For those allergic to cats: Question regarding hypoallergenic cats

[ReiMiraa]

i want to get a cat again.... but i am allergic...
logically i have deducted that it is the saliva i am alergic too

why? i can handle kittens easily, as long as i dont cuddle them against my face...
large cats.... i cant.
kittens dont wash themselves... their moms do.
kittens have less saliva on them.

so have they designed a cat without the stuff in their saliva yet???

 

[Robin'sBrood]

I developed cat allergies after I moved out of my parents' house to go to college. I left my indoor cat behind and my allergies came out... the doc said it was like I had been taking allergy shots when I lived with my cat, then when I no longer did, the allergies flared up... it's been well over 20 years and my allergies seem to be getting worse, to the point of asthmatic reactions to cats now.

 

[chickerdoodle]

It depends on the individual cat and individual person. Most feline specialists recommend if the person insists on getting a cat to try one of the Rex breeds of cats. They have silky soft, short curly fur. I do agree that spending some time with an individual cat is a good idea as well as removing carpets, get leather or fake leather couch/chairs and/or wood, vacuuming the home (furniture too!) frequently and have someone else brush and remove dead hairs from the cat at least twice weekly instead of the allergic person. I had severe allergies from dogs and cats as a child so I took injections to desensitize me as I wouldn't stop working with animals. I actually achieved my dream as I became a board certified veterinary technician and then after more education a behavior specialist! Its possible if you take the right steps and the allergy is not life threatening.

 

[MaggieRae]

I had maine coon cats growing up. They're long haired and shed, but have almost no dander. People are usually allergic to the saliva on the dander that falls off...

The world we live in.

They're big cuddly cats, too. All that we've had are great hunters, catching birds, rabbits, mice. Everything. Mine never went after my chickens though. He let them sleep on him and they would cuddle up in his fluffy fur. Was very cute.

They're about bob cat size.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:
See my reply on page 1. There is a link to a wikipedia article that talks about this. Unfortunately the one company that is currently selling cats that (they have said) produces no allergens in its saliva has had many complaints from a lot of their customers that have paid $4,000 for one of their cats! There are other companies working on this and/or are very close to marketing their results, so there is hope for the future. Best to hope for these days is a hypoallergenic cat. which only means "less likely" to cause an allergic reaction for some people.

 

[BarbK]

I had people on here when I was trying to rehome one of my 2 cats that DH couldnt possibly be allergic to only one of the cats. (and pretty much lean towards calling me a bad person for trying to only rehome one) He is/was allergic to both just NOT as badly to one. I have since rehomed my male DSH and he doesn't really have issues with my female Bengal. Ya if she is up in his face alot he gets all stuffy and teary eyed but that has only happened once or twice. She doesn't shed as much as my male did and her fur is different.
We are happy with the Bengal because she doesn't set DH of like Tippy did. Tippy is happier in his new home, DH is happy he has cleared up, and Kiana is happy being the ONLY cat in the house.
(sorry about the rambling post)

OP maybe see if you could meet an individual of each of the breeds you are thinking about and see if they cause a reaction. For us we like the Bengal but you have to be willing to deal with the temperment.

 

[LizFM]

Lots of people are allergic to adult cats but not kittens. As someone mentioned, mamma cat licks her babies so who knows why (maybe because mamma's not doing that much grooming on a baby ready to go to a new home).

At any rate, far too many people get kittens thinking "this one doesn't bother me" then, months later, all of a sudden your allergies start to bother you and it's not a cute baby anymore which makes it harder to find homes for. I have known far too many people who "go thru" kitten after kitten because they want a feline around but get sick when it grows up and are unwilling to deal with it.

If you are allergic to some cats, please only adopt adult cats who you know do not bother your allergies. Don't adopt kittens and hope...all too often the cat suffers when it's not little and cute and making someone sick.

If you already have a cat and are allergic to dander, you can try bathing the cat on a regular schedule. When I showed mine I used to bathe and blow dry them before each show.

Liz
Cat lady
Former cat showing junkie

 

[bagendhens]

ive heard good results from siberians...
the best thus far seem to be rex and shypnx cats,
both still have the saliva proteins that is the most common cause for cat allergy but because of te type of coat (or in the sphynx case lack thereof) theres less fur to hold onto the saliva/proteins to dry into, generally meaning less issues..

im allergic to cats, have no problems at all with devon or cornish rex, or sphynx, the selkirk res and laperms however do btoher my alergies, ive never been around a siberian, but maincoons do bother my allergies, singapoura and angora do not however...

another suggestion from me to you...though im only "mildly" allergic to cats.
outdoor cats tednt o cause more problems (dirtier therefore mroe grooming themselves = more saliva proteins)
BATHING helps ALOT.
i currently live with a Domestic shorthaired kitty and ive taken to whiping him down once a day with a damp chameois cloth, ive found since i started doing this im much less itchy when hes around...
if i stop for a few days the alergy symptoms come back.

making sure the house/furnisings are kept clean of cat hair also helps a great deal.

personally in the future when i want indoor cats of my own itll either be devon or cornish rex or a sphynx...

 

[smileyfacecat]

hypoallergenic cat? Try a Devon Rex, or some other kind of hairless breed. They are so ugly they are cute, and are very affectionate. I used to be allergic to dogs, but later out grew it. I learned the hard way - if it has fur, it has some sort of dander. Thus, aggravating my allergy.
It really depends how bad your allergy is, you may be able to have whatever breed you want as long as you get allergy shots, or you may have to go with a naked kitty.

 

[Kelly G]

Quote:
I haven't yet read all the posts (and I will). But how this all started was at a HOME SHOW (of all places!). There was a display of cats that tended to be hypo-allergenic. We visited with them, made mental notes...and made plans to visit a breeder. We told her of my allergies - and she invited us to pet, hold, cuddle with all her cats as long as we could (we stayed 5 hours!!!). She said a (very) few people have a reaction - and I was really worried as my allergies were life-long (I was 40 when we got Tugger). But it was unbelievable...not one reaction - not even a tiny one! I was thrilled!!! And - even better - we were totally smitten with the breed! We have two and are considering a third!

For others who haven't seen the other thread, this is RumTum Tugger our blue(most common color) British Shorthair:

...and this is Forest's Black Frost (aka Frosty):

This is a quiet breed that is VERY affectionate. The like to lay close to you - but not on you (their coats are dense and tend to make them warm). They are not wild - running through the house knocking crap over (although I can't make gaurantees!). They like to be in the same room - even the bathroom!

Here is the link to our breeder's cattery: http://www.honeycoon-brittasweet.com/

Tell her Kelly & Zaan sent you

We just love her and her husband!