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New Vaccine May Stop Humans From Having Allergic Reactions To Cats

Speaking as a guaranteed future crazy cat lady, I'd just like to go on record here and say cats make excellent companions. They're often a great source of comfort for people, especially anyone who might feel lonely or be struggling with an absence in their life. Cats can fill those voids effortlessly.

So it's no wonder why some pet owners are devastated to find out they're tragically allergic to their precious fur baby.

Now, as someone who is somehow blessed without any allergies so far in my life (knock on wood), I can't speak from personal experience on this one.

But I do know people who get those telltale itchy eyes, runny noses, rashes, and perpetual bouts of sneezing if they even enter the same room as a cat, let along try to touch one.

I also know how miserable it can be to want so badly to live your best #crazycatlady life but knowing that means resigning yourself to a life of rubbing at your eyes and wiping at your nose day in and day out.

Cats, though beautiful, majestic creatures, are notoriously hairy.

Unsplash | Mikhail Vasilyev

So unless anyone with an allergy is prepared to invest some serious cash into purchasing a hairless feline, you have to resign to a life of avoiding cats or enduring those annoying allergy symptoms.

That is, until now.

Scientists may have come up with a vaccine that virtually eliminates cat allergies in humans.

According to News Hub, the so-called HypoCat vaccine is like the answer to the prayers of anyone who's ever found themselves a sniffling, itchy mess after their dear fur baby climbed up into their lap for a rare cuddle.

If you feel particularly wary towards needles, fear not — this vaccine is actually for your cat.

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The vaccine is administered to your precious feline through a simple injection. It neutralizes the allergy-causing protein, Fed-d1, which is largely found in a cat's fur. It's this protein that ignites a rush of the chemical histamine in allergy-sufferers, thus causing those uncomfortable allergy symptoms.

HypoCat will trigger the cat's immune system to produce antibodies to attack and destroy that Fed-d1 protein.

Unsplash | Mikhail Vasilyev

Without that protein in the cat's dandruff or shedding fur, there'll be nothing to trigger a person's allergy symptoms.

This definitely sounds like something from the future but this is actually a very real, very promising vaccine that has been a long time in the making.

It has reportedly taken researchers almost a decade to come up with what they claim can potentially cure cat allergies.

Unsplash | Lucas Vasques

They hope to see the vaccine available for use within the next three years, so if you currently suffer from cat allergies, you're time of irritable symptoms might soon be coming to an end!

Not only will this vaccine have a tremendous effect on people, it'll also benefit the cats who receive it.

Unsplash | Nirzar Pangarkar

Felines are often given up to animal shelters by owners who either suffer from allergy symptoms themselves, or who can no longer keep the cat due to someone else who's allergic.

"Their cats could stay in the households and not need to be relinquished to animal shelters," researchers say.

So to all you sneezers and weepers out there, get ready to fall in love with cats all over again.

Your time of sweet allergy-free living might be coming much sooner than you ever thought possible. Sure, for now you'll have to keep on living with your irritating bodily reactions to adorable cats. But someday, that could all become a thing of the past.

h/t: News Hub

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