Allerca (the cats?)

badcandy_IHB

badcandy_IHB

New member
Totally off-topic, but I figured I'd start here.



Anyone have or know someone who has one of these cats? Went to see the allergist this week and the outlook was kinda bleak. However, I am wary of adding myself to a 12 month waiting list and upfront costs only to be heartbroken by severe reactions to the "hypoallergenic cat." (We've gone to a bengal breeder and to a siberian breeder but both prompted bad reactions.)



So... I'm looking for the opportunity for me and my husband to meet an allerca cat. I know it may sound strange, but I suspect anyone who has gone down this road would understand.
 
Nope. Haven't even heard of an Allerca, but I would like to hear more of your experience as it goes.
 
<p>Now granted, this article is from July 2006....but it doesn't sound good. Don't know if the company has even submitted a paper regarding their findings, for peer review yet. Read up and be cautious.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060716/news_1n16allerca.html">Questions trail local entrepreneur | The San Diego Union-Tribune</a></p>
 
You can do what I did - get a poodle.



Cats love me. I mean it. They LOVE me. I go to somebody's home with cats, and they always make a beeline for me. Figures, I'm really allergic to cats.
 
Perhaps we can get Irvine Allergy Dr. to respond to this thread...





When my wife and I first moved in together, I had two cats. She was so allergic to the cats, she nearly died the first weekend in my place. We went to my allergy doctor who told us what would happen: he said, "you will try everything from over-the-counter medications to special grooming techniques, and none of it will help. Eventually, you will need to make a decision between living together as a couple or keeping your cats." He was right. We tried everything, but after about 6 weeks of suffering, I found new homes for my cats. It was heartbreaking.





I did notice she was more sensitive to the one cat who was a more meticulous groomer. This cat also shed more hair.





I did know someone who bought a hypoallergenic cat, but I moved away from the area, so I don't know if their experience was positive long term.
 
We put people on cat allergy shots all the time. The academics don't like it because they would rather people get rid of their cats. It will take up to a year to build up desensitization and may not give 100% relief (50-70%) but it's an option.



You must have an HMO since they probably don't want to pay for the shots.
 
The allergist we saw was... well, I think he had his mind made up about our situation before we started talking. I gave up my cat *5 years ago* when I moved to England. Husband is extremely allergic and has asthma... When we moved to Irvine, the asthma problems disappeared... so I started looking for options.



We do have a PPO and frankly even if they didn't cover the shots we'd probably do it anyway... but hubby was hoping for "get shots, problem goes away" not "get shots, 50/50 shot of 50-70% relief, take 4 medications on top of that to get through the next 20 years of the cat's life."



IR, I did know in advance hubby was allergic, so I set up my kitty with a human slave and left him behind. But it's been 5 years and it's still really upsetting me.



Trooper, thanks for the link, doing a bit of digging atm... but have only come up with one!



http://www.ereleases.com/pr/20060914007.html



The whole thing seems really sketchy... and from what I can gather, we'd be denied anyway for having too severe an allergy. *frown* All the more reason to meet one first. :)



Perhaps the answer will be to pursue the shots and visit more breeders hoping to find a line that brings out the least reaction.



Thanks for the help guys =)
 
What about a hairless cat? Not as snuggly but still cute in an alien sort of way.








<img src="http://www.cfa.org/breeds/profiles/jpgs-bob/sphynx.gif" alt="" />
 
Hairless... good thinking ...



But... Wouldn't help short hair little better than long hair but not a lot



Major cat allergen (felD1) is found in the pelt.



You need to skin the cat... (oops, that wouldn't work)



Other option is to bath the cat frequently (at least once/week.. seems to help also)



Don't know what you allergist was thinking, but giving shots is how we make money (don't tell him I told you that, blow the whole gig, maybe he'll go broke and have to go into botox or something)
 
<p>Seriously, I'm surprised that only one fly by night group has been able to (allegedly) isolate the gene that causes the allergy (felD1 alan ?)</p>

<p>I wonder if anyone else is working on it ?</p>
 
actually hairless cats are the worst, what people are allergic to is a protein found in the saliva of cats, that tends to manifest as they lick themselves, and it flakes off with the skin as dander. Hairless cats have a worse dander problem than long hair cats, through some cruel twist of irony. And they need sponge baths. *shudder*



I'm honestly not sure, said allergist claimed there were about 20 different things from a cat you can be allergic to, but FelD1 is the one about 95% of people are allergic to. It seems the scientific community accepts that it is 'plausible' to ferret it out, but no one is sure that they actually have.



Yes, I have had 5 years of off and on web scouring looking for a solution. :)



Alan, since you seem to know about these things... was he right to quote me a 50% chance of the shots having ANY effect?
 
If anyone is allergic to cats, and happens to need to find a home for them... then I have a good home for them. I also have some rabbits they can become friends with...





<img src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/images/2006/05/30/rabbits470_470x300.jpg" alt="" />
 
Trooper.. It was not one "fly by night group". FelD1 was identified about 10 years ago as the major cat allergen. What this group claims to have done is use start up capital and established gentic engineer techniques to make a "knock-out" cat for FelD1 just like we have for mice.



Badcandy.. yes allergy shots work pretty well, 50% was an gross underestimation of effectivness. actually, some of my patients get nearly 100% relief but I just don't promise them that up front.
 
<p>That hairless cat is ugly in an extremely hairless alien sort of way. Also, I think they are hard to take care of since they have no fur coat to keep them warm. After all we hairless humans find it necessary to wear clothes most of the time.</p>

<p>And I am a cat lover.</p>
 
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