Research overview: mean kinship and breeding recommendations in felids

Mean kinship is a central metric used to decide which captive cats should breed in order to preserve genetic diversity. This overview surveys how mean kinship, the average relatedness of an individual to the population, guides breeding recommendations that favor genetically underrepresented animals and avoid pairing close relatives. It reviews how studbook data feed these calculations and how managers balance genetic goals against demographic needs and animal welfare. The review connects mean kinship management to the broader aim of retaining founder representation and minimizing inbreeding. Understanding mean kinship clarifies the quantitative logic behind cooperative breeding programs, in which pairing decisions are made not by individual institutions but by population-wide genetic analysis.