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Inbreeding - No, thanks?

Inbreeding has got a negative touch and is mostly cited in connection with genetic defects.
It would be shortsighted and too fast to ignore or forbid inbreeding as breeding method.

What is inbreeding?

Inbreeding is the mating between close relatives:

Let us have a look at a pedigree:

The fields underlain with colour indicate the inbreeding.

California Dream'n
One can see this cat on the side of the sire and on the side of the dam. This cat is the father and great-grandfather of our female.
It would be possible to make inbreeding once more, which would fix the traits of our female even more. We would get many kittens looking quite similar to our female.

Puff N'Purr's Sunkist
This cat appears on the side of the father and the mother, it appears relatively often in the pedigree. She is the grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother of our female. Our female has got many traits from that cat. This cat seemed to be quite successful, otherwise it would not appear so often in the pedigree.
It would be interesting to get a sun of Puff N'Purr's Sunkist. That would be inbreeding between uncle and niece, which can be often seen in pedigrees.

Freis-Cream B.J. of Puff N'Purr
Also this cat appears on the father's and mother's side. It might be very successful to make a mating with Freis-Cream B.J. of Puff N'Purr, which can be found in the ancestors of the sire and the dam. This method could be combined with the method of a common ancestor.

Creamydelite Quest of Puff N'Purr
It would be interesting to make a mating with Creamydelite Quest of Puff N'Purr, because this male appears on the father's and mother's side in different generations.
A mating with this male is inbreeding between grandfather and granddaughter, which would fix the traits of our female more, the kittens would look very similar to our female.

What is the purpose of inbreeding?

If relatives are mated with each other, already existing traits are fixed and strengthened.

Inbreeding is an efficient method to fix and strengthen existing traits in a short time.

A word to the statement that inbreeding is unhealthy.
This statement is a bit too simple. Of course, only the best cats are used for inbreeding.
The "best" cats means the strongest and healthiest cats - besides the most beautiful cats. Kittens resulting from such an inbreeding might be healthier than the parents, because already existing traits - concerning the health - are strengthened and fixed.

It is the responsibility of a serious breeder only to choose those cats, which are most suitable for inbreeding.

But, please hold in mind that also defects and faults are strengthened and fixed.
Too much inbreeding might lead to serious defects, such as problems in reproduction due to increasing infertility, reduction of sperm cells, loss of libido (willingness to have sex).

What is the inbreeding coefficient?

This coefficient is calculated in percentage and indicates the degree of inbreeding. The formula is quite complicated.

Inbreeding coefficient is

Good pedigree programs calculate also the inbreeding coefficient.

If the inbreeding coefficient is more than 15%, one shall not continue with further inbreeding.

Once father-daughter or mother-son, but then not any other inbreeding!

How is inbreeding regulated in the various organizations?

Generally, it is not regulated in any way.

The majority of organizations has only registration rules, but no breeding rules. Mostly only crossbreeding between breeds or certain colours are regulated.

An exception is FIFe, which also has breeding rules.
But inbreeding is also not regulated there.