Vet Notes : cats
Allergy Free Cats?
Do you have a child who is begging for a pet but suffers from allergies? You may be able to give in to your child’s persistent pleas, if you’re willing to part with a bundle of cash and wait and wait…
Allerca, a
Allergies to cats are triggered by a reaction to Feld1, a protein that is produced by the cat itself and is present in the hair and skin. The project to create an “allergy-free” cat began with attempts to quiet the gene that was responsible for the production of the Feld1 protein. During the research, it was discovered that some cats naturally produce a slightly different protein and thus do not trigger allergic reactions.
When allergy sufferers were exposed to the offspring of the Feld1 free cats, there were no reactions. So, these allergy-free cats are actually naturally occurring and do not require genetic modification.
Some scientists, particularly those from competing companies, feel that it is impossible to have an allergy free cat that is not genetically modified. Officials from Allerca say the proof is right there for anyone to see, but just has not yet been published. An invitation to any skeptical allergy suffering scientists to come hold their cats is open…