News Briefs for the Week of May 26, 2002
By Marcella Durand for Cat Facts
- Kids With Cats Are Less Likely to Become Allergic
Cats get blamed for a lot of things, including sneezing and itchy eyes (not to mention how your favorite pen always ends up under the couch), but a new study conducted at the Asthma and Allergic Diseases Center at the University of Virginia indicates that asthma shouldn't be one of them.
Interestingly enough, children in the study who were exposed to mite allergens (mites are those nasty little bugs that live in pillows, laundry piles and other such places) showed increasing sensitivity to them, while, in contrast, exposure to cat allergens was associated with decreased sensitivity. "Thus, among children with high exposure, the odds of sensitization to mite rather than cat was 4-0," says the study, published in The Lancet. The researchers concluded that "exposure to cat allergens can produce an IgG and IgG4 antibody response without sensitization or risk of asthma.... The results may explain the observation that animals in the house can decrease the risk of asthma."
So ditch the 12-year-old pillows and mattresses, wash your kids' clothes regularly and keep the cat.
- Spayed Females Need Fewer Calories
It's so unfair! Not only does a new study show that cats can gain some weight after spaying or neutering, but it seems to be the females in that group who are most prone to putting on a few extra pounds.
A new study conducted at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia has found that, as the researchers so delicately put it, "caloric requirements for weight maintenance were significantly decreased eight and 10 weeks after neutering in females." Or, in other words, your spayed kitty won't be able to happily wolf down a huge amount of kibble and simultaneously retain her kittenish figure. Sound familiar?
The best way to deal with this, of course, is to feed your cat a bit less and make sure she gets plenty of exercise. And look at it this way: Spaying your cat will help reduce pet overpopulation, and at the same time provide you with a new weight-maintenance partner. After all, doctors say the most effective way for you to lose weight responsibly is to exercise and diet with a friend!
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