Allergy-Free Kittens Produced 276
An anonymous reader writes "San Diego-based company, Allerca, said that using a technique known as genetic divergence, it has 'bred the world's first hypoallergenic kitten, opening the doors and arms of millions of pet lovers for whom cuddling a cat has, until now, been a curse ... After identifying the genes of kittens with proteins that provide less of a reaction in humans, they selectively bred litters over several generations to end up with an allergy-friendly super cat.' The company says its customers are expected to take delivery of their $4,000 hypoallergenic kittens in early 2007."
slashvertizement... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:slashvertizement... (Score:5, Informative)
Denver Business Journal: Law Suit [64.233.161.104]
KFG
Re:slashvertizement... (Score:2)
Re:slashvertizement... (Score:2)
Genetically encoded barcode reader? CueCat 2.0?
yro? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:yro? (Score:2, Funny)
Watch out when it walks on your keyboard.
Re:yro? (Score:2)
Of course, if you're spending $4000 on a cat, you won't be missing those 78 cents.
Re:yro? (Score:5, Funny)
Especially while online! I don't want to have to clean my monitor...
Re:yro? (Score:2)
Re:yro? (Score:2)
because (Score:2)
I don't know... (Score:4, Funny)
Don't forget (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I don't know... (Score:3, Funny)
Allow me to be the first to say (Score:4, Funny)
Do they offer... (Score:2)
For my $4000.... (Score:5, Insightful)
actually, it was because they planted them... (Score:2)
He knowingly reaped seed from last year's crops and replanted it. Which was against his license agreement.
Re:For my $4000.... (Score:2)
They definitely weren't cross polarized, but maybe they weren't cross pollinated [reason.com] either...
-h-
Bigger problem (Score:2)
If we had any kind of thinking lawmakers, all dog and cat breeding would be outlawed until animal shelters don't have to euthanize millions of animals every day.
Re:Bigger problem (Score:2)
Well that explains it. With lazy people like yourself who aren't putting in 100% no wonder there are too many dogs and cats. I'm sure if you did your bit and put in an extra 20%, and everyone like you did the same, the problem would go away.
Re:Bigger problem (Score:2)
In the UK, or at least in my part of England, animal charities still say that everyone should have their cats spayed/neutered, even though there is something of a shortage of kittens now and it can be rather difficult to get one. Also, there are very few strays around here.
That said, I went to Madrid (capital of Spain) last year, and the parks there are full of strays; you see them everywhere like sparrows or something.
Re:For my $4000.... (Score:4, Interesting)
My guess is that the same rules that apply to normal breeding would apply in this case. I'll speak from the point of view of dogs because that's what I'm familiar with, but I'm sure the same applies to cats as well.
Typically, when you buy from a breeder, the sale is made at the discretion of the breeder. Put another way, you get the animal (with all the parts) and the papers only if the breeder considers you responsible enough to continue the line and/or are interested and capable of showing the animal. Most breeders won't have anything to do with the general public, so the idea of getting a "pet" (either with or without all the parts) is out of the question.
The exception, of course, is in the case of where part of the litter is, for lack of a more polite term, substandard. Those animals won't get bred. If the breeder decides not to keep them around as a pet, they will be given to or sold to an interested buyer who is already known to the breeder (most breeders will maintain waiting lists that span years). The animal will be spayed or neutered beforehand, and the papers will be provided. In certain circumstances, an exception is made and the animal is let go without being spayed or neutered under an agreement that the animal will not be bred, and the papers are withheld indefinitely, or until such time that the new owner provides evidence that the animal was spayed or neutered after the fact.
The above doesn't apply to backyard breeders, puppy mills, pet stores, etc. so all bets are off as to what you get, or what the rules are. With respect to the article, my guess is that anyone breeding cats specifically for hypoallergenic qualities is looking to sell them as pets only and definitely wouldn't want them going out the door with all their parts.
Re:amazingly rude (Score:3, Informative)
The hard truth of the matter is dogs, like cats, cows, horses and just about any other animal you're familiar with is the result of selective breeding. There was no such thing as a German Shepherd or an English Sheepdog until someone decided (hundreds or more years ago) on what they liked (or needed) and went about breeding the offspring to come up with the desired result.
Breeding, regrettably, requires a certain amount of inbreeding or you won't get where you want
Re:For my $4000.... (Score:2)
Re:For my $4000.... (Score:2)
Re:For my $4000.... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:For my $4000.... (Score:2)
Also, as in the Wikipedia article, she has the benefit of being somewhat hypoallergenic (but much cheaper than $4000), at least in an anecdotal fashion - personally, i've had very strong reactions to other cats in the past, and my mother has animal allergies strong enough to send her to the hospital at times....Yet I can have this kitten around with little or no reaction (especial
Re:For my $4000.... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:For my $4000....Offtopicish (Score:2)
i mean sure, they're not fighting along the usual natural selection stuff, but neither are humans.
i would be much more affraid of non-gmo products that are being overpoisoned to keep insects off
and over fertilized to compete in the market. they turn out to be slightly poisonous
for the article: i have a kitten at home, never seen it having any allergies, got the kitten
for free from a neighbour and saved 4k$
Re:For my $4000....Offtopicish (Score:3, Informative)
Here in Germany the conservatives push to broaden patent protection on genetically modified p
No definition in law? (Score:2)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_certification [wikipedia.org]
"Being able to put the word "organic" on a food product is a valuable marketing advantage in today's consumer market. Certification is intended to protect consumers from misuse of the term, and make buying organics easy. However, the organic labelling made possible by certification itself usually requires explanation.
In the US, federal organic legislation defines three levels of organics. Products made entirely with certified organic ingre
Re:For my $4000....Offtopicish (Score:2)
I'd tell you the chances of this story being a dupe, but you wouldn't like it.
1 [slashdot.org]
Bonsai Kitten (Score:5, Funny)
I'm Allergic to Cats (Score:2, Insightful)
Obligatory Bebop reference (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Obligatory Bebop reference (Score:2)
I am freaking SICK of meeting fat people with corgis named "Ein". We get it, you're a nerd. If you have to do something nerdly, don't make it so obvious. Name your dog after your D&D character or something.
Re:I'm Allergic to Cats (Score:2)
How about this one [burkesbackyard.com.au]? Older technology, but it's only half the price...
Re:I'm Allergic to Cats (Score:2)
By the way, no need to go that far.
Siamese do not shed a lot of hair either and they are cheaper. Based on my extremely unscientific observation of my old Siamese (it lives with my mom nowdays) they do not cause allergic reaction in many (not all) people who are supposedly allergic to cats.
They are also much more fun. Especially the males who are usually very friendly "Un
Re:I'm Allergic to Cats (Score:2)
Amen! I've been saying this for years. Look at the amount of variance we've developed in dogs through selective breeding over the years. If we'd had a sustained program of selecting for intelligence, we could have really intelligent dogs by now. They could be very useful. Imagine the blind or the deaf having such dogs. Also it would be cool if you could tell your dog to go to the corner shop and get you a paper, etc. Has that ever been done? Instead of teaching commands like heel, come by, etc. Teach the d
Patented Cats? (Score:4, Interesting)
Patents, if any, raise some serious ethical issues (Score:2)
How should using a genetic test for a known gene (i.e. the obvious step to take, instead of looking e.g. at the c
Re:Patents, if any, raise some serious ethical iss (Score:2)
People.... (Score:3, Insightful)
Keeping me warm (Score:4, Interesting)
For someone who has grown up never having a cute,furry pet, this is something I strongly welcome. I have allergies to most things and cats are certainly one of them. There is the constant sense of envy as friends talk about what cute things their kittens have done or how proud they are that their cat has caught a few mice. You can't really say the same sort of thing about fish. Now don't get me wrong, I still care for my fishes very much but I guess that there isn't really the same sort of attachment you would get with a warm blooded mammal.
I would be willing to pay up to $4000 to buy such a kitten, for if I was to get a regular cat, I'd probably be spending as much in medication.
Re:Keeping me warm (Score:2, Funny)
Ahhhh yes, now you too will be able to experience the joy and wonder of stumbling barefooted toward the bathroom in the middle of night and stepping on three quarters of a mouse.
KFG
Re:Keeping me warm (Score:2)
I get it, I get it, they're showing me what great little hunters they are... but yeesh.
Re:Keeping me warm (Score:2)
Our fat one brings home frogs, toads, and slugs. The frogs and toads... he catches. "Honey... do you feel like we're being watched?" "Oh #$% there's a frog under the TV!" The slugs... appear to run him down and catch *him*.
Our grey one brings home birds and chipmonks, and the occasional mouse/mole.
Our deaf one doesn't bring home anything, but damn he sure tries. He *does* do a good job of
This is all well and good... (Score:2)
Triksies, these ones are!
Unmentioned problem (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Unmentioned problem (Score:2)
Simpsons anyone? (Score:2)
I, for one... (Score:2)
Allergy free? (Score:2, Insightful)
good for a start, I guess (Score:2)
they just might make good pets.
Re:good for a start, I guess (Score:2)
Re:good for a start, I guess (Score:2)
RE:
1) I have been around many cats all my life. Never has one urinated on any bed. In fact, with the exception of one that was dying, they none have ever urinated anywhere but the litter box.
2) Sorry, can't help you there. But a self-cleaning litterbox is great tech (when it works).
3) But insanity is part of the fun!
4) Do you take "orders" from your friends? Then why should cats? Cats have a mind of their own. If you want a slave that focuses on you all the t
owkey slashdotters ... you've made it .. (Score:2)
A cheaper option, the Siberian (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:A cheaper option, the Siberian (Score:2)
why? (Score:2)
and it it doesn't protect them from encounters with regular cats - like those running around at
friends houses. a non-allergic person certainly won't buy one.
is the cat DRM protected? is it allowed to mate and to run around outside?
imagine a new breed of stray cats with that "feature"
Re:why? (Score:2)
Or potential customers could just... (Score:2)
if you want (Score:2)
Yeah, but how good are good are they at socks? (Score:2)
Anyone else?
(For those trying to figure it out, it's not perverted, but just a weeeee bit cruel)
if only the could make a cat (Score:2)
Two-headed version? (Score:2)
He promptly received this reply:
Re:stop playing God. (Score:4, Insightful)
This smells like a troll, but what do you think different breeds of dogs and cats are? That's basically human genetic engineering.
Not to mention that dogs and cats are artificially created animals anyway. Dogs were 'manufactured' from wolves, and cats from (whatever that proto-cat was called that I'm too lazy to look up).
Re:stop playing God. (Score:2)
Re:stop playing God. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:stop playing God. (Score:2)
Eat a lot of paint chips when you were little?
Re:stop playing God. (Score:2)
Do you know how inbred most purebred domestic animals are? What do you think purebred means anyway? For an animal to be purely of one breed, you have to mate it with it's not-so-distant relatives. Consequently they suffer from aliments ranging from hip dysplasia, to mental retardat
Whoops! Misread TFA (Score:2)
"Allerca announced their plans three years ago, and started collecting deposits from allergic cat fans, but have now decided that their plans to use RNA interference were taking a back seat to a more traditional breeding approach, albeit one that uses genetic testing to select individuals that express low levels of FEL D1. Although no reason is given for the change of approach, it is possible the RNAi approach simply wasn't working, and if you can just find individual breeding animals whe
Re:støp playing Gød. (Score:2)
Well, I just HAD tø take yøu tø task with "bread in a lab"...
If these creetures were bread in a lab, I am sure they'd be kwite susceptibel tø yeast infectiøn.
But, if they were børn as nørmal cats, then the passage frøm the burth canal wøuld prøbably generate iøns for the feliøn møther cat. If then she dragged the birth øut før føur days and fø
Define "lab" (Score:2)
What's is this fixation with a "lab"? What do you have against "labs"? Wherever humans conduct experiments and pick the best results, there is a lab.
Think about two situations:
a) A cook in a kitchen tastes something and decides it would be better with a bit of vinegar.
b) A chemist in a lab uses a pH meter, decides that a substance is a bit too alkaline, and adds a few drops of acetic acid.
What's the difference between these two cases, besides the wording? A cook
Re:stop playing God. (Score:2)
Re:støp playing Gød. Catatønia? (Score:2)
seguøe
I imagine a thing as hørrific-løøking as "Mr. Biggleswørth" was sø shøcking tø the møther she gave "wiggles-birth" that dragged øn fir FøUR days and fir Fø nights...
Re:stop playing God. (Score:5, Informative)
A link in that quote goes to a NewScientist.com article [newscientist.com], which appears to have more details:
Re:stop playing God. (Score:2)
Re:stop playing God. (Score:3, Funny)
You paid $200 for a cat to which you are allergic? You, sir, are pussy-whipped.
(all in humor, it was just too good to pass up)
Re:stop playing God. (Score:2)
Re:stop playing God. (Score:5, Insightful)
It's not right to use anti-allegery medicine. If being allergic is how you were made, then you shouldn't play God by taking it.
And while we're on the topic, something needs to be done about those people who use machines to add up thousands of numbers per second. Doing arithmetic on such a Godly scale, is just plain blasphemous and arrogant.
Then there's the people who think they can fly like gods, or move across an unnaturally-hard straight piece of ground faster than a cheetah, or breath while under water. Or kill other people at a distance far greater then the length of even a really long club. Or make music without any musicians appearing to be nearby. Or live in a cave-like habitat when there aren't any actual natural caves around. Some of the really arrogant ones, play God by drinking cold beer in spite of the fact that winter ended several months ago.
Re:stop playing God. (Score:4, Funny)
Re:stop playing God. (Score:2)
Re:stop playing God. (Score:2, Interesting)
I've tried this in the past and this method seriously limited my quality of life. Most medcation that alleviate the symptoms are not without side effects. Would it not be better for all if these cats are made avaiable and people won't have to take medications. I mean, the cats wouldn't know they are gen
Re:stop playing God. (Score:3, Insightful)
Furthermore, humans play God all the time. We have treatments for diseases (genetic ones even), shape the land, and create synthetic substitutes for fabrics, transportation, etc. etc. for stuff that isn't optimal. Even if they were to directly engineer the
More like breeding dogs (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
We have a winner. (Score:4, Informative)
You are correct, sir. [slashdot.org]
Re:Deja Vu on this story? (Score:2)
Now, if they did it the other way around and made "pussies" not allergic to the typical Slashdotter, that may qualify.....
Re:Deja Vu on this story? (Score:2)
Re:Your Rights Online? (Score:2)
Re:Man, I hate cats (Score:5, Informative)
I require rest to plot my next move (Score:2)
Re:Yum? (Score:2)
Re:Cash Cow...er, Cat (Score:2)
Better buy both a male and a female, or you may find that the offspring isn't so hypoallergenic after all. Or figure out how to clone [thecatgallery.com] her...
Re:Cash Cow...er, Cat (Score:2)
Better get out the cloning kit.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:It is wrong for a company breed and sell cats (Score:2)
DB - Monochrome white, analog processor, no soundcard (deaf), 17lb portable unit, batteries are good for an hour, and take 8 hours to recharge.
Bugsy - Monochrome grey, analog processor with "Boss 1.0" package, 8lb mobile unit, optional "opposable thumbs" upgrade, optional "food vacuum" upgrade, batteries are good for 20 minutes, take 14 hours to recharge.
Fatty - 1bit greyscale(grey/white), analog processor with "
Re:not a total solution (Score:2)
My wife's farm had 29 cats. Half were over the age of 12, and several were well past 15. The farm up the road from me has over 35 cats scattered throughout several barns. They aren't "dropping like flies" up there, either.
My two cats, as a kid, were indoor/outdoor. We put the first one down after she stroked out at 18. We put the 2nd one down when she was 20, after she broke her leg... from jumping off a shelf, *IN THE HOUSE*. Both spent 99% of the time either outside, or in the garage.
My wife