The Level of Genetic Differentiation in Cats (Felis catus L.) in Western European, North American, and Eastern European Populations

Abstract

The genetic structure of Felis catus domestic cat populations was analyzed for the European continent, United States, and Canada, and it was established that the analyzed populations are divided into two clusters (groups), i.e., Western European–Northern Amercan and Eastern European. The gene pools of cats from Byelorussian and Russian cities are closely related, being of the same origin. The founder effect was revealed to influence the formation of the postwar St. Petersburg cat population.