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allergy free cats

post #1 of 39
6/8/06 at 11:13am
Thread Starter 
What do you guys think of this?
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/07062006/32...ree-kitty.html
A biotech company has breed an allergy free cat and plans on producing as many as 10,000 by the 2009 for sale to people who've previously not been able to enjoy owning a cat.
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post #2 of 39
6/8/06 at 11:18am
There had been many companies trying to do that since 2000. Most of the companies get a lot of investors and a lot of pre-ordered cats and then took the money and ran.

People like that make authentic geneticists look bad.
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post #3 of 39
6/8/06 at 11:36am
IMO we have enough cats that need adoption. If someone REALLY wanted a cat that badly they would take their meds to own one or by a sphinx cat. They have no hair to be allergic to (although I'm not sure on the dandruff).
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post #4 of 39
6/8/06 at 12:02pm
hmmm.... interesting
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post #5 of 39
6/8/06 at 12:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lunasmom
IMO we have enough cats that need adoption. If someone REALLY wanted a cat that badly they would take their meds to own one or by a sphinx cat. They have no hair to be allergic to (although I'm not sure on the dandruff).
Supposedly it's not the hair, but the dander, and I've even read that an enzyme in cats' saliva can cause allergies. I'm not sure what to believe, because I know I have severe asthma attacks around Persians, which makes me think the hair does play a role. Meds also don't work for everybody, so I assume there's a "market" for hypoallergenic cats.
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post #6 of 39
6/8/06 at 2:22pm
I am very much allergic to cats. yet i have 14, lol. I dont take meds either.

I am fine in my own house with my kitties no problem and most other kitties i am fine with too.

my dad has a very nervous cat who danders alot tho and my eyes puff and redden right away at his house. But i live. I dont agree with genticaly made hypo allergenic cats..good grief.
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post #7 of 39
6/8/06 at 2:36pm
Thread Starter 
I shuddered at the thought of them breeding so many cats. They want to mass produce them then sell them for ridiculous prices. Hmmm, I bet the breeding facilities will be just wonderful. Can anyone say "puppy mill"?
Then there's the fact that there are just so many unwanted cats already who desperately need a home.
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post #8 of 39
6/8/06 at 2:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcat
Supposedly it's not the hair, but the dander, and I've even read that an enzyme in cats' saliva can cause allergies. I'm not sure what to believe, because I know I have severe asthma attacks around Persians, which makes me think the hair does play a role. Meds also don't work for everybody, so I assume there's a "market" for hypoallergenic cats.
True enough. I'm just thinking of somehwere I read about how "Clean" we've become and that's why so many allergy sufferers today (or really a factor in addition to pollution,etc). I think HypoAllergenic Cats would add to this and allergies will become worse.

Pushlady, you make a good point: Puppy Mills. That's what this is turning into. IMO though there's still enough cats in shelters out there that need adopting. We don't need anymore!
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post #9 of 39
6/8/06 at 3:20pm
Aren't Siberian cats already hypoallergenic..... ???
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post #10 of 39
6/8/06 at 3:53pm
It does sound alot like the whole "puppy mill" mentality to me as well
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post #11 of 39
6/8/06 at 5:57pm
A good breeder of GMO breeds the gene (or lack of it) into twelve generations before the desired trait would stabilize.

How the heck are they going to breed twelve generations before 2007? Are they making 6-month-olds pregnant?
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post #12 of 39
6/8/06 at 7:20pm
That is ridiculous, last thing we needs is more cats. They are probably going to cost an arm and a leg and how would anyone distinguish between these cats and regular cats?

And to whoever mentioned Sphynx above, fur makes not much of a difference when it comes to allergies. It is a protein in the saliva (dander) that causes the allergic reaction. The saliva is deposited onto the skin and fur when the cat grooms it self. Okay so assuming a longer haired cat grooms a little more I don't know. My Himmie doesn't groom nearly as much as my shorthaired cats. A hairless cat would have the saliva deposited directly onto it's skin. That is what people with allergies have the reaction to. I have heard certain breeds do not have this allergy enducing protein in their saliva but no one seems to know for sure.
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post #13 of 39
6/8/06 at 8:17pm
If they know which gene causes the allergy they could EASILY identify individuals without that specific gene in the cat population and breed them together. They didn't have to genetically engineer the cat for that.

Responsible breeding is a much easier, cheaper, and more humane option.
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post #14 of 39
6/8/06 at 9:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shengmei
If they know which gene causes the allergy they could EASILY identify individuals without that specific gene in the cat population and breed them together. They didn't have to genetically engineer the cat for that.

Responsible breeding is a much easier, cheaper, and more humane option.
Agreed ... Unfortunately they would have to isolate many genes and variations... ie I have no trouble with Bengals and Orientals but I cant be near a Persian ... The dander in each type is different and evan animal to animal
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post #15 of 39
6/9/06 at 9:41am
I can't believe yahoo published this... Mass-production of cats can't remotely be a good thing. There is no mention of feline organizations backing this creation. I cant' even get the words out correctly to say what I want to say!
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post #16 of 39
6/10/06 at 2:39pm
I had always heard that Russian Blues were good for people with allergies...
My allergies actually almost totally cleared up 6 months after we adopted Miss Tigger. I still have to make sure I was my hands after playing with her, but I used to break out in rashes and start sneezing when I was anywhere near a cat...
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post #17 of 39
6/10/06 at 3:00pm
I have mixed feelings about this. My brother died of an allergic reaction to cats, and we've had to have an air filtration system installed in our house because I was having asthma attacks triggered by Jamie. We had already done away with most rugs, curtains, upholstered furniture, etc., and I vacuum every day. Medication hasn't helped me at all. I volunteer at our local shelter, but my help is pretty much limited to ordering food and litter, and making vet runs, because I just can't stay inside the shelter for more than a few minutes. I don't trust the "advertisements" about certain breeds being hypoallergenic, because there's no control over what breeders use for sales arguments. A friend has three Sphinx cats, and I can't stay in her apartment more than five or ten minutes. She wipes them down every day with a wet washcloth, too, because they leave grease marks all over her furniture. Cat allergies aren't a mere inconvenience for some people - they can have literally deadly consequences, meaning I can understand the research being put into the development of hypoallergenic cats. However, no company would put the time and money into "R&D" without thinking about the profits to be made.
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post #18 of 39
6/11/06 at 1:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcat
I have mixed feelings about this. My brother died of an allergic reaction to cats,
I am so sorry for what happened.
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post #19 of 39
6/11/06 at 9:52pm
Just today the paper had an article about "hypoallergenic" animals and what causes allergies....

Few pts from it
Urine ( yeah a bit of a shock to me )
Dander( loose sking cells)
and
Salivia
are all responsible for allergies...

Bird allergies involve feces also

Hypo = less not totally
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post #20 of 39
6/13/06 at 12:46pm
I heard about this on my favorite radio station last week. The cats will sell for over 3500 dollars American per cat!(I think it was 3700). These people are looking more towards making big money more than helping allergic cat lovers IMHO.

I'm sorry to hear about your brother, Jcat. That's really hard.

I am concerned about the amount they are going to breed. I mean there are already thousands of cats who need a home and by adding another 10000 is not going to help the situation guarenteed.
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post #21 of 39
6/13/06 at 12:51pm
I think if a person pays $3500 (plus tax) for a cat, then the person would probably try to resell the cat for at least $100 before sending the cat to the shelter.

Usually what people do to GMO anything (animals or plants) is to make sure the organisms cannot reproduce before they release to the market. So I am fairly certain the cats would be desexed before reaching the market.
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post #22 of 39
6/13/06 at 1:02pm
I've seen a couple of reports about the "allergy-free" cats in the German press, and what disturbs me is that some of the articles are asking when "allergy-free" dogs will be available. I personally don't think "allergy-free" is realistic; "hypoallergenic", maybe, but allergies are a very individual matter.
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post #23 of 39
6/13/06 at 1:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shengmei
I think if a person pays $3500 (plus tax) for a cat, then the person would probably try to resell the cat for at least $100 before sending the cat to the shelter.

Usually what people do to GMO anything (animals or plants) is to make sure the organisms cannot reproduce before they release to the market. So I am fairly certain the cats would be desexed before reaching the market.

You would hope that they would, but you can be garenteed that even if they can't reproduce, some of them are going to end up at the pound or as strays and we already have enough of those!
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post #24 of 39
6/13/06 at 2:21pm
I was talking to hubby about this issue last week. He brought up the possibility of me working in there after I get my Ph.D. in genetics.

After all, he said, nobody would socialize kittens better than you do.
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post #25 of 39
6/14/06 at 3:18pm
Why aren't these scientists trying to find a way to get rid of allergies or treat them instead of breedig more cats & letting the ones in the shelters die?!?!? If they came up with a way to treat allergies so people didn't have such reactions, then people could adopt shelter cats. IMO, that makes way more sense than breeding more cats.
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post #26 of 39
6/18/06 at 7:11pm
I read in Cat Fancy a few years ago that Siberians actually tend to be hypo allergeric! Who knew with all that fur.. Apparrently they lack the correct enzyme.

I have heard that people who are buying those designer dogs (mixed with poodle) have to be careful that they aren't buying a dog from a puppy mill.
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post #27 of 39
6/18/06 at 11:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by white cat lover
Why aren't these scientists trying to find a way to get rid of allergies or treat them instead of breedig more cats & letting the ones in the shelters die?!?!? If they came up with a way to treat allergies so people didn't have such reactions, then people could adopt shelter cats. IMO, that makes way more sense than breeding more cats.

I agree 100%
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post #28 of 39
6/19/06 at 10:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by zak&rocky

I have heard that people who are buying those designer dogs (mixed with poodle) have to be careful that they aren't buying a dog from a puppy mill.
Exactly. Reputable/COE Breeders do NOT breed the designer mutts...the poodle mixes of anything...or any combination thereof...And they aren't hypoallergenic anyway...
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post #29 of 39
6/30/06 at 3:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lunasmom
IMO we have enough cats that need adoption. If someone REALLY wanted a cat that badly they would take their meds to own one or by a sphinx cat. They have no hair to be allergic to (although I'm not sure on the dandruff).
I couldn't have said it better myself. Why make the "superbreed" when we have many homeless animals being PTS everyday.
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post #30 of 39
6/30/06 at 5:11pm
I just read some article about antihistamines and their side effects. I don't quite remember what it said. I need dig it up so I can quote from it.
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