Polycystic kidney disease

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is an inherited condition (passed from parents to their kittens) that can cause progressive kidney failure in cats. Affected cats most commonly develop signs of kidney failure at around 7 years of age. The Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) has set up a scheme in the UK whereby cats can be tested for the disease before being used for breeding. In the future it may be possible to eliminate this potentially fatal disease by careful breeding from unaffected individuals.