PKD affects a high proportion of Persian cats and is caused by a single dominant mutation that is entirely testable and preventable through responsible breeding.
Polycystic kidney disease causes progressive renal failure over 7-10 years, causing chronic deterioration in welfare quality as kidney function declines. Affected cats experience the same progressive ill-health as any chronic kidney disease patient — increased thirst and urination, weight loss, nausea, and eventual end-stage renal failure. The suffering this causes is substantial and prolonged. The tragedy is that PKD is entirely preventable through genetic testing and exclusion of carriers from breeding. The persistence of PKD in Persian populations reflects a failure of breeder responsibility and registry governance to enforce DNA testing before breeding. Every PKD-affected kitten born represents a preventable welfare failure at the breeding decision stage.