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Custom Cats: How Genetic Engineering
is Changing the World of Pets
I Am Siamese (Cats & Kittens. Raising Happy, Healthy, Beautiful
Siamese Cats.
When people hear the phrase "genetically modified organism" (GMO),
They picture fruits, veggies or grain that's been altered in some
way to be cheaper or produced more abundantly. Plant GMOs are
usually made with the purpose of solving hunger problems around the
world by producing enough food to feed humanity's exploding
population. However, now the term GMO can be applied to something
many of us hold dear in our lives…our pets. The company Allerca Pet
Lifestyles from California announced last month that they will be
selling kittens next year that have been genetically modified to be
hypoallergenic. Humans have altered animal genomes for thousands of
years through artificial selection (breeding), and even though this
new form of genetic tinkering needs to be thoroughly tested before
it's put up for sale, demand is bringing it rushing into the market.
It is hard for one to argue completely against humans altering other
animals' genomes, especially since we've already been doing it for
much of our history. Diverse breeds of dogs and cats have arisen
over the millennia through human efforts of artificial selection.
Natural selection created the wild wolves and dogs from which our
domesticated friends descended. One could argue that since we've
already changed animal DNA to fit our desires and needs, there is
nothing unethical about genetically modifying today's pets. It just
accomplishes in one generation what usually takes several
generations of breeding. It also creates phenotypes that we might
never see arise naturally.
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One thing that many people agree on is the need for extensive
testing before this technology goes to market. The PETA has argued
that there is no way of knowing the long-term effects of genetic
engineering on a cat's genome, and they're right. To date, no such
study has been done proving that genetic engineering is completely
safe for any animal. In this particular case, scientists have
silenced a gene is cats that produces their most common allergen.
The gene still exists, but it's not able to produce it's protein.
What needs to be done is extensive research over many years to study
not only the genetically modified individuals but also their
offspring.
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In spite of this, there seems to be nothing that can slow the tide
of selling GMO pets. Proposed bills that would ban their sale failed
in California last year. Though many people protest, GMO pets are
coming to market. Hopefully there won't be too much damage done.
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Grant Carroll proud father of three dogs and co-owner of http://www.littlepamperedpets.com
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Custom Cats: How Genetic
Engineering is Changing the World of Pets |
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