Research overview: the black-footed cat and small-felid genetics

The black-footed cat, one of the smallest wild cats, is a southern African member of the Felis lineage notable for its fierce hunting and, in captivity, for inherited kidney disease. This overview surveys its phylogenetic position, the genetic management of a small captive population in which amyloidosis poses a serious problem, and the conservation genetics of a species with a restricted range. It discusses how studying inherited disease in captive black-footed cats intersects with breeding management, the value of genetic monitoring for a species vulnerable to inbreeding in captivity, and how small, understudied cats round out the comparative genetics of the cat family.