If science has its way, your cat allergy won't be an excuse to skip Thanksgiving at your grandmother's house, where her five cats also reside.
Hypoallergenic cats could be making a debut sooner rather than later due to the magic of CRISPR gene-editing technology.
While fur and dander, in general, are blamed for hives, runny noses and red eyes, the issue is cat saliva and tears that end up on the fur when grooming themselves. By casual observation, cats spend most of their nine lives either sleeping or grooming.
According to an article in IFLScience!, researchers identified the protein, Fel d 1, which ends up in the saliva and tears of felines, causing about 90% of allergic reactions.
A Virginia-based biotech company, InBio, is using CRISPR, the Nobel Prize-winning gene-editing tech, to breed cats to make little to no Fel d 1.
So far, they have collected enough evidence, according to Gizmondo, that this can be done effectively and safely.
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"Taken together, our data indicate Fel d 1 is both a rational and viable candidate for gene deletion, which may profoundly benefit cat allergy sufferers by removing the major allergen at the source," IFLScience! quoted the researchers.
Additionally, "future studies will aim to develop a means for deleting Fel d 1 genes in adult cats and effectively rendering cats hypoallergenic."
This is good news for the more than 45 million Americans who own cats, with families owning at least one, according to Rainwalk Pets.
And while the cat of the future may be hypoallergenic, it doesn't solve the problem of cat hair ending up on every surface of a home and clothing. For that, a visit to Chewy Inc (NYSE:CHWY) or Petco Health And Wellness Co Inc (NASDAQ:WOOF) for a cat hair remover/lint roller may be your only solution.
Don't forget to give one to your grandmother for Christmas.
Related Link: Pet Care Costs In The U.S. Vs. Europe
Update: This article was updated May 5, 2022, with new information about cat ownership.
