Even if Allerca is still providing these cats (which they may or may not be doing), it seems that the evidence is piling up against the costly felines and their parent company.
Not only is the “science” of claims for hypoallergenic status coming under increasing fire, but consumer advocate groups like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Delaware have given them an F rating! The BBB reports that Allerca has failed to respond at all to at least one complaint filed against them. There are 5 complaints listed in total, including 4 regarding refunds or exchanges and 1 for selling practices.
This is a sad downward spiral from a Time Magazine award as one of the best inventions of 2006.
A 2008 ABC News report shows that skepticism might be the correct approach to Allerca’s claims. Dr David Avner, an MD and president of Felix Pets says that he’s been in this business as a rival to Allerca and that the only way to turn off the key protein that produces allergic reactions is to genetically modify the cats. Mere breeding would not do the trick as Allerca claims.
Mind you, Avner has a vested interest in debunking Allerca: his former business partner, Simon Brodie, is the man behind Allerca. They remain at odds after an unfriendly split.
However, it is suspicious that Brodie will not publish any of Allerca’s research in peer-reviewed journals, and depends exclusively on Allerca’s own research for all sales and marketing claims - which would be highly subject to bias.
With that in mind, not all Allerca clients are unhappy ones. The problem is that there seem to be as many unhappy ones as there are happy ones. Some customers requested cats and were turned down - even after paying deposits - because their allergy tests were “too high”. The company claimed that they could not even tolerate a hypoallergenic cat.
Scientists wait in the meantime to actually test some of these cats, outside of Allerca’s walls. They agree that while hypoallergenic cats could be possible, there’s no proof yet.
Source: Science In Society; ABC News
