How This Founder Is Leading The Way In Feline DNA Testing To Improve Lives Of Cats Around The World
There’s one thing pet lovers all have in common: they want the absolute best for their four-legged friends. In March, the American Pet Products Association announced the industry reached over $100 billion in annual sales, the highest level in industry history. Thirty-four billion was spent on vet care and product sales, a 7.2% increase. According to Spots, 67% of American homes include a pet, with 53% owning dogs and only 35% owning cats. With more households owning dogs, there are more products on the market to test a canine’s DNA than feline DNA kits. On Chewy’s website alone, it’s a 10-to-3 ratio. However, as technology advances and interest increases, companies such as Basepaws make DNA kits for cats more accessible and accurate.
Anna Skaya, CEO and founder of Basepaws, is pioneering feline genetics while helping cat lovers better care for their pets by providing breed, DNA and dental health reports. With an ever-growing genomic database, she and her team are on a mission to improve the lives of cats around the world by understanding, genetically, what makes each cat unique.
Regarding the number of sequenced genomes from canine versus feline, the goals and available research funding for the two fields look completely different. For example, the 99 Lives project has approximately 200 domestic cat genomes sequenced, compared to the Dog10K project, which aims to sequence the genomes of 10,000 dogs and wild canids and all known dog breeds. At Basepaws, it is correcting this imbalance between the two fields. It is building the world’s largest feline genomics database, currently containing tens of thousands of feline genomes sequenced at either high or low depth.
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“The idea of genetics really spoke to me,” Skaya stated. “It was based out of a need that I had from my own cat, an interest that I found absolutely fascinating. ... I got a chance meeting with the CEO of 23andMe. She had just invested in a similar company to Basepaws but for dogs. She was very passionate about consumer genomics for humans and animals. And her passion rubbed off. I watched her speak to our group and it just clicked. I had a cat. I really was passionate about the idea of doing something in science. I’m not a scientist, and I had to find a cofounder. I heard her say someone should do this for cats and call it 23andMeow. We all laughed. I went home that night and bought the URL. That was the beginning.”
Skaya’s startup career began at Bazaarvoice. She started at the bottom and worked her way up. Eventually, the leadership extended her an opportunity to build out Bazaarvoice U.K. Once the office was up and running, she decided to go back to school to earn an M.B.A.
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