Genetics startup company Basepaws to unveil the world’s first-ever cat DNA test at CES 2019

We love our pets. We take DNA test to find out about our heritage. Why don’t we take DNA test of our the animals we love and find out more about their ancestry, health, and habits? Basepaws, a California startup is about to change that. Basepaws wants to make sure our furry friends are getting the best healthcare we can give them with breakthroughs in genomic testing. The first company of its kind, Basepaws offers direct-to-consumer DNA testing for cats, focusing on delivering breed information and actionable health insights. The startup will be unveiling its innovative genetics testing platform at CES in Eureka Park.

Pet owners spend more than $40 billion a year on food and vet services. And while there are hundreds of pet food options to choose from, each cat has different nutritional needs. A simple DNA test can make it easier to identify which traits are linked to health conditions like heart disease and obesity. As this information becomes available, Basepaws’ updated reports can save pet owners the time and cost of trial and error, using veterinary research to shed light on the best foods for certain breeds.

Founded in 2016 by Anna Skaya, Audrey Chaing, and Shan Zhao, Basepaws provides low-cost pet genomic products and services. We use genomic data in a variety of fields including pet nutrition, pet medicine, and as pharmacological genetic models for human disease. Basepaws has created the first consumer DNA test for cats and are expanding our offering to other products. Their products are built on proprietary cost-saving sequencing technology which will help construct the largest biobank of pet genetic data in the world. Their vision is to use our animal DNA biobank to create better animal models for preclinical testing in disease and drug development for pets and humans.

Each test reveals the genetic breakdown of the cat, with results that tell you what breeds your cat’s DNA contains, and even if any wild cat genes are part of the mix. As more owners add to the growing database, future reports will be able to link results with potential diseases and nutrition needs, coming as soon as 2019.

“DNA research has revealed a vast amount of useful, often life-saving information for humans. We want to facilitate those same kind of breakthroughs for cats,” said Anna Skaya, Founder and CEO of Basepaws. “Our reports connect owners with insights about their cat’s breed. The technology is there to change how we approach our beloved pets’ well-being.”

Basepaws is poised to become a community where cat owners, veterinarians and breeders can help one another in caring for their feline friends. With a growing database of brand-new information, genetic testing is a game-changer in the pet industry, and will aid the eradication of preventable, fatal diseases for our furry companions everywhere.

Basepaws’s goal is to further characterize the genetic basis of specific traits and diseases which are currently unknown. At the same time, we are assaying the prevalence of known genetic mutations that exists in the feline population. Their work will further understanding on complex relationship between genetics variations in modulating the effect of traits and diseases. This understanding will lead to cutting edge information for you and our community.