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Bye-Bye, Kitty Achoo?

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The Daily News excitedly reports that hypoallergenic cat was purchased by a family in the Village for $7,000. Yes, cat allergy sufferers, you may be able to have an adorable fluffy kitty if you are willing to shell out the dough. Allerca Lifestyle Pets sells cats for $3,950, but there's another $3,000 for insurance and shipping. And this is what the kitty includes:

- An ALLERCA GD kitten at 12 weeks of age
- Complete and updated vaccinations through delivery
- Mandatory spaying or neutering
- Microchip Identifier implant
- One year of veterinary health insurance with Pets Best
- 1 x Home Environmental Allergy Test (to check for existing cat allergen in your home)
- 2 x MyAllergy test (a complete FDA approved home allergy test)
- ALLERCA airline certified cat transporter
- Veterinary Health Certificate (required for travel)
- One set of SoftPaws nail caps already applied (these are vinyl nail caps applied to your kitten's claws that effectively cover the claws so no damage occurs when your kitten scratches)
- ALLERCA Starter Pack (includes premium kitten food, additional SoftPaws, cat toys and other kitten sundries)
- One year guarantee (see purchase agreement for terms and conditions)
Gothamist is skeptical of hypoallergenic pets, because until you wake up with the pet sleeping on top of your head, you never really know. One way to have pets and keep allergies down is vacuuming. A lot. But pets can reduce your stress levels, so it's worth it.

Would you pay $7,000 for a hypoallergenic cat? And there are tons of cats available for adoption - and they are free.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

Comments [rss]

  • Susan

    Has anyone prepurchased one of these kitties as well? I've been on the waiting list for over two years and have yet to receive my cat. I'm getting quite anxious to hear about kittens successfully being delivered to others on the waiting list.

  • Susan

    Has anyone prepurchased one of these kitties as well? I've been on the waiting list for over two years and have yet to receive my cat. I'm getting quite anxious to hear about kittens successfully being delivered to others on the waiting list.

  • Elise

    Tamasha, the cats you're thinking of are Rex cats, but they're not actually hypoallergenic. They just produce less dander.

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  • I previously wrote that BARC "puts you through a wringer" when applying for pet adoption and I just wanted to clarify that BARC is a great organization. Their applications requires a lot of information and possibly a home visit to verify the suitability of adoption, but that's only because they clearly care about the welfare of the animals they rescue. When I showed up with all my papers in order, they were ready to give me my cat on the spot, with all the necessary medical procedures completed. They even gave me a cat carrier to take him home in and a free bag of food. For about $75, you can't beat that for affordable pet adoption. BARC is the best and I highly recommend them to anyone looking to adopt a cat or dog.

    http://www.barcshelter.org/

  • Kevin

    Tamasha, the Siamese breed are supposedly less allergenic. Again, I was allergic before getting [now two] Siamese. It took my body a good two weeks to really adjust but amazingly since that point NO allergic reaction AT ALL. Also, this breed is highly intelligent and are so beautiful. Just be prepared to have to give it LOTS of attention.

  • tamasha

    All of you people who are saying you wouldn't spend $7000 for a cat, you'd rather adopt, are forgetting that the REASON these cats are so expensive is that they are hypoallergenic.

    I think it's a little shady if you ask me, but as a cat-allergic person who actually likes cats, I might consider it if I could afford it. That said, the site actually says it's more like $4000 + a travel fee for the cat (shipping?).

    There is some kind of cat already that's non-allergic. Siberian? Russian? Something like that. The only think weird about them is big ears, but I've seen them and they're kind of cute.

  • Brightliner

    Jen,

    You should get an Autopetfeeder. Set it for eight small feedings a day and your cat will never bother you for food again. Ours knows she'll get her food right on schedule every day even when we leave for a weekend, although she still wants and gives love and attention at times.

  • I thought about getting a hypoallergenic cat for a second because I'm slightly allergic to cats, until I saw the price tag. Instead, we got an American curl which is a breed that's supposedly better for people with feline allergies (they shed less and produce less dander).

  • Jen

    The allure of human scent on pillows makes sense, but he doesn't sleep on my husband's pillow at all. Which means I'm like catnip or that the cat knows I'm an easy mark and I'll get up and feed him when he meows at 5:30AM.

  • i too used to be allergic to cats, but since having one join me in the apt, it's gotten better. i still get the occasional itchy eyes, but i think that's from getting cat hair in them.

    and the pillow thing is kind of annoying, but very cute. when the walk over and just fall onto your head.

  • J

    I agree - no way would I spend $7,000 to "buy" a cat. I adopted mine for $75 each including neutering. I don't even want to think about how much $$$ I've spent on vet bills, toys, food, litter... but it's worth it. :)

  • Brightliner

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't allergy therapy, including injections, cost quite a bit less than $7000, especially if your insurance covers part of it? It might be worth it if your entire family was allergic, but in that case, I'd say it'd be better to skip the cat in the first place.

    I wouldn't buy a cat from a pet store, either. Who knows what kind of kitten mills they come from. You can go to a breeder and get a pedigreed purebred (pet quality) with papers for anywhere from $400 to $600, so that shop is really ripping people off. Especially with reputable breeders, you can visit the cattery and see what conditions the kittens were raised in.

  • Kathleen Hansen

    I've got TWO cats sleeping on my head every damn night. Some mornings I wake up and my head is on like one inch of pillow and these two freakin cats are luxuriating on MY pillow. But I love those furballs.

  • When I was about to adopt a cat, I stopped by a pet store to see just how much easier it would be to buy one (BARC puts you through a wringer). When I was quoted $7.95 for a kitten, I thought "screw adoption". Then they informed me they were talking $795. For a goddamn cat! I wound up adopting and we don't even like each other that much--he won't get off me.

    The prospect of spending $7Gs on a cat when one could fund the rescue and distribution of hundreds of unwanted animals for that amount makes me want to be a commie, and I hate commies.

    If you're so desperate for animal company that you're willing to invest $7,000 in a cat, I suggest you divert those funds to a psychiatrist. Really. You obviously have human needs to be met that need to be dealt with on a fundamental level.

  • I think the head/hair/pillow thing is because a lot of your natural oils and scent comes from your scalp. So it's the cat's way of being/feeling close to its pet human. Aw, that's kind of sweet (except when it wakes you up).

  • dudical

    Dude!

  • Jen

    Dude, what's up with odd feline sleeping perches? I thought mine was the only head-fetish weirdo.

  • I would need to be paid about $300 trillion to adopt a cat. I am a dog person.

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