A U.S. biotech company says it has developed a new breed of hypoallergenic cats, offering animal lovers with allergies new hope.

Allerca says the cats will not prompt sneezing, red eyes or asthma, except in particularly acute allergy cases.

“These cats have been naturally bred,” Allerca spokeswoman Dr. Bernadine Cruz said in a release. “Allerca found a naturally occurring divergence in the specific gene sequence and bred from there. Since it is natural, there are no long-term effects to worry about beyond natural evolution.”

However, the designer cats come with a hefty price tag. Consumers south of the border will pay $3,950 US while Canadians will pay considerably more at $5,950 US. On top of that, they must pay an international processing fee of $995 US and an additional charge of up to $2,000 US, to cover air transport.

“It’s not about the money for people who always wanted a cat but couldn’t because they or someone they knew was allergic – it’s about an investment in a family companionship that can live up to 12 years on average. It’s hard to put a price tag on that,” Cruz said.

Canadians, it appears, are prepared to shell out for their pampered pets. An Ipsos Reid pet ownership study in 2001 estimated the Canadian pet industry to be worth $3.8 billion while a 2003 Stats Can report indicated that Canadian households spent an average of $337.