In the cat exists three different blood groups:  A, B and AB. Inheritance They are inherited in an autosomal dominant trait with two alleles at the same gene. A is  dominant over  B. So cats with blood group A may be either  homozygote (A/A) or heterozygote (A/B) Cats with blood group B are always homozygote for B (B/B). Some cats express both alleles on the erythrocyte membrane. These animals have the blood group AB. There seems to be a third gene that suppresses the dominance of A. Incompatibility In feline medicine it is absolutely important to know the right blood group before transfusion and breeding.   Cats will show severe signs of  incompatibility if a non matching blood group in transfused. For breeders it is essential to know the blood group of the queen and tom, because of a syndrome called neonatal  isoerythrolysis (FNI). If a B-group queen is mated to an A-tom at least 75% of the kittens have blood group A.

Because of the alloantibodies against blood group A given from the queen via the collostrum some kittens will suffer from  the occuring haemolysis.
 

•   Distribution of blood groups in the cat population

Distribution tested by LABOKLIN

•   Distribution of blood groups in certain breeds tested by LABOKLIN

(our investigations, n=722)