Cats may hold the secret to curing common diseases

There might a reason some become crazy cat ladies…. cats are just like us! Well, mainly because scientists have just found a link between humans and cats – felines could hold clues in how we fight common diseases.

Other studies have focused on dogs but now cats are in the spotlight because their DNA may have crucial information about how we contract obesity, diabetes, asthma, urinary tract infections and cancers.

A project called 99 Lives has been created by the University of Missouri and they’re asking anyone with a cat to provide their blood and tissues for a more comprehensive study.

According to Stephen O’Brien, a geneticist at the Theodosius Dobzhansky Centre told the Observer: “Until now, genetic research on humans’ companion animals – pets such as dogs, cats and rabbits – has concentrated almost exclusively on dogs”.

He also said cats were ignored for too long despite suffering many of the same diseases we also contract. Cats and the elderly share a common susceptibility to polycystic kidney disease, a key cause of renal failure, and now they want to find out why this is.

So what will the research achieve? Well, cats could aid in the fight to stop the contraction of common diseases, and will donated blood or tissue, researchers can study the DNA and determine how quickly a disease can spread.

Pet owners spend billions a year looking after their cat’s health and their own, so it makes sense that the sooner we know more about our connection to the furry creatures, the sooner we can feel both feel well.