What's the point of a genetics test for a coat pattern? Can't you just look at the cat?
(Same question about covid/flu tests - a lot of people act like taking a test is part of a treatment regimen, but it kinda isn't. But those are still useful since you might be an asymptomatic spreader.)
> What's the point of a genetics test for a coat pattern? Can't you just look at the cat?
When you're trying to understand a complex system, it's best to start with things you can actually see directly. Doubly so, if you're going to try and change something.
Coding analogy: there's a reason "Hello World" is about printing stuff to console, and the very first thing you do when writing to a new target, or reconfiguring some application, or testing unfamiliar commands, etc. is something where observable output directly reflects the changes to inputs you make. Otherwise, you don't know whether you're doing things right, or doing anything in the first place.
WRT. COVID/flu tests. You or your kid come to the doctor with a running nose and some cough. The test is useful to tell you whether you're dealing with one of the "heavy hitters" like the flu or COVID or RSV, or just a bog standard ${random kindergarten viral infection} that's treated by nose cleaning + anti-cough medicine + pretending you're not sick anymore, or whether this stuff is bacterial and maybe you need another swab to pick the right antibiotics.
The point is trying to understand how genetics works. Traits we can easily check for are easier to test against than say personality traits which are more subjective.
Sometimes in animals the same color can be result of several different genes working in different paths to achieve a similar result. This info is relevant for breeding purposes. Chicken color genetics is evil, for example but understanding it allowed to have self-sexing chicken. This saves millions of dollars to the farms.
Some color patterns in cats carry healthy problems. Breeding for white cats with blue eyes for example is discouraged, because they born deaf.
One of the most visible features of a cat: its hair. Imagine a startup for cloning your cat, except you can change some features. It can start with hair color. After some rounds it might add size, eye color, hair or no hair, chubbiness. You name it.
It may start in any BRICS country, and then expand! Tourist trips to cat cloning resorts. Check our CATLOG!
(Cheshires are a thing in that book, bio-engineered cats that can change fur colour like a chameleon/octopus/squid to exactly match their surroundings. They breed and devastate the world's population of small animals such that there's a bounty for every one killed. I'm trying to remember where I read a great critique of the book, especially the cheshires, but I'm not finding it)
The Cat genetics lab at UC Davis has been cracking the feline code for many years now.