Cats Now Available for Pre-Order

I got that feeling today. You know the one. You read an article that sounds like a fake news story from some futuristic sci-fi movie. But it instead turns out to be true. Check this out:

" ALLERCA will produce the world's first hypoallergenic cats, and we expect the birth of these first special kittens in early 2007. The cat allergen is a potent protein secreted by the cat’s skin and salivary glands. Removal of the allergen will not harm the cats in any way. The resulting hypoallergenic cats will improve the health and quality of life for millions of cat-allergy sufferers.

While some breeds of cats have been promoted as having less allergen than others, scientists that have tested this hypothesis have shown that all cats, regardless of breed, produce allergen. Allerca will produce the first cats that will not affect human allergies.

The first breed of hypoallergenic cat produced will be the British Shorthair, known to be friendly, playful and affectionate. Other popular breeds will follow soon."

Yes, they're manufacturing cats. Real living cats. And for $3500, you can be the first on your block. Personally, I'm going to hold out for the growth-stunted dogs that remain puppies for life (BTW, if that one comes to pass, I get royalties. You heard it here first.).

Comments

[Florian Signoret]

I think this is really a shame !!
We are evil animals !

[Derek]

Before getting too excited, I suggest all cat-allergic cat-fans peruse the contrary evidence given at the New Scientist.

This could easily be a Raelian-type situation here.

[Bob R]

Say you could design in the cat it's lifespan. How many years would you give it? Fifteen? Five? Six months? The answer is a convolution between the a priori probability of having an unpleasant-personality cat and one's willingness to put up with said surly cat as a function of time. At what point do you start feeding it less? Allow it to wander out of doors unattended, near busy streets, in snowstorms? Let the kids play with it a little more vigorously than is wise? Would your answer change if your cat would decline with heart-disease, requiring expensive, life-saving open-kitty surgery? Or if your cat may aspire to medical school, and only Harvard would do?