Antibodies May Prevent Jerk Cats From Giving Me Allergies

Cats are Jerks. This is a scientific fact. Don’t believe me? Look at this jerk:

Our cat, Goose, is always meowing and knocking stuff down and being a general brat.

The good news is I can complain about her being loud or knocking over my TMNT figures and NOT the terrible, terrible allergies cats give us all.

Purina, the pet food company, is studying on how food containing antibodies may prevent cat allergies in humans. The major protein in cat dander/sweat/etc. that causes allergies in humans is Fel d1. When feeding the cats foods containing antibodies for these proteins, the amount of proteins they are leaving on your carpet or pillow or shoes dropped by about 50%.

SCIENCE ATTACK: Cats shed Fel d1 in saliva and skin glands. Those proteins end up in people and, in some folks, your body thinks it’s an awful thing trying to kill you. That’s why you start sneezing, having watery eyes, and everything else that makes you miserable.

The important thing, though, is that a pilot study showed that people with severe cat allergies saw a major drop in reactions. And the antibodies don’t directly interfere with the Fel d1 productions, so the cats can go on and do normal cat things like biting your feet and knocking over glasses of water. If all goes well, Purina products might be a godsend to those who love cats but hate dying of allergy-related asthma attacks from cats.

Do you love or hate cats? Do you suffer from allergies? Let Nerdbot know in the comments!

Author

Kurt Broz

THE Kurt Broz is not just a personality for Nerdbot, but he's also the editor-in-chief and a real live scientist! Born on the snowy shores of Lake Erie in good ol' Cleveland, Ohio, Kurt Broz has been there and back again, now residing in sunny Southern California. You can find THE Kurt Broz in cosplay, buying comics, hiking, and even writing for Nerdbot and WLFK Productions. He may be a child of the 80's but he is certainly a man of the world.

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