From left, UC Davis graduate Jennifer Lyons plays with Simba while holding Milkdud, Dr. Niels Pedersen, and head animal caretaker Monica Durden show cats at Durden's office on the UCD on Friday. Lyons will be joining the doctor heading the 99 Lives Cat Whole Genome Sequencing Initiative. Liz Hafalia/San Francisco Chronicle photo

Niels Pedersen shows his study of cats that identifies their genetic association to disease resistance on a computer at his UC Davis lab. Liz Hafalia/San Francisco Chronicle photo