Allerca Lifstyle Pets - a pet as a fashion item?

Original article dated 5 January 2007

Newspapers such as the SPIEGEL had already announced in the fall: A U.S. company wants to be a cat with manipulated genes from the 2007 sale - for $ 3500 per head (the article). Now it's so far. Allerca goes into production.

I was attentive to the online store of allerca not in a Allergy Forum, a self-help page for cats with allergies or a cat breeder's website. No. I found Allerca fit "Allerca Lifestyle Pets" positioned at stylehive. Stylhive shows, according to claim "What is hot. Right now. "Stylehive is a typical Web2.0 community, where you stylish products that can be used for" the difference "believes, post, and the trend of other tips can view it.

The Stylehive shown on Artkikeln are mostly clothes, accessories, footwear, but also for furniture. Sometimes even on toys. The most common tags (ie keywords to the products) are

fashion, shopping, shoes, handbags, purses, accessories, gifts, tshirts, necklace, sneakers, gadgets, gear, technology, watches, sports, cars, toys, motorcycles, urban, home, modern decor, design, kitchen, furniture, lighting, living room, bathroom, spa, garden, kids, accessories, cooking, sofa, tables, carpet, textiles, windows, table ware, outdoor

And now: a cat. The Allerca Lifstyle Pet What is this?

First: Who or what is about Allerca?

Allerca describes to his (or her?) Website as follows (translation by the author):
ALLERCA is a lifestyle pet company
whose mission is to connect people with pets according to their
lifestyle.

By working with the latest genetic technologies, ALLERCA is helping to develop world-class expertise in the various disciplines of animal life sciences.

ALLERCA works to ensure that their customers are committed to the responsibility of owning a pet for its life. The health and well being of the animal is ALLERCA'S top priority.

At ALLERCA, we are particularly concerned about animal and bioethics, and continually study and discuss these issues both internally and with leading experts.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, ALLERCA works with a strategic network of experts Dispersed all over the U.S. and maintains an international presence in Europe, Australia, Asia and Latin America.

During the first points still very human and animal-friendly sound, the last paragraph indicates already that there is apparently not only to support poor people, the cats have allergy hair. This is about money. To big money. So reports the Mirror:

Simon Brodie, chief of Allerca, senses the already big business: For the price of 3500 dollars he wants from 2007 in the United States sell 200,000 animals. A year later it will be 400,000 worldwide - that would mean a turnover of 1.4 billion U.S. dollars mean.

400,000 cats. In words: Four hundred thousand cats.

I would only comment briefly on the ethical concerns about a genetically modified cat received. Because of the Allerca GD is not a genetically modified cat, but a controlled breeding program. Allerca Sun writes:

With the help of protected genetic technologies Allerca the team began to focus on the specific gene to concentrate that the Fel d 1 glycoprotein produced. In the process of genetic sequencing was used to naturally occurring genetic differences between cats to identify them. Allerca then focused on the deviations from the structure of the Fel d 1 allergen could potentially change. Using sophisticated bioinformatics to manage breeding programs was in the final phase of a cat with a different gene bred with a different version of the Fel D 1 protein produced - and a cat, which are no longer immune from the car attracts people who are allergic to cats .

And more

Although other genetic methods such as the attempt to DNA of a cat genetically modify it hypo-allergenic cats can be created, these methods rely on nuclear transfer (cloning) and may well-known risks associated with cloned animals to follow. The DG method, which Allerca is used the most effective method, healthy hypo-allergenic cats to produce and for the animal is harmless.

This means that when something Allerca not the genetic material of cats has been artificially changed, but after the animals were sought, through the naturally occurring mutation which a change. That is exactly what animal breeders do all possible, since it is animal husbandry. Only the methods by which Allerca this change, then of course something finer.

So the Allerca GD nothing other than a new breed. Except that it is a "product" is that probably is protected. But is this really something new?

Even with the Ragdoll, it has to 2005 and a protected trade mark. In 1971 founded Ann Baker, breeder of the first Raggdolls, the International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA), and was named as a brand name Ragdoll protect your property rights to protect and control of the race to remember. The Maren protection was valid until 2005 and allowed only IRCA breeders your animals as Ragdoll to call (Illustration: Ann Baker with one of their Ragdolls).

Similarly with the Nebelung (longhaired Russian Blue variant) identified by TICA is protected (Figure: Nebelung).

But 400,000 cats. They are still 2% of the total cat population of Germany. Produced by a company. Marketed as lifestyle articles.

How many Kätzinnen you have to hold to 1997 200.000 cats to produce? Even if we assume that any cat throws twice a year (which in breeding associations Maxiumum is allowed) and on average 5 gets boy, are the 20,000 cats. Even if these high-tech cats produced in the test tube, you need dams to remove the babies. How to keep the 20,000 plus Kätzinnen also necessary hangover? There is nothing more loving connection with family rearing, because by 20,000 cats mother useful accommodate 4,000 employees would Allerca, which can only worry about it, the cats at home to hold and care. I am now assumed that 5 cats with your boys (which also After over 30 shows animals) are the maximum of what to do with a good family connection at work. Many breeders are more than 5 adult cats, but then not all at the same time throws.

Can you believe? I have rather the image of masse held cats in cages. Including racial cat breeders in the U.S. your animals kept in cages, which in Germany is not allowed. But we want to be a cat? The animals are certainly kept clean. Getting the best food. Be excellent care. They are also valuable - at least $ 4,000 per animal. But is this really animal friendly?

And then you have to deal with the issue of whether the Allerca GD cat indeed a hypo-allergenic cat is (O-Ton Allerca: ALLERCA has produced the world's first scientifically-proven hypoallergenic cats). Sun can be found at the following Bioepherma.com entry that accurately reflects my thoughts:

Many breeders cats scream at Allercas announcement on. They claim that certain breeds such as Siberians, Cornish Rex and Devon Rex already hypoallergenic (and cheaper) are. The evidence is mostly anecdotal. But there are no legal standards for the medical use of the term "Hypoallergenic" to describe cats are [...], Siberian cat breeders can say that their cats are hypoallergenic.

At this stage we can not decide which cat (Allerca or Siberian) is more hypo-allergenic. No published studies comparing the two races. But that is what Allerca on their website claiming [...] Even if the Allerca cats do not have the allergenic glycoprotein Fel d 1 have - what is not proved - can Allerca cats still other potentially allergenic proteins bear. There are no non-allergenic cat and can not enter. Nevertheless, the allegation that some breeds' less allergens than others'. From the genetic variation between individual cats out, it seems quite likely that some less Fel d 1 production. Indeed Allerca claimed that their hypo-allergenic cats created by animals with regard to the naturally occurring variance in Fel d 1 gene have screened. Allercas assertion is technically correct but misleading, as they appear, Allerca was the only source of cats with reduced potential allergen. Allerca has not yet proven that Siberian cats are not as hypoallergenic as the Allerca cat. Show us the data, Allerca.

The image "Fashion conscious kitty" was Anyaka on Flickr under a Creative Commons license.