Two companies want to create hypoallergenic cats

Cats that no longer present the gene that causes allergy, this is what hope to create two companies in competition.

Cat allergy is a widespread phenomenon. At present, there is no effective treatment for this intolerance. But two American companies, Indoor Technologies and Felix Pets, have the intention to make a difference.

The idea is to genetically modify embryos of cats to make them hypoallergenic. The allergy is caused by a protein called Fel d 1 that is produced by a clearly identified gene. The goal for both companies would be to create cats that no longer have this gene.

Indoor Technologies and Felix Pets both filed a patent in 2016 that goes in this direction. These documents speak of a technology of a genetic modification called the Crispr-Cas9. In this case, it would consist in cutting the discomfort that produces the allergenic protein and replacing it with another

No proof of result could be established for the moment. It remains to be seen whether a cat without this gene will be a healthy feline or not