Hypoallergenic Cats?

Lots of people around the world would love to have a cat or two as pets but can't because they are allergic to cats. Many people love their cats so much that they keep the cats and live with their allergies as best they can. Cat lovers and breeders around the world have put many years of effort into finding a cat breed or type that is hypoallergenic. Although they have had some success in the past, until recently there really has not been a cat type or breed that is totally hypoallergenic.

The cause of the problem is primarily a protein in the cat's saliva and skin called Felis Domesticus but most people call it Fel D 1 to keep it short. A skin gland called the sebaceous gland produces it. Since all cat breeds have this gland they all can generate allergic reactions in their owners. Although the hair, dander and urine from cats can produce allergic reactions in people, Fel D 1 is the biggest cause of cat generated allergens. It is an extremely small and sticky molecule, much smaller than dust or pollen. It is almost everywhere that a cat has been and can hang around in the air for several years after the cat has left. Believe it or not, Fel D 1 has even been found in the Antarctic far away from the nearest cat.

Two cat breeds in particular have been better tolerated by allergy sufferers. The Sphynx breed is almost totally hairless and because of this they cause fewer allergic reactions from people. They don't really shed since they are mostly hairless so that eliminates one way of spreading the Fel D 1 protein. This is truly an enchanting and elegant breed but the Fel D 1 protein is still generated and can cause allergy problems for the owner. Cornish Rex is a similar breed with very short dense hair. It does shed but much less than most other breeds. Because of this it has gained a reputation as a good possible cat for allergy sufferers. But again, it is not completely hypoallergenic.

Recently, a company called Allerca feels that they have completely solved the problem with Fel D 1. They used a patented process to test cat's genes to identify which genes produce Fel D 1 protein. Once they identified the Fel D 1 gene they found cats that had genetic divergences with that gene. They call genetic divergences GD for short. They did not do any genetic engineering or cloning or anything like that they simply found cats that already had the genetic divergences naturally and breed them with each other to produce cats with genetic divergences that changed the structure of Fel D 1. The result was 100 percent hypoallergenic cats. This is not a particular breed of cat. Cats of all breeds can have the required GD (genetic divergences) but it is very rare.

So can you buy one of these Allerca GD cats? Yes, but they cost about $ 3500 dollars U.S. and that puts you on the end of a waiting list about 2 to 3 years long. As in most businesses, money talks so for an extra $ 2000 you get to go to the head of the line and get one today. For that price they even fly the kitten to your veterinarian in a private jet. Is Allerca having any trouble selling the kittens at that price? They are receiving 500 down payments per day for kittens. That's right, 500 down payments per day so selling the cats is not even remotely a problem but keeping up with demand is obviously a problem. Allerca plans to have 500 kittens available in 2007 and hopes to increase that to 5,000 next year in 2008 and 200,000 per year by the year 2010.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Allergies

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