Now, I’m kind of on the fence on this one. It seems like a neat idea, but then again it also strikes me as being incredibly stupid and a little bit of god playing.
Scientists from Allerca in San Diego, California have apparently created the very first hypo-allergenic cat. Good news for all you hyper-allergic cat people out there. Apparently the scientists determined what gene in a cats DNA was responsible for causing allergic reactions, found a specimen with very low levels of the “Fel D1” gene and began its “breeding programme.” This is the part that makes me wonder exactly what they did, as no further details are offered on this supposed breeding pattern.
The results of the “breeding programme” were kittens that were clinically tested to apparently not induce allergic reactions in people that would otherwise be sneezing like mad.
“In times of need and passion, whether it’s depression, whether it’s something traumatic, nothing substitutes the love of a pet. You can’t put a price on it,” said May. Allerca also stated that allergic cat lovers will be willing to pay a small fortune for these hypo-allergenic cats. This brings me to my second point of contention with this whole thing.
The cats will be sold spayed or neutered (to prevent Allerca from losing their monopoly on the hypo-allergenic cat market), micro-chipped and will even be delivered right to your door. Orders are being accepted online for these super cats, which will be available for delivery in early 2007, for the low low cost of $4,000 US. HA! Good to know Allerca is obviously in it to make it possible for allergic cat lovers to have cats, as opposed to, you know, making as much money as humanly possible. Right. Now you see why they’re selling them spayed and neutered, right? Right.
I think I’ll stick with my perfectly good hyper-allergenic felix the cat. He cost $50 from the West Vancouver SPCA, who are more concerned about actually helping the animals than making assloads of money on them, and I bet he’s just as cuddly and loving, if not more so, than any hypo-allergenic genetically modified cat-like creation could be.
does this mean that the fur will not be allergic to humans?
apparently you don’t have extreme cat allergies.