Don’t take the health or DNA test results as absolute truth, however. “This can lead to a false sense of security or false alarms,” says veterinarian Amanda Chambers. Forward your results to your veterinarian and always follow up by scheduling a visit to the vet if your pet is marked as a carrier for any genetic disease.
What the Results Can—and Can’t—Tell You
After chatting with Richardson, I’ve found that these are the major areas of limitation with at-home DNA test kits:
- Results depend on the size/diversity of the genetic database
- Most kits test known markers only—not full genomes
- Feline data is less developed
- Misinterpretation of results can lead to unnecessary concern
Wisdom Panel claims its cat breed results are over 98 percent accurate and its dog tests are over 99 percent accurate. However, there’s a huge disparity between the three kits I tested on my cats, particularly in breed ancestry. One problem with the vast disparity in results is that the three companies use different sample sizes and metrics to identify breeds.
But the biggest issue for cat owners taking these at-home DNA tests is that you can’t really identify most cats’ breeds the way you can with dogs. Unless your cat is a purebred, about 95 percent of cats don’t belong to a recognized breed. Cats’ genetic backgrounds are muddied—they’re just similar mixes with different physical characteristics, so the tests only show the breed(s) they share the most markers with. Basically, these tests for cats aren’t able to reliably tell us about breed composition, just similarity to other breeds’ traits in the company’s data pool.
From my research, it seems the breed identification part of these tests is more accurate for dogs, as dog DNA is so much more diversified. Breeds have been clearly defined after centuries of diversification, and dog DNA mutates quickly, with genes changing after just a few generations. Cats are not much different from their Egyptian ancestors.
Interestingly, in a 2023 CBS report, the news organization sent dog and human DNA to different at-home test companies and received varying results, with the dog’s DNA ranging from 65 to only 29 percent German Shepherd. The human DNA results were attributed to a bulldog, border collie, and cane corso mix.
In summation, unfortunately, there isn’t a single catchall way to determine a pet’s genetic makeup or ancestry. Humans like categories, and breeds are essentially human constructs based on how a dog or cat looks. The genetic part of the test is fun, but take it with a grain of salt—especially with cats.
Photograph: Molly Higgins
A Note on At-Home Allergy Testing Kits
I recently tested both of my cats for allergies and intolerances using a similar at-home test kit, the 5Strands Pet Food & Environmental Intolerance Test, for $100. For this, you only need to send a fur sample in the mail to a lab; results were sent to my inbox within seven days. The report showed that both of my cats had strong intolerances to common ingredients in their diet, such as various types of fish and chicken meal. This sent me into a panic about my cats’ health and (dis)comfort.
After further research, I learned that hair/fur samples are not an accurate way to measure allergies and intolerances. Studies show that kits claiming to provide these results perform no better than chance and often produce inconsistent or false results.