Genetically modified cats for sale

[ZaZu]

(CNN) -- A California biotechnology company has started taking orders for a hypoallergenic cat for pet lovers prone to allergies.

The genetically engineered feline, which is expected to be available from 2007, is the first in a planned series of lifestyle pets, Los Angeles-based Allerca said in a press release.

Allerca hopes to attract customers among the millions of people worldwide who suffer from cat allergies.

Many cat lovers ignore medical advice and discomfort and choose to keep the animals as pets, or use expensive medications to cope with their allergies.

Cat allergen is also one of the main causes of childhood allergies, asthma and other respiratory diseases such as bronchitis.

Cat allergies are caused by a potent protein secreted by the cat's skin and salivary glands. The allergen is so small it can remain airborne for months.

Using "gene silencing" technology, Allerca is able to suppress the production of the protein.

Allerca expects the first kittens to be born in early 2007 and is already accepting $250 deposits from interested customers.

Allerca president Simon Brodie told The Associated Press that he ultimately hopes to sell 200,000 of the cats annually at $3,500 each in the United States.

He also said he didn't expect to have any problems with federal regulators after neither the U.S. Department of Agriculture nor the Food and Drug Administration objected to the creation of a genetically-engineered pet fish because it wasn't meant for human consumption

The GloFish, which went on sale in pet stores earlier this year, is a zebra fish implanted with a fluorescent sea anemone gene.

"As long as people don't start eating cats and they don't enter the food chain, then we should be handled like the GloFish," Brodie told the AP.

Source

Don't like cats myself or dogs but I think this could be a good thing for people with kids that might allergic to cats

[Rat Faced]

And how do you know what will happen though?

There are a lot of strange people around, and although not initially part of the foodchain, they die in accidents etc in the country...

Then enter the foodchain...

Playing with genetics for something like this.... is just plain wrong

[ruthie]

plus, you might get back a cat ..that is EVIL..from a steven king book.

[hobbes]

And how do you know what will happen though?

There are a lot of strange people around, and although not initially part of the foodchain, they die in accidents etc in the country...

Then enter the foodchain...

Playing with genetics for something like this.... is just plain wrong

Surely you are being facetious, RF.

What do you think animal husbandry is all about? It is the selective breeding of desired traits. This is just a more efficient and highly specific form of what has been going for centuries.

What is really cool is that biologist have been able to take gene that makes penicillin and place it into bacteria which make it constantly. Our little microscopic robots. Sure beats the days when they used to collect the urine of patients on antibiotics and reclaimed the penicillin from that. Yeck.

Genetic engineering is fun. What we really should do is splice that cat gene into our genomes. That way our immune systems would recognize it as "self" and not respond to it. Then no one would be allergic to cats!

If people want allergenless cats there are 2 breed already available. The Cornish Rex and the Egyptian Rex, which are essentially hairless. Ours was a minimally fuzzy chia pet like animal that didn't shed. He got all greasy so he required a bath every now and then. Funny looking little thing though.

[Everose]

I would love to share my home with a cat, but I am allergic to the dander. But I am also allergic to spending the money it sounds like a non-dander producing cat would cost me.

[hobbes]

I would love to share my home with a cat, but I am allergic to the dander. But I am also allergic to spending the money it sounds like a non-dander producing cat would cost me.

I think with the genetic alteration that they also do their business in the toilet, so in the long run that saves you time and money in regards to the litter box.

[Everose]

I will take that into consideration. Of course, there may be more time on my part waiting in line for the tiolet.

[Busyman]

Wow all this bullshit for....a pet.

Well it's for the rich obviously.

Interesting though...

If I buy 2 of these cats and breed them, I could undercut Allerca.

I'll sell mine for $2500.

Allerca will probably sell the cats neutered though.

[vidcc]

I would love to share my home with a cat, but I am allergic to the dander. But I am also allergic to spending the money it sounds like a non-dander producing cat would cost me.

i have a cheaper solution for you






I'm sorry...i realise that this is "science" but i just can't take it seriously. Having pets is nice but if one suffers alergic reactions to them just don't have those type of pets.
I do however realise that in trying to produce such an animal the research could be helpful in curing genetic desease in humans in the future.

[Rat Faced]

Surely you are being facetious, RF.

You've never seen dead cats on the side of the road?

They die...

If in the country, they will be eaten, hence entering the foodchain of the local fauna.

How's this being facetious?