The Truth Behind TICA Registration:
How Responsible Ragdoll Breeders Screen for HCM and PKD
Introduction: The True Value of a Health Guarantee Lies in the Details
When searching for a Ragdoll kitten, many prospective owners prioritize TICA registration and a health guarantee. While these labels are important, experienced breeders understand that their true value lies not in the title itself, but in the scientific and contractual details behind them.
Do you truly understand what risks a breeder’s health guarantee actually covers? Can you distinguish between a genuine genetic defect and a condition caused by environmental or secondary factors?
At DreamiiDolls Ragdoll Cattery, we believe transparency and science—not marketing language—define a truly responsible breeder. This article explains the scientific foundation behind our five-year genetic health guarantee, and helps prospective families understand how to evaluate a breeder’s health claims with clarity and confidence.
Part I: The Science of Prevention — Protecting the Gene Pool
Behind the Ragdoll’s gentle temperament and iconic appearance lie two major inherited health risks that responsible breeders must proactively manage at the genetic level: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) and Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD).
1. Our Scientific Commitment: DNA-Clear Parents
Our health guarantee begins with rigorous genetic screening. All of our breeding kings and queens undergo comprehensive DNA testing and are confirmed Negative / Clear for all known Ragdoll-specific genetic mutations.
This includes, but is not limited to:
HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy) — specifically the MYBPC3 R820W mutation
PKD1 (Polycystic Kidney Disease)
By exclusively pairing Clear × Clear parents, we ensure that our kittens cannot inherit these specific known genetic mutations. In simple terms, when both parents are genetically clear, the kitten is genetically clear of those mutations as well.
This preventative approach at the gene-pool level is the cornerstone of ethical, long-term breeding.
2. Beyond the Basics: Continuous Genetic Oversight
While HCM and PKD represent the most significant inherited risks in Ragdolls, our responsibility does not stop there. We continuously monitor emerging research, low-incidence genetic markers, and overall health trends within our breeding program.
This long-term genetic stewardship ensures a stable, optimized gene pool and reflects a commitment that extends far beyond a single litter or generation.
3. What Constitutes a “Genetic Defect”? Defining Clear Boundaries
Our five-year genetic health guarantee applies strictly to fatal congenital or hereditary genetic defects.
It is essential to distinguish true genetic conditions from non-genetic illnesses, such as:
Upper respiratory infections
Parasites
Bacterial or viral infections
Stress-related or environmentally acquired conditions
These non-genetic conditions may occur after a kitten leaves our care and are influenced by environment, exposure, and stress—not heredity. Clear definitions protect both breeders and families and ensure scientific fairness.
Part II: Beyond Appearances — Why Diagnosis Protocols Matter
Offering a five-year health guarantee is not merely an expression of confidence. Its integrity depends entirely on how diagnoses are defined, verified, and confirmed.
1. Why a Five-Year Guarantee Matters
Many breeders offer guarantees limited to one or two years. However, certain genetic conditions—particularly HCM—may not become clinically apparent until adulthood.
A five-year coverage period spans the most critical developmental years of a cat’s life and reflects a long-term commitment rather than a short-term promise.
2. Authority of Diagnosis: A Science-Based Standard
One of the most important—and often overlooked—elements of a responsible health guarantee is who has the authority to diagnose a condition.
While HCM has a genetic component, veterinary medicine recognizes that not all cases of heart thickening are genetic in origin.
According to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine:
“Similar heart thickening is also caused by other common conditions, including high blood pressure and hyperthyroidism. These diseases must be ruled out prior to diagnosing HCM.”
Likewise, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) states:
“Several possible secondary causes of left ventricular concentric hypertrophy exist in cats including systemic arterial hypertension, hyperthyroidism and aortic stenosis. When LV hypertrophy is caused by any of these diseases, the cardiac abnormality is not called HCM.”
In other words, HCM is a diagnosis of exclusion.
3. Our Diagnostic Requirement
To ensure scientific accuracy and fairness, our contract requires that:
Any suspected cardiac condition must be diagnosed by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist
The diagnosis must include written confirmation that the condition is congenital in origin
Only under these conditions does a cardiac diagnosis qualify under our five-year genetic health guarantee.
Why This Matters
This strict, science-backed diagnostic protocol protects both the kitten and the family adopting it.
It ensures that genuine congenital genetic conditions are addressed responsibly, while preventing non-genetic or environmentally acquired diseases from being incorrectly attributed to a breeder’s gene pool.
At DreamiiDolls, a health guarantee is not a marketing statement—it is a long-term scientific responsibility. Our five-year genetic health guarantee reflects confidence in our breeding program, respect for veterinary medicine, and a commitment to ethical, transparent breeding practices.
We believe educated families make the best lifelong partners for our kittens. Transparency is the foundation of trust.
Author
Written by DreamiiDolls Ragdoll Cattery
TICA-Registered Ragdoll Breeder
Ontario, Canada