This document summarizes a student group's mini project comparing the genetic populations of cats in two areas in Malaysia. The group found 57 cats in Taman Indah and 35 cats in Kampung Ketoyong over two days. They categorized coat colors and found the highest populations were orange in Taman Indah and tabby in Kampung Ketoyong. The group determined that the higher population in Taman Indah was likely due to more available food from shops and waste, while Kampung Ketoyong had fewer cats due to dogs and cultural practices. The project helped identify which location had more cats and factors influencing populations, and showed coat color is controlled by more than just sex linkage.

1. JOURNAL OF GENETICS MINI PROJECT
TITLE :
COMPARISON IN GENETIC POPULATION OF CATS
AT KAMPUNG KETOYONG AND TAMAN INDAH
LECTURER’S NAME : DR FATIMAH BT. MOHAMED
GROUP MEMBERS:
NAME MATRIC NO.
UMI ABIBAH BT. SULAIMAN D20091034811
SARAH SABILLAH BT. IBRAHIM D20091034820
NOOR ZANARRIYAH BT. MOHAMAD
GANI
D20091034827
SITI SHAHIDA BT. MOHD AZIRI D20091034836
ZAINAB FASIHAH BT. MUHAMAD
SUKARDI
D20091034842

2. COMPARISON IN GENETIC POPULATION OF CATS AT KAMPUNG KETOYONG
AND TAMAN INDAH
UMI ABIBAH BINTI SULAIMAN
SARAH SABILLAH BINTI IBRAHIM
NOOR ZANARRIYAH BINTI MOHAMAD GANI
SITI SHAHIDA BT. MOHD AZIRI
ZAINAB FASIHAH BT. MUHAMAD SUKARDI
GENETIC
FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS
PERAK DARUL RIDZUAN
Abstract
The purpose of this mini project is to compare the genetic population of cats at Kampung
Ketoyong and Taman Indah. The grand total for population of cat that we got from these two
places is 92. There are about 57 cats from Taman Indah and the rest 35 we got the samples
from Kampung Ketoyong. The research was done for two consecutive days which on the first
day we went to Kampung Ketoyong first, and the next day we went to Taman Indah.
The results that we got were tabulated. From the results, we manage to categorize the coat
colours into several traits of coat colours which are, white with spotting, brown, orange,
black, tabby, tortoiseshell, and grey. Based on the research, the highest population of coat
colour in Taman Indah comes from orange coat colour that is 23. From the value, 12 out of
23 come from female cats and the other 11 come from male cats. Whereas, the highest
population of coat colour in Kampung Ketoyong comes from tabby pattern that is 12, which
from them 7 are female cats while the rest 5 are male cats.
Based on the analysis of data, a deeper investigation has been carried out by us. We have
relate the environmental factor with the results that we got to explain why the population cat
is higher in Taman Indah compared to Kampung Ketoyong.

3. Introduction
Cats can be grouped into three categories according to where and how they live. The
categories are domestic cats, stray cats and feral cats. Domestic cats that are owned by an
individual or a household. Their owners supply most of their needs. Stary cats are cats found
in and around cities, towns and rural properties. They may depend on some resources
provided by humans, but are not owned. cats that live and reproduce in the wild and survive
by hunting or scavenging. Non of their needs are satisfied intentionally by people.
Cats are chosen as subject in our research because in our Genetics course we had learned
about the dosage compensation which involve the inactivation of X-chromosomes in
production of calico/tortoiseshell cat. We want to prove that the coat colour for cat is not only
control by the sex linked but it is also controlled by other factors as well.
Before we had conducted our research we had refer to a case study which involve the
formation of first cloned cat, a shorthaired calico named CC (short for “carbon copy” and
“copy cat”). It was cloned with cells from a cat namedRainbow. Delivered by cesarean
section on December 22, 2001, in a university laboratory, CC was the first household pet to be
cloned. The kitten was anything but an exact copy of Rainbow. Although tests indicated that
CC was a genetic duplicate of the cat that donated the original ovary cell, CC’s markings were
quite different from those of Rainbow. Calico markings such as those possessed by CC are the
result of random molecular changes that occur during fetal development.
From the case study, it shows that dosage compensation do take place in the determination of
the cat coat colour . Therefore, we want to find out more what are other factors which may
influence the determination of the cat coat colour.
Objectives
1. To identify which place has the highest population of cats and factors influenced it.
2. To identify whether the coat colour of cat is controlled by sex linked or not.
3. To study the derivation of gene which give the coat colour to cat.

4. Material and Apparatus
The materials that we had used in this research were cats and camera. The camera that we used was a
Sony Ericson’s phone camera. The apparatus that we used were marker pen and a note book. The
marker pen was used to mark the cats that we had found so that we do not count it twice.
Method
This research was carried out for about two consecutive days. On the first day, it was carried out at
Kampung Ketoyong and the second day at Taman Indah. Both are located next to each other. The
technique that we used to count the population of cats at the both places was capture, mark and
release. On the first day, we managed to find only 35 cats because after five hours searching for the cat
at Kg Ketoyong we found nothing. On the second day, we managed to find 57 cats in 3 hours at
Taman Indah. This quite many due to Taman Indah is a residential area compared to Kg Ketoyong
which is more or less like a village area.

5. Results and Discussions
WHY POPULATION OF CATS IS HIGHER IN TAMAN INDAH COMPARED TO
KAMPUNG KETOYONG?
Our mini project of Genetics subject on the population of cats was carried out at two different
places that are Taman Indah and Kampung Ketoyong. After making research on the both of
the places, we found out that the population of cats in Taman Indah is higher than the
population of cats in Kampung Ketoyong.
The environment of Taman Indah is totally different with the Kampung Ketoyong. This is
because Taman Indah is a residential area, while Kampung Ketoyong is a village area. There
are a lot of reasons why population of cats in Taman Indah is higher than Kampung
Ketoyong. First of all , from our observation, Taman Indah have food stalls and restaurants
that may probably attract the cats to stay there comfortably as it will be easier for them to get
food and the stalls there would be their primary source to get the food. Besides that, there is a
huge domestic waste site at Taman Indah. Domestic waste provides variety type of food waste
and other related substances that promoting lots of benefits to the cats around them. Cats are
usually getting some food and stay in groups there, making its population high in Taman
Indah.
Other than that, many residents in Kampung Ketoyong keep dogs as their pets in the house.
As we already know, cats and dogs always compete to each other to get their needs. This
eventually will cause the cat to get injured by the dogs and may cause fatal. This will make
their population in Kampung Ketoyong is lower than Taman Indah. Besides that, most of the
residents in Kampung Ketoyong are from Myanmar citizens. We were informed by one of the
residents there; he said that Myanmar citizens have a habit of keeping their own cats since
cats are special dishes for them either as lunch or dinner.
Moreover, cats in Kampung Ketoyong are kept by the residents there (domestic cats). So, the
reproduction of their cats can be controlled and they mating with its partner only and not to
other feral cats. While, reproduction of cats in Taman Indah cannot be controlled as there are
lot of free-roaming feral cats that mating to each other and producing high population of cats.
In addition, shady places are the best places for cats to survive as it is the appropriate place to
them. That is why population of cats in Taman Indah is high as its residential area is
organised place and lot of alleys there that serving comfortable residence compared to
Kampung Ketoyong.

6. Problems faced during the experiment
1. The cats that we found were very hard to be identified and categorized because they
have many types of colours.
2. We found it was very hard to identify the sex of the cats since the cats were quite wild
and their pictures cannot be taken clearly.
3. There were many dogs in Kampung Ketoyong which made us hard to search for the
cats. So, this has limited our findings.
Suggestions
1. The researchers who want to do another project on population of cats should have
prior knowledges in order to avoid errors during experiment.
2. Give the foods to cats to attract them to come nearer to us, so that we can take their
photo easily.
3. Before choosing the research site, the researcher should do some study regarding to
the site of research. This is to ensure that the research site is suitable and safe to run
the experiment.
Conclusion
In this experiment, we are able to identify which place has the highest population of cats and
factors which had influenced it. The place which has the highest population of cats is at
Taman Indah. Not to forget, we are also able to determine whether the coat colour of cat is
controlled by sex linked or not. It is not only controlled by sex linked, but actually dosage
compensation and gene interaction also influence the determination of coat colour of cat.
There are several genes that act to give the coat colour to cat depending on the colour brought
by individual allele.
References
Internet
http://scidiv.bellevuecollege.edu/rkr/Biology211/labs/pdfs/CatGenetics211.pdf
http://www.wikidoc.org/index.php/Cat_coat_genetics
http://www.ableweb.org/volumes/vol-19/mini.6.mills.pdf

7. Book
Genetics ; Principles and Analysis 4th
edition, Daniel L. Hartl and Elizabeth W. Jones