Slashdot Log In
Hypoallergenic Cats
Posted by
Zonk
on Sun Sep 24, 2006 10:33 PM
from the good-use-of-science dept.
from the good-use-of-science dept.
Lambticc writes "The BBC is running an article about how a US firm has successfully bred cats to reduce the production of the protein which causes an allergic reaction. Since the result was achieved through selective breeding, there should not be any complaints from the anti-GM lobby." From the article: "The cats will not cause the red eyes, sneezing and even asthma that some cat allergy sufferers experience, except in the most acute cases. Despite costing $3,950 (£2,104), there is already a waiting list to get one. Allerca first started taking orders for genetically engineered hypoallergenic cats back in 2004."
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Dupe (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Yes, but they are now shipping! (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Selectively Breaded Cats (Score:2)
Funny, I figured they'd be available down at the local Chinese restaurant...
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Maybe it has something to do with catbread [ytmnd.com]?
(more [ytmnd.com], originals [flickr.com])
Re:Dupe (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
Why this is news (Score:4, Interesting)
1. Have you seen a Siberian? The Siberian isn't just another body shape or fur pattern, it's something as big as your arm. It's a _huge_ cat. It's bigger than some dog breeds. (And legends have it that some are also actually able to function as a dog, because at that size it feels a lot less threatened by someone human sized. So it _can_ defend its territory from a human, if needed. I wouldn't know if it's myth or not, though.)
Now I'm all for large cats myself, but I can also see why someone would want a standard 5 pound lap cat instead.
2. The Siberian isn't anywhere near allergen-free. In fact, no natural cat breed is, from moggie to lions and tigers. The Siberian does produce a lot less allergen, but for some people it's still too much. So producing cats with even less, would still be welcome news for a lot of people.
3. The Siberian only has less of the cat-speciffic protein. I.e., it won't help anyone whose allergy is to something else. E.g., someone with a generic allergy to fur, will still be just as allergic to the Siberian as to any other cat breed. Basically, if holding a rabbit or petting a dog also gives you an allergy, getting a Siberian won't help at all.
I don't know if this new breed addresses this third point, but it IS one area where improvement is possible.
Parent
I have a Siberian (Score:3, Informative)
i have some pretty sensitive (not severe, just very easily activated) cat allergies, but I haven't have any symptoms with our cat. before we got her, as a test, we went to the breeder's house and i stayed in the 'cat room', with five aduts and ten kittens, for an hour - just to make sure i was symptom-free. no problem at all.
i'm also taking Zyrtek, but that's not supposed to be all that great against pet allergies.
Re:Dupe (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
2. The cat by its temperament is unlikely to attack a human, its natural prey being always smaller than itself; when outside its own territory, if it confronts a giant, it prefers to flee. The fox, a locally populous wild creature,
Heh (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Heh (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Patents? (Score:3, Interesting)
Maybe they'll sell one gender of cat?
Re:Patents? (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Only way they could (currently) close that loophole is by selling only aged and decrepit cats. Young'uns would clone nicely
(sigh...You know you're a nerd when thinking about selling clones reminds you of Compaq.)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
And that, my friend, is why I release all of my pets under the GPL. What an outrage!
Re: (Score:2)
But you could clone a neutered hypoallergenic cat. The offspring would not be sterile.
Of course, the "intellectual property" which is represented by the cat's genetic makeup may also be copyrighted or patented.
Now, if you'll excuse me as I entertain Buttons(TM) here with a Laser Pointer [youtube.com](TM) until I go broke from licensing fees or fall asleep in a hypnogogic Benadryl(TM) haze [wikipedia.org]...
la la la la la atchoo atchoo atchoo! bless me dammit i'm an atheist but i do love benadryl and cats
Good! (Score:3, Insightful)
Artificial species (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
KFG
Breading? (Score:5, Funny)
("The BBC is running an article about how a US firm has successfully bred cats to reduce the production of the protein which causes an allergic reaction. Since the result was achieved through selective breading, there should not be any complaints from the anti-GM lobby." if they fix this one)
I for one welcome our new hypoallergenic overlords (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
As Norm MacDonald once said:
Side effects (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Does anyone know if this gene has a desired effect besides "make humans allergic to us"?
You don't think "keeping humans away" is enough of a positive side-effect in an animal gene?
I posted this idea to Usenet back in 1992 (Score:2, Interesting)
The real question (Score:2, Funny)
Good BYEEEEE karma
I have one thing to say about that... (Score:3, Funny)
Okay already! (Score:2)
Great but can they.... (Score:2)
Yawn... (Score:2)
38 million households own a cat?? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:38 million households own a cat?? (Score:5, Funny)
Get off my damned keyboard you whiskerfaced devil!!!
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re:38 million households own a cat?? (Score:5, Funny)
The Dog sees the Man serving food and water and generally taking care of it and loving it. The Dog concludes: "Wow, he must be God".
The Cat sees the Man serving food and water and generally taking care of it and loving it. The Cat concludes: "Wow, I must be God".
Parent
Hypoallergenic Handbag (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Why pay $4000 for a cat? (Score:2, Interesting)
Take the Basenji for example. It's hypoallergenic, doesn't bark, grooms itself like a cat, and dislikes water like most cats.
And while they don't bark, they do make a yodeling type of noise.
And, you can usually get one for quite a lot less than $4000.
Selective breeding vs GM? (Score:2)
IMHO, selective breeding is just one way of genetic modification. It does alter the DNA as well, and the difference is a matter of degree. People have practiced it for millennia, and for some weird reason it's only in recent years that we've had anti-GM activity.
I imagine it's possible to get the same results with modern, direct GM, as these guys did with SB. In that case this is equally evil and unnatural as any GM ;)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
The anti-GM activity is due to the proliferation of new protiens in existing foods that will trigger new alergies/diseases. Also with plants once they start releasing pollen you cant control it.
Sphynx cats (Score:3, Informative)
Siberian cats (Score:3, Interesting)
They're also very expensive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_(cat) [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I had never heard this anecdotal evidence. Perhaps if I had, the
Hypoallergenic (Score:5, Interesting)
As one marketeer put it during a presentation - "My job is great - I sell a product that is 90% air and people pay a premium for it!!"
Selective breeding is "GM" too (Score:3, Interesting)
We have been "genetically modifying" animals through selective breeding for millenia.
It is not neccessary to introduce bits of cells (the narrow understanding of "GM") from other things to modify genes.
If agriculture was invented today, it would've been banned...
he's right (Score:4, Funny)
Yeah, there are other predators. Owls are dying because cats eat all the easy prey!
Humans cause mass extinction, sure... by supporting cats. This is especially bad near beaches, because that is where people like to live. Rare beach mice are going extinct. Without them, the beach grass dies and then the beach erodes.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)