Jun 10, 2006 - 9:13:00 PM, Reviewed by: Priya Saxena
The company's website describes the cats - referred to as Allerca GD (genetic divergences) - as 'friendly, playful and affectionate'. The bred animals are fully mature at three years, and said to have a long life expectancy.
By IANS, [RxPG] Scientists in the US have developed a breed of cats that they claim will not trigger allergy in humans.
Close to two percent of the US population is allergic to cats. One third of these ignore medical advice and keep at least one cat in their home. The cat allergy can cause chest complaints and rashes.
Allerca, a San Diego-based biotechnology company, studied the genes of cats to identify those with proteins that did not provoke a reaction in humans.
The firm has bred the animals over several generations and produced more than 20 allergy-free offspring.
The company's website describes the cats - referred to as Allerca GD (genetic divergences) - as 'friendly, playful and affectionate'. The bred animals are fully mature at three years, and said to have a long life expectancy.
Buying a hypoallergenic cat online would cost around 7,200 pounds sterling, plus a 700-pound processing fee and up to 1,500 pounds for delivery.
The company says it has received thousands of inquiries from allergy-prone cat lovers worldwide.
However Britain's largest asthma charity was unconvinced about the benefits of owning an Allerca GD cat. A spokesman for Asthma UK said: 'It must be remembered that hypoallergenic only means that allergens are reduced, not removed completely.
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Indo Asian News Service
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