the uncertainty and expense of the
scans, we now have available a simple, non-invasive
and accurate test. We know that if two negative
cats are mated all their progeny will also be
negative. We have the possibility of ridding our
cats of this disease within one generation. How
should we not try to achieve such a prize?
How do we do it?
One or two people will need to be committed to
such a project for probably a minimum of three
months.
Publicity
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Website: |
for
provision of background information on PKD
and giving notice of the event. |
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Letter: |
to all members three
weeks or slightly more before scheduled
date.
This should outline the problem. It should
state what is on offer, what information
will be required, provide a fee structure
and specify acceptable methods of payment.
It should also give contact details and
instructions for booking. It should include
a map. |
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E-mails: |
probably two following up on the letter. |
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Cat
journals: |
might
be used for additional publicity. |
Venue and its use
It is essential to find one conveniently placed
for those one hopes to attract. Adequate parking is
a must. We found that that one large hall with a
kitchen attached proved convenient. Two smaller
rooms might also work. The advantage of one large
space is that everyone can see at a glance how
things are progressing. Areas need to be
differentiated for particular functions.
1.
Form-filling/waiting/social/refreshments: Here
one needs tables and chairs, space to put cat
carriers, peace to fill in the forms and to have a
gossip with others attending. There needs to be easy
access to refreshments. This area will be
supervised by the person(s) responsible for the
security of the entire space and for organising the
form-filling.
2. Micro-chipping: This
requires a steady table with good light and two
chairs. Persons who wish to have a cat(s)
micro-chipped will have filled in the necessary
form(s) prior to presenting themselves at the
table.
3. Testing: Again a
steady table with light and two chairs. Persons who
are presenting cats for testing must have had their
cats micro-chipped either on that day or on a prior
occasion. They must also have completed the two
short forms which will be attached to their
samples. While constant help is not required, it is
good to have a person experienced in holding cats
should a beast take against the procedure.
4. FAB registration and
payment: Again a table and a couple of chairs
are needed. Those who wish their cats, providing
they test negative, be placed on the FAB register
should have completed the requisite form. At this
point the fees can be collected. These comprise
monies for (a) PKD testing, (b) micro-chipping, if
necessary, (c) entry on the FAB register, if wished,
and (d) donations to the Club or to the FAB, if
proffered. A receipt should be given.
General points:
Vet: It is good if the
vet will bring as much of the required equipment as
possible including the swabs, a spray for
table-cleaning etc. Vets generally know what they
require and will feel more comfortable with their
own equipment.
Micro-chipper: The same
applies. Do make sure that either the micro-chipper
or the vet bring a reader for same.
Booking: Members can book
in by contacting the organiser and informing him/her
how many cats they expect to bring and whether they
are chipped.It is helpful to have at least the cats’
pedigree name(s) at this stage. If they are given
appointment times at least 15 minutes before they
are due to meet the person doing the chipping and/or
the vet, they can then progress through the various
stages. It is good to have some cats in reserve
belonging to those working on the day; they can be
popped in at quieter times.
Information required:
This is not all needed for each stage but it is
sensible to give the list at the outset to all
persons thinking of attending.
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Owner(s): Name
Address
Telephone number
E-mail address |
Cat(s)
Full pedigree name
Micro-chip ID
Registering
body
Registration
number
Breed
Colour
Sex
Date of birth |
When they are filling up the
forms, it is probably good to ask if they can use
block capitals.
Payment: I remain
convinced that cash is best. If people are asked to
pay in advance and disaster strikes them, one feels
obliged to reimburse. While we can keep the costs
down and give clear notice, there is nothing simpler
than dealing in cash.
During my years as the secretary
of a breed club, I have from time to time had
immensely sad conversations with and letters from
pet owners who had bought a kitten which turned out
to have PKD. Some of these kittens were obtained
from well-known breeders of good reputation. In
days gone by I could explain how difficult it was
for a breeder to be able to predict such an event.
This is no longer the case. We need not confine
ourselves to testing our own cats and encouraging
others to test theirs. It should become part of our
advice to anyone who asks for guidance as to how to
obtain a kitten that they start by making certain
that both parents come from PKD negative stock.
Postscript:
Organiser’s Check List:
| Stationery: |
PKD files |
Miscellaneous: |
Kitchen Roll |
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Bookings list |
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Disinfectant (Cat
Friendly) |
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PKD test forms (2 per
cat) |
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Cash Box |
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Micro-chip forms |
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Camera |
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FAB register forms |
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Tea/Coffee etc |
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Adhesive Labels |
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Receipts |
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Marker Pens / Normal
Pens |
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Sellotape |
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Stapler |
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