Posted on 12/01/2005 4:31:09 PM PST by Mount Athos
Many asthmatics have learned the hard way to stay away from cats.
Now a study is showing that asthma attacks triggered by cats can last hours after symptoms have subsided.
After attacks, lungs remain inflamed for at least 22 hours, researchers reported Tuesday at the Radiological Society of North America meeting at McCormick Place.
If not treated, inflammation of small airways can leave a patient more vulnerable to subsequent attacks.
"If by chance asthmatics are exposed to cats, they may be susceptible longer than they realize," said lead researcher Jared Allen of the University of California, Los Angeles.
2% of population allergic
About 2 percent of the general population have cat allergies, which are twice as common as dog allergies. Cat allergy symptoms include red, itchy, watery eyes and congested, runny noses.
In 20 percent to 30 percent of asthmatics, exposure to cats can trigger attacks of wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.
Some patients have reported wheezing days after a cat exposure. But conventional lung function tests typically show normal readings. Lung function tests measure, for example, how much air a patient can exhale in one second after a deep breath.
Allen and colleagues used a more sensitive test: a high resolution CT scanner that takes 3-D X-ray images of the lungs. Researchers scanned 10 asthmatics who are allergic to cats.
The patients received lung function tests and CT scans six hours and 22 hours after being exposed to cat allergens. At 22 hours, CT scans showed continued constriction and inflammation of the small airways, even though lung function tests were normal.
The study illustrates the need for new pills and inhalers that can reach small airways deep in the lungs, Allen said.
In a follow-up study Allen is conducting, 40 asthmatic patients will be checked for periods longer than 22 hours after cat exposures.
Researchers are using cat allergens because the particles are small enough to reach small airways.
"It's one of the most potent particles in prompting an inflammatory response," Allen said.
Because of steadily increasing demand for fur clothing, a good cat skin will fetch three dollars on the European fur market. A good Mexican cat skinner can skin ten cats in an hour but makes only a dollar an hour. The opportunity is obvious.
The Ranch
Prime ranch property has already been obtained in the beautiful city of San Bromista located in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. The ranch property is ideally suited in terms of terrain, location, and climate for the cat ranching industry. But what about supply of cats?
Raw Materials
Stray cats are extremely common in Mexico. Within a short period of time, a large number of cats can easily be rounded up and placed on a ranch. Once established, the cat population will expand through the naturally high cat reproduction rate. In this manner, the supply of cats is essentially free. But what about the cost of feeding the cats?
Food Supply
Rats are even more common in Mexico than cats. Rounding up rats is even easier than cats. With the right initial rat bait, the ranch would literally be covered with more than enough rats to feed the cats. As natural enemies, the cats will quite easily feed on the rats. But what will the rats eat? After each harvesting of cat skins, the remaining cat carcasses will have no commercial value, so it makes sense to feed the cat carcasses to the rats. The rats will thrive with the cat carcass food supply. And because rats reproduce even more rapidly than cats, the food supply for the cats will be virtually unlimited.
The Value Proposition
Because the cats and rats provide the food supply for each other, the entire operation is self-perpetuating. The only expense is for the cat skinners, and at a dollar an hour that cost in nominal. Since the harvested skins have a negligible cost, the operation is nearly all profit. In a nutshell, the cats eat the rats, the rats eat the cats, and we get the skins.
Humane Treatment
The San Bromista Cat Ranch exceeds all international standards for the ethical treatment of animals. Not only are the cats given free range of the entire ranch and the ranch buildings, many special ergonomic sofas have been placed for their lounging convenience. At any given moment, each cat has the choice of basking in the warm San Bromista sunshine or reclining indoors. The San Bromista Ranch terrain also contains some of the finest sandy soil in North America, especially suitable for a cat's necessary bodily functions. As already noted, the food supply is more than ample. Several wind operated pumping stations are continuously operating to supplement the natural water supply. Because of the projected exponential growth of both the cat and rat populations, it is anticipated that all cat harvesting will occur entirely from cats dying of natural causes. Recent mathematical models predict that each cat at San Bromista will live an average of 8.2 of its nine lives, a significantly higher number than than the 7.8 lives for suburban cats in the United States.
Ecologically Sound
The San Bromista Cat ranch operates in complete ecological harmony with the environment. Each step in the operation has been carefully aligned with environmental concerns. From the utilizing the natural predatory instincts of the cats, to the natural diet, to the natural sanitation facilities, to the wind operated pumping stations, the San Bromista Cat Ranch is the epitome of an environmentally friendly business.
Visit Us
Today the San Bromista Cat Ranch runs a completely successful prototype operation. Visitors and potential investors are always welcome. In order to reach the ranch, first secure passage to Acapulco, Mexico. Obtain a four wheel drive vehicle. Travel northeast on federal highway 95. Two miles past Tierra Colorada turn left at the corner with the drug store displaying Cuban cigars in the window. All roads past this point are unimproved. Travel six miles and turn right onto the dirt road with the broken sign post. This is downtown San Bromista. Continue on this road for eighteen miles, being careful not to bottom out your vehicle when crossing the dry creek beds. At the fork, take the road less traveled on the left. Continue for seven miles past several abandoned mines and turn right at the rusted ore crushing machine. The cat ranch will be conveniently located twelve miles up this winding road. It may be advisable to inquire locally for directions. Ask for "Rancho Pieles de Gatos." The complete address is Rancho Pieles de Gatos, Playa Las Estafa, Av. de las Fingir, San Bromista, Guerrero 41138, Mexico. Have a pleasant journey.
thank you harpu. :)
CONFIDENTIAL
Dear 'harpu':
I know you are always interested in looking for opportunities for investment.
I don't know if you would be interested in this, but I thought I would mention it to you because it could be a real "sleeper" in making a lot of money with very little investment.
A group of us is considering investing in a large cat ranch near Hermosillo, Mexico. It is our intention to start rather small with about one million cats. Each cat averages about twelve kittens each year; skins can be sold for about twenty cents for the white ones and up to forty cents for the black. This will give us twelve million cat skins per year to sell at an average price of around thirty-two cents, making revenue about $3 million a year. This averages out to about $10 thousand a day excluding Sundays and holidays.
A good Mexican cat man can skin about fifty cats per day at a wage of $3.15 a day. It will take only 633 men to operate the ranch, so the net profit would be over $8,200 per day.
Now, the cats would be fed on rats exclusively. Rats multiply four times faster than cats. We would start a rat ranch adjacent to our cat ranch. If we started with a million rats, we will have four rats per cat per day. The rats will be fed on the carcasses of the cats we skin. This will give each rat a quarter of cat per day. You can see by this that the business is a clean operation, self-supporting, and really automatic throughout. The cats will eat the rats, and the rats will eat the cats, and we will get the skins.
Eventually, it is my hope to cross the cats with snakes because snakes skin themselves twice a year. This will save the labor costs of skinning the cats as well as giving us two skins per cat.
Let me know if you are interested. As you can imagine, I'm rather particular whom I want in this deal. And I want the fewest investors possible.
May I hear from you at your earliest convenience.
Very truly yours,
'your bud'
I have to take an allergy pill before going over to my friend's house. She has 3 cats and I start sneezing 15 minutes after I get there.
Hmmm...kind of reminds me of the patient telling his doctor it only hurts when I poke this stick in my eye. To which the doctor said; 'stop visiting your friend with the cats.'
LOL. I only go over there about once a year. We usually meet for lunch at a restaurant or go shopping.
That's just wrong.
Why I love your new fur coat, is that Tabby, Persian or Siamese?
I'm glad you didn't invest.
I can relate. I have hayfever and other allergies. In addition, I am allergic to cats, my eyes get red, my throat gets raspy and I cough and sneeze. And I have allergy induce asthma (slightly different from those folks who need a daily rescue inhaler). Although I didn't have cats growing up, I had long ago noticed this effect on me. And I also noticed that my reactions to cats (a friend had 3) lasted at least 24 hours. I love cats, I always wanted to get one, but I just can't be around them for more than a few moments.
My wife has horrible airborne allergies. We obviously don't have any pets, and I have really enjoyed the lack of hair, smell, poop, etc (I grew up with all kinds of animals). My wife can't enjoy time with any of her friends and family who own animals, because they somehow think placing them in "the other room" will somehow make a difference. Never mind the 35 pounds of cat hair per room buried in the carpet, furniture, air, etc.
Dogs are one thing. But I never really realized how absolutely disgusting cats are until I lived without them.
Never mind the 35 pounds of cat hair per room buried in the carpet, furniture, air, etc.
That's what did it for me. I had a friend with a 'cat free' room and always had horrible allergy reactions there, only to find out later that the cats would sneak in, they loved the antique, hard to clean Turkish rugs. My sister took in a relatives cat for a few weeks and my nephew would 'toss' it to me, knowing I wouldn't let it drop! And then I would sneeze. He thought that was funny, eyeroll. And, at a previous job, everyone else had cats, and just the leftover hair on their coats was enough to redden my eyes and make me raspy and sneezy.
Cats breed faster than rabbits. Growing up, my grandfather had quite a herd of barn cats.
Shame folks don't want to eat them. We could curb world hunger....
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