Posted on 09/26/2006 1:23:10 AM PDT by CommonSense1stOverParty
If you are allergic to cats, would like to have one and have $3,950 spare, this may be your lucky day. Allerca Inc., California, USA, says it has managed to breed the world's first hypoallergenic cats. People who are allergic to cats and buy one of these will not experience sneezing, red and itchy eyes or asthma - except in very acute cases.
The company says that as soon as the news got out people rushed to place orders and now there is a waiting list.
The company tested thousands of cats, looking for those tiny few that do not have glycoprotein Fel d1. Glycoprotein Fel d1 is what triggers allergic reactions in humans - it can be found in the fur, pelt, saliva, serum, urine, mucous, salivary glands, and hair roots of the cat. On finding a decent number of cats that did not carry glycoprotein Fel d1, the scientists selectively bred them.
The kittens of these selectively chosen cats do not produce human allergic reactions - they are hypoallergenic cats.
The company stressed that their cats are not the result of genetic engineering. About one in 50,000 cats do not carry Glycoprotein Fel d1 - it was a question of finding them and breeding them, there was no genetic modification.
It is estimated that about one third of all humans are allergic to cats. The market for hypoallergenic pets could be huge.
The company says its cats are friendly, playful and affectionate. They have cats in several coat colours and patterns. The coat is "medium-long, with low maintenance and minimal shedding."
Photo from Allerca of 3-wk-old allergy-free kittens.
*People who dislike cats were rats in their previous lifetime.
*Real Men Like Cats.
I detest cats.
All I need to do is convince mine it isn't cool to pounce on me from the top of the fridge, he thinks he is a panther jumping on an elk.
Allergy-free Cats
I would never pay for p....
One way or another, you'll pay.
I mean vet bills, of course. *innocent_look*
Philanthropy doesn't fit in much anywhere any more, does it?
They're running a business, and they've got a right to make an honest buck. It's still a better deal than the $50,000 cloned kittens
Used to have a cat that at the ripe old age of 3 years decided she liked to lay on the top of open doors. The vet was surprised and said she should have outgrown that by then.
And you can buy a purebred Siberian kitten from a breeder for somewhere in the range of $700 to $800, give or take a little, which is still a lot less than you'd pay for one of the kittens mentioned in this article. More $$ if you have them ship the kitten to you. Some breeders may have adults for sale for less (retired breeding cats).
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing...why pay over three thousand if you can get a Siberian cat for $700-$1,000? I'm allergic and want a Siberian. They're beautiful cats, too.
They're tall rats.
I'm only slightly allergic, so I don't mind being covered in cat hair, and I prefer long-haired cats. ;)
This cat has florid breakouts.
I hate the way they sneak around. One day they may let you pet it, the next day they'll scratch you. I don't like sneaky people, and I certainly don't like sneaky pets.
martin_fierro,
I'm NOT going to ask what that hand is doing under that cat in your photo. ; )
I don't know what I was thinking when I composed my comments in post 1. I actually left it unfinished.
It should have read as the following:
*People who dislike cats were rats in a previous lifetime, their CURRENT lifetime & forever shall be in ALL future lifetimes. :)-
And the way I've always viewed the statements made by cat haters that they hate them b/c they "sneak around & pounce" are just admitting that the cats are smarter than they. ;)-
But seriously, I realize that I don't know those of you in this thread that are cat haters BUT from every personal experience I've ever had interacting with/knowing folks who hated cats I found EVERY time it was actually the cat haters that were the ones that couldn't be trusted. I know there is usually an exception to every rule...it's just that I haven't run into any such exception in this matter.
I also don't trust those that hate dogs {incl a certain ethnicity that I won't discuss in this "fun" thread}. The only exception I have w/ folks that don't like dogs are the ones who had a personal bad experience w/ one...usually meaning actually getting bitten/attacked by one...& in those cases it's more like fear than hatred.
It is actually the saliva that contains the chemical the article refers to that is the cause of cat allergies. The cats bathe themselves leaving the chem behind then the chem dries & gets on surfaces & into the air. And this is usually the cause & not literally the hair itself.
BTW, Whenever I see Sphinx cats I always want to give them warm clothes even though I dislike the general idea of "dressing up" pets....b/c some people really end-up making their pets look undignified. : )- *Noteworthy exception: "Frank" the Pug from MIB2 actually looked very dignified in the MIB suit...too bad it wasn't on him for very long. : )
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