No more sneezes for cat lovers
A California "lifestyle pet company" called Allerca has developed cats that don't produce the protein that most commonly causes allergic reactions. At a price, of course.
A hypoallergenic cat costs $3,950 -- plus $995 shipping and handling -- and the prospective owner has to prove they are allergic to Fel d 1, the protein that causes most cat allergies. But for a cat lover who is determined to have a feline pet, forty-one hundred bucks may be cheaper than all the drugs, shots, and household modifications (like hardwood floors and HEPA filters) they'd otherwise need.
But you can't just send Allerca the money, wait 12-18 months, and get a cat. Prospective purchasers have to be approved for motivation and warmth and for the suitability of their home, as well as proving that they're allergic to the common cat protein.
I'm pleased that they're approaching this with concern for the animals they're producing. "You’re not just buying a cat; it’s a medical device that replaces shots and pills," the company's CEO says. "At the same time, this is a living animal, so the well-being of our product comes before our customers. This is not some high-priced handbag that you put back on the shelf if it doesn’t match."
Surprisingly, the cats aren't biotechnological wonders. The company started out by working on a method to delete or disable the gene that activates the production of Fel d 1, but in the process they discovered a rare mutation which produces a modified protein that's much less likely to induce an allergic reaction. So the hypoallergenic kitties are actually created the old-fashioned way, by selective breeding. And unlike the hairless Sphynx cats (which are not hypoallergenic), Allerca's animals are normal-looking cute furry kitties.
So far there there's no definitive proof that the cats will not cause allergic reactions. In a study at UCLA, 10 allergic volunteers who were exposed to a variety of cats showed no reaction to the Allerca cats though all had symptoms with normal animals; but the trial, while promising, was too small to yield a significant result.
I think this is a promising advance for people who love cats (like the one snuggling in my lap right now) but whose bodies don't want them around. I'm one of the fortunate few who has no allergies at all (not even to poison ivy), at least thus far -- although they can turn up any time, even in old age (I have a friend who developed a serious shellfish allergy in her 70s), so I'm not complacent. But I'm happy that people who love cats but can't live in a house with one may now have a way to have a kitty of their own to snuggle in their lap, too.
A hypoallergenic cat costs $3,950 -- plus $995 shipping and handling -- and the prospective owner has to prove they are allergic to Fel d 1, the protein that causes most cat allergies. But for a cat lover who is determined to have a feline pet, forty-one hundred bucks may be cheaper than all the drugs, shots, and household modifications (like hardwood floors and HEPA filters) they'd otherwise need.
But you can't just send Allerca the money, wait 12-18 months, and get a cat. Prospective purchasers have to be approved for motivation and warmth and for the suitability of their home, as well as proving that they're allergic to the common cat protein.
I'm pleased that they're approaching this with concern for the animals they're producing. "You’re not just buying a cat; it’s a medical device that replaces shots and pills," the company's CEO says. "At the same time, this is a living animal, so the well-being of our product comes before our customers. This is not some high-priced handbag that you put back on the shelf if it doesn’t match."
Surprisingly, the cats aren't biotechnological wonders. The company started out by working on a method to delete or disable the gene that activates the production of Fel d 1, but in the process they discovered a rare mutation which produces a modified protein that's much less likely to induce an allergic reaction. So the hypoallergenic kitties are actually created the old-fashioned way, by selective breeding. And unlike the hairless Sphynx cats (which are not hypoallergenic), Allerca's animals are normal-looking cute furry kitties.
So far there there's no definitive proof that the cats will not cause allergic reactions. In a study at UCLA, 10 allergic volunteers who were exposed to a variety of cats showed no reaction to the Allerca cats though all had symptoms with normal animals; but the trial, while promising, was too small to yield a significant result.
I think this is a promising advance for people who love cats (like the one snuggling in my lap right now) but whose bodies don't want them around. I'm one of the fortunate few who has no allergies at all (not even to poison ivy), at least thus far -- although they can turn up any time, even in old age (I have a friend who developed a serious shellfish allergy in her 70s), so I'm not complacent. But I'm happy that people who love cats but can't live in a house with one may now have a way to have a kitty of their own to snuggle in their lap, too.