Allerca expects the first kittens to be born in early 2007 and is already accepting $250 deposits from interested customers.

These particular kittens are going to have the gene that directs the production of the protein that causes most allergies to cats turned off. While that in itself is wonderful news to people like me who'd love to have a cat again but fear the sneezing and wheezing that would result, perhaps there are larger issues here.

Selective breeding has already produced cats with features desirable to people but not always without cost to the cats produced. For example, Persians, with their scrunched-up, flat little faces have trouble breathing more often than other cats. Genetic engineering could possibly do the same thing, so it's worth being careful about.

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Originally posted by Mike Keenan:
Another question- will you be prohibited from breeding from these cats? If your cat escapes before it can be neutered, and reproduces as a result, will you face a lawsuit from the company??

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Although I tend to agree about pure-breeding, I agree that guide dogs and other working animals can be an exception. Mira www.mira.org has found that a cross between Labradors and some other working breeds (nothing in the breed books) have the best characteristics for working with blind and other disabled people.

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If humans have allergies to cats, shouldn't the work be done on eliminating the human allergy, not changing the cats?

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Originally posted by Doug:

The cats will come to customers already neutered or spayed, so you couldn't breed them even if you wanted to.

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Of course. Wouldn't want anyone getting in the way of the profit train, now would we? And it's a lot easier than "doomsday" seeds.
But waitaminute . . . already neutered or spayed? What does that mean in terms of the age you'll get them at? Aren't there problems with spaying a cat when she's too young? I'm not sure I want them doing operations on cats when they're tiny kittens, and I'm also not sure I'd want a cat that's been raised by a corporation to near adulthood before I get it. Cats can be neurotic enough as it is, thanks.

Annoyed as I am at people who declaw their cats (many vets now refuse to do this) deliberately breeding cats with non functional front paws is something I found horrifying. Poor things would get clobbered if they ever went outside.

[ 27 October 2004: Message edited by: aka Mycroft ]