BARNAUL AND AKTAU DBE

Test matings of another blue-eyed cat found in the Altai region proved to be a different gene and have been investigated by Rano Makarenko. Why are different blue-eyed genes suddenly appearing in Russia and Ukraine? Most likely they have always been in the random cat population, but no-one took any notice. With Eastern European countries developing their own home-grown cat fancies and developing local cats into recognised breeds, these blue-eyed cats are now getting the attention they deserve.

BARNAUL MUTATION - MALVINA GENE (SLAVICAT)

Test matings of another blue-eyed cat found in the Altai region proved to be different to the Altai DBE gene and have been investigated by Rano Makarenko. In 2015, Elena Nekrasova (Slavicat cattery) acquired a blue-eyed semi-long-haired tortoiseshell cat Malvina, who was found on the street in Barnaul (Altai Territory). Malvina was already pregnant and gave birth to kittens, two of which were blue-eyed. After undergoing examination and certification, Malvina became the ancestor of a line of Siberian cats with a dominant gene for blue eyes. Blue-eyed cats from this line have never been bred with each other, so nothing is known about Barnaul DBE homozygotes.

Initially this gene was confined to the Siberian breed, but in 2017, Malvina's granddaughter, an odd-eyed cat called Velvet Slavicat, was purchased by Meowrigi cattery (Rano Makarenko, Tashkent, Uzbekistan) and became part of experimental breeding programmes, including Munchkins. Velvet's blue-eyed and odd-eyed descendants went to other catteries.

The Meowrigi DBE gene has spread to other catteries. Meowrigi Domino (2018), Munchkin n 03 63, a daughter of Velvet, went to Germany (Kati Griesbach). Meowrigi Gallifray (2018), Munchkin n 03 61, went to the Rehaloon cattery, in France, breeding Minuets (Napoleons). Meowrigi Harry Potter (2019), Munchkin a 03 61, went to Steph Mzzn cattery, in France, also breeding Minuets (Napoleons). Meowrigi Carapka (2018), Munchkin ns 03 61, son of Velvet, went to Oksana Tkach Cattery (Ukraine), where he continued to breed with Munchkins and founded a line of Scottish Folds.

Meowrigi Cincinella In 2019, blue-eyed daughter of Velvet, was bred to a Scottish Fold cat from Aldmeris cattery (Elena Utkina, Tashkent, Uzbekistan). There were three DBE kittens in the litter, Idris, Ice Peak and Irisa. Meowrigi Idris, Scottish Shorthair, (non-Fold), ns 03 22 61, went to Aldmeris cattery (breeder Elena Utkina, Tashkent) for breeding. Meowrigi Ice, Peak Scottish Fold, a 09 63 - went to Felicious cattery (BSH/BLH) (Victoria Blagodarina, Kazakhstan) and then went to the USA. Meowrigi Irisa, Scottish Shorthair, (non-Fold), ns 03 61, went to Schastie Doma cattery (British chinchilla , Tamara Filatova) in France, as a foundation cat.

Velvet herself later became a breeding cat at Tabassum cattery (Ekaterina Shestaeva, Tashkent, Uzbekistan) which bred Canadian Sphynxes, Munchkins, Elfs and Dwelfs.

AKTAU (CASPIAN (CASPIY)) GENE (Meowrigi, Tabassum)

Rano Makarenko also found several blue-eyed cats from Aktau, a city on the Caspian sea and there are photos of others from cat rescues in the same region.

There was a second DBE foundation cat at Meowrigi Cattery, an odd-eyed male called Caspian Black Hole, discovered by Rano Makarenko in Aktau (Kazakhstan). Caspian was mated twice to Malvina (the Barnaul DBE cat). Caspian was also mated twice to Cincinella, a DBE cat with the Barnaul gene. From these matings there were two blue-eyed kittens: odd-eyed Juja and blue-eyed black bicolor (with white face) Meowrigi Ping Pong. Ping Pong, who inherited either the Malvina (Barnaul) gene or the Caspian (Aktau) gene, was mated with the blue-eyed cat Meowrigi Hypnosis (daughter of Cincinella and Dorian Grey, a Barnaul gene Munchkin).

Meowrigi Ping Pong and Meowrigi Hypnosis produced Meowrigi Reshka. One of the kittens from the pairing of Meowrigi Ping Pong and Meowrigi Hypnosis was deaf, and it was suspected he was homozygous for the Barnaul DBE gene. This kitten was Meowrigi Rastishka and he joined his grandmother Velvet (Barnaul gene) at Tabassum Cattery. In Europe and the USA, a deaf cat would not be used for breeding, but Rastishka sired many ordinary kittens, though it isn't known whether he has the Barnaul (Malvina) or Aktau (Caspian) gene. Caspian was castrated after two matings.