World's first hypoallergenic cat

The days of having to stock up on antihistamines when visiting grandma and her feline friends may well be over thanks to the latest invention from an American company which claims to have developed the world's first hypoallergenic cat.

Genetic scientists working for Allerca, a San Diego based biotech company, say they have managed to create a breed of cat which is missing the main gene responsible for causing allergies in humans.

The find is both a scientific coup for the millions of people worldwide who suffer from cat allergies and also for a Allerca, who will soon be trading in an industry worth over US$35 billion in the US alone.

Despite sounding like the stuff of science fiction, the world's first hypoallergenic cat was in fact created using an age-old traditional method, that of selective breeding, by finding cats who naturally lack the allergy gene and carefully cross breeding them.

But until recently, finding such a cat had proved impossible.

Humans who have an allergic reaction to cats do so because of a glycoprotein called Fel d1, which is secreted naturally in skin glands and has been genetically mapped by scientists over the last ten years.

In 2004 Allerca began researching ways to eliminate the gene responsible for producing the Fel d 1 protein and stumbled across a conveniently fortuitous find - that a small minority of cats have a mutated version of the gene which produces a different protein altogether and is far less likely to cause allergies in humans.

A company spokesperson at Allerca insisted the process did not involve genetic modification.

"These cats have been naturally bred," said spokesperson Dr Bernadine Cruz.

"Allerca found a naturally occurring divergence in the specific gene sequence and bred from there. Since it is natural, there are no long term effects to worry about beyond natural evolution."

An estimated 2-15 per cent of the world's population suffer from some form of allergy to cats and America at least one third of cat owners are allergic.

According to the Cats Protection League in Britain, nearly 5 per cent of the 60,000 cats they receive each year are given up by their owners because of allergies.

At just under US$4,000 the hypoallergenic cats, which will be available to American and foreign buyers in approximately 18 months time, are not cheap and owners will have to undergo an extensive vetting procedure similar to assess their allergies and suitability.

But for those who have been unable to own a cat because of their allergies, it may well be a price worth paying.

"It's not about the money for people who always wanted a cat but couldn't because they or someone they know was allergic," said Dr Cruz.

"It's about an investment in a family companionship that can live up to 12 years on average."

Anyone hoping to buy two Allerca kittens and start breeding their own hypoallergenic brand of kitties, however, will be sorely disappointed. All Allerca cats are neutered before delivery.

- INDEPENDENT