Cats are notorious for causing allergies and it is for this reason that most people shy away from keeping them as pets. However, Allerca, Inc., a biotechnology firm in San Diego, has now developed Allerca Gene Divergence (GD) kittens, which are said to be hypoallergenic.
The company stressed that these cats are not transgenic animals, meaning that they have not been altered genetically. These cats have been bred after naturally looking for properties that do not trigger allergies, "We are thrilled because people with allergies who have been unable to own cats can now enjoy a pet of their own," said Megan Young, chief executive officer of Allerca. "New Yorkers love cats and many of our clients are from the city."
But before you begin to rejoice, just take a look at the price, an Allerca cat costs $7,000! However the company says that it is a small price to pay for owning a cat. Preliminary tests using these kittens have proved successful in human volunteers, "An added bonus is that all our cats have been sweet and friendly," said Young. "They make ideal family pets." But if they do happen to trigger some allergy, owners will be fully refunded. "We will refund the purchase price of the kitten if the owner continues to suffer allergy symptoms," confirmed Young. "But this is the worst-case scenario."
The ASPCA welcomed this development, "We hope that the investment of time and money that the new guardians of these cats are willing to make might be a model for anyone thinking about acquiring a pet," said its spokesman Eric Rayvid. "There is a huge demand for hypoallergenic pets," adds Young. "By 2009 we expect to be breeding 10,000 every year."
