Hypo-Allergenic Cats Now Available for Pre-Order 744
humuhumunukunukuapu' writes "Allerca Inc is now taking reservations for genetically engineered hypo-allergenic cats, which it calls 'lifestyle pets'... and apparently they are just the beginning... Read the press release here... and you can take delivery of a cuddy non-sinus bothering bundle of joy for just $3500. 'The hypoallergenic cats produced by ALLERCA will allow consumers to enjoy the love and companionship of a pet without the cost, inconvenience, risk, and limited effectiveness of current allergy treatments. Clients will take delivery of the first ALLERCA kittens in 2007. The hypoallergenic cat is the first of a planned series of lifestyle pets that ALLERCA will develop over the next few years.' Meow!"
Yeah, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Sincerely,
A Dog Person
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:3)
More on topic, this genetically enhanced cat is a good idea. I've had cats and dogs until I was 16. Then I moves to the city away from my parents. Upon returning after a month away... I was allergic to the cat ! I've kept this allergy and although I like to pet my current neighbor's cat I can't have one nearby for long. Yes, I know you can shower your cat daily to greatly disminish the allergens, but I think it's probably a lot more life-threatening to cle
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:4, Funny)
A glass helmet.
1/4" thick steel vest.
Rhino hide gloves.
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:4, Funny)
You don't have to take orders from it, but you can't expect it to take orders from you.
That said, my dad trained a cat to attack people, once. Problem was, it would attack absolutely EVERYONE, ALL THE TIME. It disappeared one day. Probably taken by eagles. (Sitka is that kind of place...cats don't do very well there.)
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:4, Interesting)
You may think that this training is a waste or just for entertainment (it is pretty funny), but it comes in handy. One day my fiancee saw a black cat on the garage roof and thought that somehow my cat had gotten out. She got all panicky and searched the apartment, then ran outside. I just sat at the dining room table and yelled 'Here Bear, Here Bear', and he came walking from the bedroom with that 'where is my treat' look.
She got panicky because here in Phoenix cats are called 'coyote treats'.
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:4, Funny)
(Cue Soviet Russia jokes...)
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:3, Insightful)
True story. Every night, at least once, my cat comes to the bed and meows. He will stay down at the side of the bed until I take my hand and rub my fingers together to make whatever sound two fingers rubbing together make. If I don't rub my fingers together, he will leave. If I do, he will jump up beside me and expect to be scratched and petted. Eventually, he will stand on my chest, at which point I stop petting h
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Imagine a Siamese with a pleasant disposition! Maybe they could splice in some dog genes to get a cat that wags it's tail and plays fetch.
While they are at it, they might as well add that "glow in the dark" gene they put in fish. That would give the little critters they hunt at night a fighting chance. It would be really cool at Halloween too, I'd like a black cat that flouresces red or purple.
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:4, Funny)
An excellent idea. Trying to find my way across our basement in order to reset the cutout switch during a thunderstorm is like trying to walk across a minefield of highly mobile furry landmines. Put a foot on the wrong place and there is a sudden load noise followed by a sharp pain in your leg.
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:5, Informative)
BTW, I am originally from Europe, and it seems allergies are WAY more common here in North America (I don't think I've ever *met* a person allergic to something before moving here, where I'd say 20-30% of the people I know have an allergy of some kind, most of the time to cats but often to peanuts/eggs).
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Ah! Another data point correlating cleanliness with allergies!!
lol! (Score:4, Interesting)
The more I think about this the more I wonder if the prevalence of carpeting as a flooring material here in North America is to blame for the much higher incidence of allergies, as where I'm from pretty much everybody has marble/tiles/cotto/hardwood floors and basically nobody has carpet.
Also since it's not customary at all to have visitors remove their shoes, people tend to wash their floors at least daily, where people here probably wash their carpets once a year (if that much).
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:3, Informative)
I had a Siamese cat a few years ago that acted pretty much like a dog. He'd fetch balls of crumpled paper for me, and he had quite a pleasant disposition too. He didn't wag his tail though. To catch my attention, he'd run around the house for momentum, then jump onto the back rest of a sofa, grip it with his front claws, then release.
When I saw him fly and spin across t
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:3, Funny)
A cat thinks: "He feeds me, loves me, takes care of me. I must be God."
yo.
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Yeah, but... (Score:4, Funny)
Quote:
Re:Needed next: a NO-STINK FERRET! (Score:5, Funny)
I must have told about a dozen different cops in San Francisco that Felix the little albino fert was a rat
I'd have fun with everybody else though.
One time I'm standing at a streetcorner waiting for the light to change, Felix poking his nose out of my jacket, and this guy next to me says "cool rat!".
"Yeah, he's a nice rat, but I got him from some kids that abused him. It was horrible."
"Really?"
"Yeah, they built a rack in their basement and stretched him!"
"What? No, nobody stretched your rat!"
"Yup - see, check it out!" as I pull his foot-plus-long skinny bod out inch by inch as the dude completely freaked out...:)
Finally, a dog I can love (Score:5, Funny)
</wishfulthinking>
Re:Finally, a dog I can love (Score:3, Insightful)
Real simple solution: Don't buy your dog. Purebreds are much, much, much more likely to have genetic problems (like a weak bladder, bad temperment) than mixed breeds. Next time, visit your local shelter or rescue and rescue a nice mutt. You'll be much happier.
Re:Finally, a dog I can love (Score:3, Informative)
Disclaimer - I do not oppose spaying and neutering pets, just doing it wh
Re:How about... (Score:3, Informative)
Please, for the good of humanity, let evolution take its course and remove these people from the gene pool!
Allergies often arise after years of repeated exposure to something. Be careful what you wish for.
Re:How about... (Score:5, Insightful)
Note that all the research, work, effort, and awareness programs directed at both cancer and allergies focus on drugs to control the conditions rather than prevention of the condition. The reason for this becomes apparent when you note that the majority of the funding for the cancer and allergy research comes from polluters.
The obvious step would be to reduce pollution, but somehow that doesn't get mentioned in any cancer or allergy literature. I wonder why...
Re:How about... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:How about... (Score:5, Informative)
What is reasonably clear from a research perspective, however, is that growing up in a spotlessly clean environment makes you MORE susceptible to allergies. It seems better to be subjected to (a reasonable amount of) "filth" than to none at all. Unless, of course, you DO develop an allergy - in which case spotlessness is more or less your only option.
What I would personally like to see, is more research focused on this simple fact - what factors are different between the "richer" and the "poorer" societies - is it the chemicals we use to clean our homes? Or could there be some correlation with the kind of food we tend to consume?
I just think there's a lot we don't know here...
Re:How about... (Score:5, Insightful)
Good point. Another interesting datapoint is the much lower rate of allergies in crowded, dirty Asian cities (these cities have decent healthcare, so it's not like allergies are underreported). Also, Asians (at least South Asians) seem to have much lower rates of nut allergies, hayfever allergies, etc.
I just think there's a lot we don't know here...
I'd love to see some research on the correlation between 'cleaner societies' and immune systems development.
Re:How about... (Score:5, Interesting)
I once read a study (my bookmarked link seems to be dead) that reviewed most of the studies on cancer preventative diets. You know the fish oil/olive oil/red wine/etc. reports. The researchers pointed out that all of the reasons each of these foods had been studied was because they were primary dietary components of groups of people with low cancer rates, compared to American society. When they started correlating factors the big commonality they found was that most of these societies used an extremely low amount of preservatives in their diet, with almost no artificial preservatives consumed at all. Through the data gathered by the other studies, and logical explanation of how preservatives work and the effect they probably have when induced into a living organism, they were able to convincingly postulate that what may be driving the high incidents of cancer in the western world, particularly the U.S., could be the massive amounts of preservatives the typical "modern world" person consumes over their lifetime.
At the time this was published there was quite a bit of talk about it on some of the research biology mailing lists. One of the students working for the main researchers posted some comments that the grant request to study the possible harmful effects of artificial preservatives had been turned down by their university. One of the reasons given was that the ability to preserve food for long periods was essential to modern food distribution methods, and if preservatives ended up having to be banned or heavily regulated as cancer causing agents it could mean mass starvation and worse health problems from food spoilage. To date I still have not seen any large scale or in depth studies on the cancer causing potential of artificial preservatives when taken in large quantities over a period of years.
Hyper-Allergenic (Score:3, Interesting)
On a more serious note though, I think everybody has her/his ideal world in mind, and this GE is offering the opportunity to achieve that.
However, like the old saying "One person's meat is another person's poison", I believe there is a reason for such allergy symptoms (maybe telling your body to get away from that bleeming cat?), and without this warning, I wonder if the still-allergic-to-cat person will suffer from far worse sickness because one of the cat allergens wasn't identified and removed?
Re:Hyper-Allergenic (Score:5, Informative)
An allergy, by definition, is an inappropriate immune reaction to a harmless substance. The only thing an allergic reaction is telling you is that your immune system screwed up. Again.
Re:Hyper-Allergenic (Score:2, Insightful)
Boy, couldn't disagree more. Evolution doesn't allow such things in they types of numbers we're experiencing. They symptom is almost certainly there for a reason, albeit a reason we may not now fathom.
That's the real problem with genetic engineering. We can only account for what we know or think we know. Evolution accou
Re:Hyper-Allergenic (Score:3, Insightful)
Evolution doesn't account for modern living.
In theory, poeple with severe allergies (or similar conditions) would be wiped out by natural selection, removing that from the gene pool. But our standards of life nowadays allow people to lead full lives that they wouldn't be able to otherwise.
Re:Hyper-Allergenic (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Hyper-Allergenic (Score:3, Insightful)
Yep, pretty much. There's even an evolutionary advantage to dieing.
Sometimes an advantage is a long term statistical advantage based on past compensation and possible future compensation for a long gone threat. Sometimes it's a group advantage so that one person's individual disadvantage is of bennefit to the group.
Think of nearsightedness. Would that help you do close in work? But
Re:Hyper-Allergenic (Score:3, Insightful)
Ah, but evolution does have a plan. The plan is: Whatever survives and reproduces gets to go to the next level.
The thing is, surviving and reproducing are far more complicated than many sentients happen to think. They think they can label traights "good" and "bad" willy-nilly and have a good chance of being right.
Humanity has figured out a lot of stuff, but there's a lot of other stuff we haven't figured
Re:Hyper-Allergenic (Score:5, Funny)
Don't worry, I hear as long as you don't feed them after midnight, everything will be fine.
Re:Hyper-Allergenic (Score:3, Funny)
Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)
Obligatory Simpsons Quote (Score:5, Funny)
$3500... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:$3500... (Score:5, Funny)
$250 but for dress shoes.
Stepping in a pile of cat hairball vomit. Priceless.
House training (Score:2, Informative)
Now... (Score:5, Funny)
And what happens... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:And what happens... (Score:5, Informative)
They prosecute people who illegally grow their GE corn/etc.
I'm sure the same applies.
Hell, last time I bought a rose bush for my lady it had a warning on it that it was illegal to propigate without permissions.
Re:And what happens... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:And what happens... (Score:3, Insightful)
If this covered under the DCMA?
Re:And what happens... (Score:2)
Re:And what happens... (Score:5, Informative)
Pure bred cat breeders don't want you to breed their cats any more than these guys do.
Re:And what happens... (Score:3, Interesting)
My wife sells AKC mini dachshunds and they can run from $300 to $1,500 depending on size, color, conformance, etc.
HOWEVER, a neutered animal tops out at $250 or so. The majority of the value is breeding potential. This also includes animals we've purchased. I've never seen pets (non-show/breeder, neutered or non-papered) sold for more than $250.
Re:And what happens... (Score:3, Funny)
Each and every one of them, without exception, pissed on the rug.
The reason these animals are in the shelter, is because somebody else screwed up in the house-training phase.
I will never ever again adopt someone else's mistake. My next dog (after my current one expires or runs away) will be a new puppy. And I will make certain that the new puppy is house-trained *RIGHT*.
And if I fail - then it's off to the animal shelter!
Sharks... (Score:5, Funny)
Heh... (Score:3, Funny)
RESTRICTIONS: 'Without cost' offer excludes $3,500 startup fee, prices and participation may vary.
Relative expenses... (Score:2)
This cat is also Zero-G approved! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:This cat is also Zero-G approved! (Score:3, Insightful)
$3500 for a cat... (Score:5, Funny)
We did this for two reasons. First, if it has a number, we're less attached to it when the inevitable happens. Second, my wife was allergic to cats but we weren't sure how badly.
If we had spent $3500 on a cat, we're then somehow obligated to spend $4000 on feline coronary bypass surgery, $8000 on a feline tummy-tuck, and $3000 on feline counseling services.... Where does this end?
$3500 for a kitty? (Score:2, Interesting)
I assume this company will be neutering/spaying before they give them to their customers. Otherwise, people would just breed their own, and then sell the kittens.
Prior Art (Score:5, Interesting)
Devon Rex
Siberian
Sphynx
Re:Prior Art (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Prior Art (Score:5, Informative)
It's not all about dander. Many of us have no problem with the dander but are allergic to the saliva, which--due to their grooming habits--is all over their fur. My doc says people who don't seem to be allergic to dogs but are allergic to cats are almost certainly reacting to the allergen in the saliva rather than the dander or the fur.
Re:Prior Art (Score:3, Funny)
I for one... (Score:2)
Cheaper Alternative. (Score:2)
Ill wait.. (Score:2)
Of course, I don't understand why you care if your cat is alergic to stuff...
A bit pricey.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Priced at $3,500, the cost of an ALLERCA kitten is similar or less than some of the more exotic cat breeds available today.
Ummhh.. yeah.. But, it's a bit more than the "free kittens" we all see signs for throughout our home towns.
yeah but (Score:5, Funny)
Of course, the only truly free cat will be free-as-in-willy....
No, you mean GNU/cat... (Score:3, Funny)
Owners generally know that cat is a furball. But since they have generally heard the whole animal called ``cat'' as well, they often envisage a history that would justify naming the whole animal after the furball. For example,
Im sick of... (Score:5, Funny)
What next? (Score:2)
I shure hope so.
Glycoprotein (Score:2, Interesting)
So torn... (Score:2)
does it come with an MP3 player? (Score:5, Funny)
Hmm, this was done years ago. (Score:3, Interesting)
Breeders already have cats that are missing the allergen causing protein from their saliva.
Bengal Cats and Siberian-Russians are two such breeds, and several unofficial subbreeds also fit the bill.
Google if you want breed info, but Bengals are a short haired, very outgoing breed with great social skills and tons of energy. The also play fetch and are suprisingly clever. Siberian-Russians are a long haired breed who behave more like traditional cats, in that they can be fat and lazy all the way through to hyper.
Finally (Score:2)
I do have a really bad joke on the mind that involves a New Zealander and electric sheep. However I won't share so that I can spare some peoples feelings...
How do they control their market? (Score:3, Interesting)
Otherwise, how do they prevent people from buying a few of them, breeding them, and undercutting their market?
I am allergic to cats, so I've never really considered getting one before. But, if these come down to the couple hundred dollar range, I might be interested. But, at $3,500/each, I think I'll instead go for that dual 2.5GHz G5 Mac.
Not the only way to get a hypo-allergenic cat (Score:2, Informative)
And the $3500 pri
Also good for... (Score:5, Funny)
...dogs with dietary allergies.
Seriously, if you are that hard up for companionship, $3500 will pay for some nice hookers.
Vapor...genetics? (Score:3, Insightful)
Notice the "will develop". Notice the 2007 date. Notice the high price tag. Genetic engineering is not like building a car. It's unpredictable. At this point, their 'research' is vaporware at best.
"A glycoprotein, Fel d 1, secreted by the sebaceous glands, is the major cat allergen. This allergen is found in the fur, pelt, saliva, serum, urine, mucous, salivary glands, and hair roots of the cat.
Using patented genetic technology, the ALLERCA team will focus on the particular gene that produces the Fel d 1 glycoprotein. Using a technique known as "gene silencing", the process reduces the gene's ability to produce the protein."
Will silencing this protein have undesirable effects? Nobody knows. And it's only the 'major' allergen, not the only one.
I wouldn't be betting 3500$ on this at the moment. Altought its a cute idea. Cats as guinea pigs for genetic engineering anyone?
RESERVATIONS (Score:3, Informative)
Me neither. But if I could afford $3500 for a cat, I might be willingly to bet the amount they are actually requesting for a deposit ($250):
"Please note that reservations require a deposit of $250 that will apply to the purchase price. On completion of your online reservation, we will provide you with an attractive personalized ALLERCA Reservation Certificate."
Or a cheaper alternative.... (Score:2, Insightful)
Since I was young, I've been extremely alergic to anything with fur. Guinnea pigs, gerbils, dogs, cats, you name it.
I had to get rid of a Guinnea pig because I broke out in hives.
I got a dog when I was about 13, and even though it killed my alergies for a while, I got used to it. Now I have 3 dogs and a cat, and none bother my alergies.
Alergies are an extreme response from the body to a foreign substance. By building up a tolerance, the body reacts less extremely
But not allergen-free (Score:4, Informative)
A glycoprotein, Fel d 1, secreted by the sebaceous glands, is the major cat allergen. This allergen is found in the fur, pelt, saliva, serum, urine, mucous, salivary glands, and hair roots of the cat.
Allerca cats will only lack one of the potential cat allergens... potentially deadly for people allergic to other proteins secreted by the cats. In addition, the gene silencing technique (I assume they refer to RNAi perhaps using siRNAs) cannot be guaranteed 100% effective--all it takes is one mutation.... More info about RNAi here [miami.edu] and here [nature.com].
However, as someone with moderately severe cat allergies, this is definitely a start.
They Don't EXIST, folks! (Score:5, Insightful)
From the first hit on Google searching for cat gestation:
"Cats generally have pregnancies lasting from 58 to 65 days".
So the fact that the first one won't "ship" until 2007 is a bad sign. Anybody sending these folks money now, *please* contact me for a great deal on a bridge.
Re:They Don't EXIST, folks! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:They Don't EXIST, folks! (Score:3, Informative)
Screw hypoallergenic... (Score:5, Funny)
How about a cat that doesn't shed, a cat that sleeps AT NIGHT instead of during the day, a cat that doesn't s**t behind the couch when you piss it off, a cat that is hairball resistant, a cat that doesn't care if the bowl isn't exactly full, a cat that can actually decide if it wants to be inside or outside (as opposed to wanting both simultaneously), a cat that views keyboards as natural preditors, a cat that will not release any "presents" in the house until said "gift" is completely DEAD, a cat that will actually kill said "gifts" that get into your house by other means, a cat that'll bring home USEFUL things instead of the typical birds, rabbits, mice, frogs... a new lawnmower would be nice once in awhile, or maybe some PC hardware - but no, it's always half-dead stuff.
THAT would be a cat worth a couple grand.
Re:Screw hypoallergenic... (Score:3, Funny)
How do you think the Heisenberg Uncertainty Priciple was developed???
Re:Screw hypoallergenic... (Score:4, Interesting)
I treated him like a dog right from the beginning and that's how he acts. He'll even follow me around the neighborhood if he isn't stalking something. He doesn't jerk me around because he knows I'll win - if he gets picky about his food, it'll look a lot tastier tomorrow. If he can't decide whether or not to come in, it's easier to decide 4 hours from now. If I piss him off, he wakes me up at 5am rather than make a mess, because he ends up wearing the mess and if he doesn't clean himself up, he takes a shower with shampoo.
I really don't understand why people baby their cats. I'm far from an expert on pets but I think a lot of a cat's personality is how they're socialized when young. Mine is pretty much the ideal cat because, I think, I made it really clear that I wasn't going to put up with the typical cat personality crap.
Worth a couple grand? I dunno - mine cost me $5 at the local animal shelter. Hell, maybe he just came to grips with his own tender mortality at a young age and appreciates how I feed him and play with him.
Don't think so (Score:5, Informative)
Another one, LifeARK [lifeark.org], claims to be doing cell banking for endangered animals. They want donations, and they accept them through PayPal. Don't think so. A large company that was doing such work wouldn't deal with PayPal's onerous agreement and high fees. Especially not if their other divisions were dealing with large sums of money already.
ForeverPet [foreverpet.com] does cell banking for companion pets. But they can't yet clone them. But another division can clone horses? Yeah, right.
"Hypoallergenic" is a myth (Score:5, Informative)
The FDA states that "There are no federal standards or definitions that govern the use of the term 'hypoallergenic'." Back in 1973, they tried to establish definitions for the use of the term hypoallergenic, but the regulation was overturned in court.
A little bit of googling returns this [fda.gov]
It's a nonsense marketing claim, with no scientific standard or basis. People can be allergic to anything... even themselves. [www.hon.ch]
Re:What next (Score:2)
I've got one that responds to its name, and can learn how to do simple tasks (such as open doors and window sashes once it sees how the humans do it). No genetic engineering required.
Cats are, however, too intelligent to play fetch.
Re:Hypoallermagenic... (Score:3, Informative)
It's not really the animals hair/fur that is the most significant allergen, but rather their *dander*. (Dander is flakes of dead skin). Their saliva and urine can also cause an allergic reaction.
http://www.theallergyreliefcenter.com/animal_alle
Re:Hypoallermagenic... (Score:3, Informative)
Male cats make more allergen than female cats. [catsinternational.org] My parents keep a female cat in the house as a pet and a male cat in the garage as a mouser, and I've found that cat sensitive people are far more aggravated by the male than the female . .
and there's a joke in that last sentence somewhere, I'm sure.
Re:Next is corporate logo pets... (Score:3, Funny)