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Allergy-Free Kittens Produced
Posted by
Zonk
on Fri Jun 09, 2006 11:41 PM
from the nothing-about-these-cats-is-free dept.
from the nothing-about-these-cats-is-free dept.
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."
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slashvertizement... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:slashvertizement... (Score:5, Informative)
Denver Business Journal: Law Suit [64.233.161.104]
KFG
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
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)
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)
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 She
Re:For my $4000.... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:For my $4000....Offtopicish (Score:3, Informative)
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. N
Re:I'm Allergic to Cats (Score:2)
How about this one [burkesbackyard.com.au]? Older technology, but it's only half the price...
Patented Cats? (Score:4, Interesting)
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
This is all well and good... (Score:2)
Triksies, these ones are!
Unmentioned problem (Score:4, Funny)
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: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: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: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, Interesting)
I've tried this in the past and this method serio
Re:stop playing God. (Score:3, Insightful)
Fur
We have a winner. (Score:4, Informative)
You are correct, sir. [slashdot.org]
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)