The GLH coalition

The German Longhair Coalition (in German AG DLH) was created by GLH breeders who want to join the effort to maintain and improve the good genetic health of the German Longhair cat and who support the use of open health registries. All members of the AG DLH are members of a breed club and litters and kittens are registered according to the rules of the club.

The AG DLH encourages accuracy and openness in sharing genetic information among breeders and owners. Support of AG DLH discourages destructive and counterproductive secrecy and gossip, and facilitates the free flow of information vital to making informed breeding decisions.

Members of the AG DLH are marked by the AG DLH logo in the breeders list.

Further aims of member are:

1. To support and realize breeding programs that produce cats corresponding to the German Longhaired cats as described by Prof. Dr. Friedrich Schwangart being a counterpart to the Persian cat. A genetically divers and phenotypically and genotypically sound breed is paramount.  To reach these aims classical and modern methods of breeding strategies and technologies are to be employed as far as they meet the German laws and the rules of the respective breeding club.

2. Recognition of the GLH.

 

All members of the AG DLH have committed themselves

1. to follow the rules of their cat breedings clubs.

2. furthermore to comply with AG DLH rules.

3. to have screened  their breeding cats for genetic diseases, especially HCM and PKD.

4. to support the recording of test results of cats owned or bred by them in the GLH data base dlh.feliped.de.

5. to support and assist other breeders in their disclosure efforts.

6. to do not speak ill of any breeder or breeding program that has produced an affected GLH cat.

7. to compassionately support and assist owners of affected cats in the gathering of information on the genetic diseases that have stricken their cats.


Breeding arrangements:

a) HCM:

1. Every cat suffering from HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyelopathy) has to be retired from breeding and to be neutered.
2. A cat that shows signs of HCM by echocardiography must not be bred within the next 6 month after diagnosis. If the diagnosis is confirmed after this time by another echocardiography the cat has to be retired from breeding and to be neutered.
3. All direct offspring of a cat affected with HCM and its offspring (2 generations) are to be retired from breeding and to be neutered.
4. Every cat has to be diagnosed clear from HCM (HCM MYBPC3 marker test and/or echocardiogram) before breeding or to originate from lines to be proven completely clear from HCM by echocardiography for at least four generations (all ancestors has to be cleared).
5.  A breeding cat has to be examined by HCM echocardiography at 1.5 to 2 years, followed by another echocardiography at 3.5 to 6 years.

b) other conditions:

1. A breeding producing offspring suffering from a condition caused by a rezessive trait must not be repeated.
2. Breeding cats positive for PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) has to be retired from breeding and to be neutered. Ultrasound scans are done at the age of 10 months or older.
3. All breedings has to comply with the German Animal Protection Act (§ 11 TSchG).

 

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