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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Two domestic-cat brothers, Gary and Shaggy, are the first cats described in a peer-reviewed study with both the clinical features and molecular findings of Marfan syndrome. Their case links long limbs, displaced eye lenses and aortic enlargement to a specific variant in FBN1—but it does not show how common the condition is in cats or establish a screening test or treatment.
Can cats get Marfan syndrome?
Yes. A study published in Scientific Reports on 19 September 2026 reports the first phenotypic and molecular characterization of Marfan syndrome in domestic cats. The cases were two littermates, Gary and Shaggy, not a survey of the wider cat population. The article page identifies the paper as an early version that may receive further edits. Read the study in Scientific Reports.
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The Cornell-attributed account of the findings, published on 1 October 2026, says the work may help veterinarians recognize similar cases and could inform genetic-test development. Senior author Jacquelyn M. Evans described the findings as a foundation for improved veterinary diagnostics. These are potential future applications, not confirmation that a validated feline test or clinical screening protocol is available. Read Cornell’s account.
What signs did Gary and Shaggy have?
The cats showed features affecting three body systems:
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- Skeletal: long limbs.
- Ocular: bilateral lens luxation, meaning the lenses in both eyes were displaced.
- Cardiovascular: aortic root dilation, an enlargement at the base of the aorta.
Researchers also examined the ascending aorta from an affected cat. They observed disrupted, fractured elastic-fiber tendrils, a tissue finding consistent with impaired fibrillin-1 function.
What gene variant did researchers find?
Whole-genome sequencing identified a homozygous variant in FBN1, the gene that encodes fibrillin-1. The variant, written XM_023255387.2:c.2678-3C>A, lies three DNA bases before exon 22. The authors report that they did not find it in a comparison cohort of more than 1,000 cats; the paper’s abstract gives the cohort size as “over 1000,” not an exact count.
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DNA sequencing identifies the variant, but it does not by itself show what happens when the gene is read to make a transcript. To investigate that effect, the researchers sequenced cDNA from an affected cat using Oxford Nanopore technology. They found that exon 22 was skipped in 73% of the assessed transcripts. Exon 22 encodes part of the second hybrid domain, which the authors describe as important for protein folding and stability.
Why did the cats survive with two variant copies?
The variant altered splicing without eliminating all normal transcript. In the study’s account, the splice site was “leaky”: exon 22 was skipped in most assessed transcripts, but some were processed normally. The authors therefore describe the variant as hypomorphic—a change that reduces gene function rather than abolishing it—and the cats as functionally heterozygous despite having two copies of the DNA variant.
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Residual normal transcript offers a plausible explanation for why these cats survived with two altered copies. It is an explanation specific to this variant and these cases, not evidence that other cats with two FBN1 variants would have the same outcome.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this discovery does—and does not—establish
The report adds a spontaneous feline case to comparative understanding of FBN1-related disease and provides a molecular reference that may help identify similar cases. Its evidence is limited to two littermates and the analyses described in the paper.
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- It does not estimate how often Marfan syndrome occurs in cats or the risk to cats generally.
- It does not test a population-screening program or establish a clinical screening protocol.
- It does not evaluate treatment, so it cannot support a disease-specific treatment recommendation.
- It discusses possible future genetic testing, but does not establish that a validated or commercially available feline test exists.
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