NONDOMESTIC FELID BLOOD PHENOTYPING, GENOTYPING, AND CROSSMATCHING.

Based upon previous clinical experience with domestic cats (), the ability to assess blood types and blood (in-)compatibilities of nondomestic felids, and adequately consider and plan for blood transfusions, may be important. Although nondomestic felids appear to have an blood group system similar to domestic cats, typing with point-of-care kits and by genotyping for domestic cats have not been reported. In this study, 162 blood samples from 18 different nondomestic felid species (cheetah [, = 42], lion [, = 33], tiger [, = 23], Canada lynx [, = 11], snow leopard [, = 10], puma [, = 7], clouded leopard [, = 6], serval [, = 5], jaguar [, = 5], fishing cat [, = 4], Pallas cat [, = 3], bobcat [, = 3], ocelot [, = 3], black footed cat [, = 2], leopard [, = 2], African wildcat [, = 1], caracal [, = 1], and sand cat [, = 1]) were blood typed by laboratory and point-of-care tests, genotyped for four known variants for type and type () phenotypes, and crossmatched with one another and domestic type cats. Traditional tube typing identified blood type ( = 106), type ( = 8), type ( = 43), and no discernible type ( = 4). Several discrepancies were found between point-of-care and traditional typing test results. None of the tested felids possessed the four CMAH variants responsible for type and () in domestic cats. Crossmatch incompatibilities (≥2+ agglutination) were identified within and between nondomestic felid species and beyond incompatibilities. Of 26 crossmatches performed between domestic cats and various nondomestic felids, only 7 (27%) were compatible. In conclusion, point-of-care typing kits and genotyping, successfully used in domestic cats, may not identify the correct blood type in nondomestic felids. Prior crossmatching is recommended to increase the likelihood of compatible transfusions between any nondomestic felids.