World Cat Congress events

Welcome
Vickie Fisher,
TICA President

Introduction of the International Delegation of the World Cat Congress and Presentations by the Delegates
Eric Reijers, President of the World Cat Congress

Keynote Speaker
Dr. Niels Pedersen, Professor Emeritus, Center for Companion Animal Health, University of California at Davis

Development of kittens' immune system from birth until adult age
Craig Datz, DVM, MS, DABVP, DACVN

Colostrum, immunity and feline infectious diseases
Emmanuel Fontaine, DVM, MSc, PhD, Dipl ECAR

Lunch

Immunological challenges in cats and current guidelines for feline vaccinology
Dr. Alice Wolf

Roundtable discussion with our panel of speakers on virology, vaccinology, and ensuring the immunological health of our cats
featuring Dr. Heather Lorimer, Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Microbiology at Youngstown University and member of TICA’s Genetics Committee

Preserving the Native Breeds of Thailand
Dr. Cristy Bird

Royal Canin presentation

Explore a wide range of topics associated with the ability of cats to resist disease, including breeding practices, nutrition, vaccines, and genetics.

We are beyond excited to welcome Dr. Niels Pedersen as our keynote speaker!  Dr. Pedersen created the Center for Comparative Medicine, the Center for Companion Animal Health, and the Koret Shelter Medicine Program at the University of California at Davis. He has been the Director of their Veterinary Genetics Laboratory since 1997. Well known to cat fanciers worldwide, Dr. Pedersen is an international authority on infectious disease and feline immunological disorders. One of his current areas of research focuses on Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) and the role of feline genetics in this complex, immune-mediated disease. Recent advances in research into the molecular biology of FIP and its mechanism of infection will be discussed, including the potential for identifying cats that may be genetically susceptible to this devastating disease.

Dr Craig Datz will help us understand the development of a kitten's immune system from birth through maturity. Dr. Datz is a 1987 graduate of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. He was in private companion animal practice in Virginia and Arkansas until 2001, when he joined the faculty at the University of Missouri College Of Veterinary Medicine working in the areas of Community Practice and Clinical Nutrition. In 2012 he joined Royal Canin USA as the Nutrition and Scientific Affairs Manager. Dr. Datz is board-certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in both Canine/Feline and Feline Practice and currently serves as the Residency Chair and Symposium Chair. He is also board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition and has a master’s degree in biomedical sciences. He is a consultant for the Veterinary Information Network in parasitology and immunology/infectious disease and has published a variety of articles and book chapters.

Dr Emmanuel Fontaine DVM, MSc, Dipl ECAR graduated from the Toulouse Veterinary School in 2004. From 2005 to 2011, he worked at the Centre d’Etude en Reproduction des Carnivores (CERCA) [Research Centre for Reproduction in Carnivores], a unit of the Alfort Veterinary School (Paris) specializing in pet 
breeding assistance. He has a Master Degree in Biology of Reproduction and Development. Emmanuel Fontaine is also qualified at the European College for Animal Reproduction (ECAR).  His presentation will focus on colostrum, immunity, and feline infectious diseases.

Dr. Alice M. Wolf will then speak on the immunological challenges in cats and the current guidelines for feline vaccinology.  Dr. Wolf received her DVM degree from the University of California at Davis, interned at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, MA and returned to U. C. Davis for her residency in Small Animal Internal Medicine. Dr. Wolf spent 3 years in private practice in Albany, CA in the San Francisco Bay Area and the next 24 years as a Professor of Small Animal Medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University. Dr. Wolf has been a speaker at numerous local, regional, national, and international veterinary meetings and has twice received the “Speaker of the Year” award from the North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC). Dr. Wolf has published numerous journal articles, book chapters, and is a reviewer and editor for several veterinary publications. She is presently an Adjunct and Emeritus Professor at Texas A&M University, Chief Medical Consultant for the Veterinary Information Network, and in addition works as a private consultant and lecturer in Feline Medicine worldwide.
The cats of Southeast Asia will be highlighted in a presentation by Dr. Cristy Bird. With the goal of expanding the genetic diversity of the Burmese breed, the World Cat Congress cat registration bodies have been asked to consider re-opening the studbooks of this well established breed to new imports. The history and current status of the native cat breeds of Thailand and neighboring geographical areas will be discussed, including the Siamese, Thai, Burmese, and Khao Manee. Dr. Bird’s research in epidemiology at the University of California at Los Angeles focused on the relationship between environmental factors and disease, including the role of nutrition. She brings a unique insight into the maintenance of a healthy breeding population of cats and is a well-respected mentor worldwide to those working with these unique breeds. She will be sharing her first-hand experiences in Thailand interacting with the cats and people of this country.

The traditional highlight of the educational seminar associated with this event every year is the ability of attendees to learn about the different cat registries around the world by asking questions of their representatives, the World Cat Congress delegates. The focus of this year’s discussion will be the different registration, importation, and quarantine policies that breeders experience worldwide and their effect on the genetic diversity of our breeds. Recent changes in importation policies overseas and the facilitation of communication through the Internet have connected breeders and bloodlines in a manner never before experienced in the history of our hobby. However, breed definitions, standards, and breeding policies differ widely between, and even within, countries. The more we know about each other, the better we can understand each other in order to work together to secure the future of our breeds.

The cost to attend, including lunch, is $65.  Due to the great interest we have already had in this seminar, we expect a large turnout, so please register early as the room (while large) does limit capacity, and we have a number of VIP attendees to include in that count.  Please contact Laura Heineck (coonslady@aol.com) to register.  If we fill to capacity, we will keep a waiting list in case seats open up.

Location: MACC-1 (Convention Center )