There are few solid white Siberians, and they are quite stunning. The solid white albinism mutation came from Turkish Angora. Hereditary cancer has been documented in most solid white Siberians in the US and Europe.
Cats in multiple generation and countries have been diagnosed or died from organ cancer. These cancers are caused by a mutation in the KIT Ligand gene, an oncogene next to dominant white, an albino gene. Only SOLID white cats from each litter are affected by cancer.
As of 2010, all solid white Siberians were descended from two siblings – “Gesha Olenya Krasa” and “Dolka Olenya Krasa”, and carried an oncogene mutation in the Kit Ligand region (gene causing organ cancers). These cats have a very high risk of developing cancer at an early age.
. Hereditary cancers are found in many breeds, and most likely will be found in other lines in the Siberian. As these cats were solid white, it was easy to monitor health across multiple generations.We have not seen evidence of KIT mutations in any colors of Siberians except solid white cats.
Because the Siberian breed is quite young, new (unregistered) outcrosses are still used to create new colors, Given the severity of this disease, and the lack of good pedigree data for any solid white lines, we strongly urge breeders and pet buyers to avoid solid white Siberians
Photos courtesy of Lundberg Siberians – all rights reserved.
Disease information is provided by Siberian Research without copyright protection.