Hypoallergenic Cats: Solution for Cat Allergy?
$3,500 Cat Might Still Cause Cat Allergy, Experts Say
"I'm not sure I like the idea of genetically manipulated cats, but I'll keep an open mind to it," says Gailen D. Marshall, MD, PhD, director of clinical immunology and allergy at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
A cat lover with a cat allergy doesn't have many options, he adds. Allergy shots suppress the symptoms, but the allergy is still there, which can be dangerous when asthma is involved. "And trying to bathe a cat is about as easy as herding cats," Marshall tells WebMD.
Since the "new cat" still produces small amounts of allergen, he's concerned about the cumulative effects. "It could be problematic over time. The allergen protein is very stable; it lives for long periods of time. This cat will still have dander, still groom itself, still have a kitty litter box. That cumulative amount could become an allergy issue -- it's simply delayed rather than eliminated."
Also, the Fel d 1 protein isn't the only allergen a cat produces, Marshall says. "That makes a big, big difference." A small percentage of cat allergy sufferers would be "just as allergic to that $3,500 cat as any cat from the SPCA."
The hypoallergenic cat "is an option, albeit an expensive one," he tells WebMD. "Until this animal is available for several years, I would reserve judgment. To suggest this is a panacea for a cat allergy is very premature."
Hypoallergenic Cats: Solution for Cat Allergy?
$3,500 Cat Might Still Cause Cat Allergy, Experts Say
Cat Allergy Specialists Are Skeptical continued...
"I'm not sure I like the idea of genetically manipulated cats, but I'll keep an open mind to it," says Gailen D. Marshall, MD, PhD, director of clinical immunology and allergy at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
A cat lover with a cat allergy doesn't have many options, he adds. Allergy shots suppress the symptoms, but the allergy is still there, which can be dangerous when asthma is involved. "And trying to bathe a cat is about as easy as herding cats," Marshall tells WebMD.
Since the "new cat" still produces small amounts of allergen, he's concerned about the cumulative effects. "It could be problematic over time. The allergen protein is very stable; it lives for long periods of time. This cat will still have dander, still groom itself, still have a kitty litter box. That cumulative amount could become an allergy issue -- it's simply delayed rather than eliminated."
Also, the Fel d 1 protein isn't the only allergen a cat produces, Marshall says. "That makes a big, big difference." A small percentage of cat allergy sufferers would be "just as allergic to that $3,500 cat as any cat from the SPCA."
The hypoallergenic cat "is an option, albeit an expensive one," he tells WebMD. "Until this animal is available for several years, I would reserve judgment. To suggest this is a panacea for a cat allergy is very premature."
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