What breed of cat can i own if i'm allergic to cats?

Answer 1

None...

The culprit is cat saliva which contains an allergen; this allergen is a protein called Fel d 1. When a cat washes itself, saliva is deposited on its fur (or skin in the case of hairless cats). The saliva dries into dust (dander or dandruff) which is released when a cat scratches or moves and when humans stroke or brush a cat.

All cats wash, even those which lack guard hairs or which lack hair altogether. The dust forms on all types of cat hair or directly on the cat’s skin if it lacks fur. Hairless Sphynx cats produce dandruff directly on their skin and though they produce less of it than furred cats, they can still produce enough to trigger an allergic reaction. An allergy occurs when the body over-reacts to a substance (allergen) and produces excessive amounts of histamine. Excessive histamine production leads to the irritating symptoms associated with cat-allergy - itchy eyes, sneezing, skin rash etc.

Although Fel d 1 is the protein most often associated with allergies, humans are very variable and there will be some people who develop allergies to other feline proteins. I have met people who are unaffected by Siamese cats, but allergic to other cats and I have a friend whose cat alergy is only triggered by male cats (even if the cats are neutered).

Answer 2

Hi there,

you don't say how allergic you are to cats. The reason being that people can live fairly ok with cats if they have allergies, dependant on a number of factors. As people have mentioned, its actually a protein in kitties saliva that makes people allergic.

The reason the Sphynx cats, and both the Cornish and Devon rex breeds tend to be hypoallergenic is because they don't really have much fur to lick, and they don't really shed, so their saliva is not spread through the house on floating/sticking hair! You could quite possibly live with these breeds.

I've heard that there are special wipes you can use to swab the kitties down, which removes much of the saliva, alternatively, a weekly bath (of the cats!) by someone who isn't allergic will also help. Keeping the cat out of your bedroom and investing in a really decent vacuum cleaner, leather couches and tiled or wooden floors will also make keeping the house clear of fur much easier.

As people have mentioned, girl cats produce much less of this particular protein than males.

There is also another breed of cat that no-one has mentioned, the SIBERIAN cat - they don't produce much of the protien that causes an allergic reaction, and the nice thing is that they come in all different colours and are really cute little critters, where as the Sphyinx, Rex breeds are a litte alien like in appearance!

Check out this link to find out more, you can even order a sample of adult fur to test your reaction to the breed before purchasing!

http://www.siberian-cat-breeder.com/why_a_siberian.html

Answer 3

Is she allergic to fur, or to the dander? All cats produce dander, that's what's left behind even as they groom themselves. or maybe hairless cats like the Sphynx (and definite, the Cornish Rex) produce dander. There are some cats specifically bred to furnish a lot less of the protein in the dander that folk react to, yet they're extraordinarily intense priced. no longer all cats produce a similar quantities of dander. It varies through the actual animal, and not in any respect through the breed. Kittens produce a lot less dander than an individual, so a kitten for her is out of the question as you don't understand what's going to ensue even as it turns into an individual. Her perfect guess is to work out an allergist, and then bypass to a safeguard and see if any of the adults there do not galvanize a reaction in her. There are also puppy wipes (Allerpet) that would want to correctly be used to wipe the cat right down to remove the dander. They paintings for some human beings and not in any respect others. regrettably that's type of of a tribulation and blunder challenge.

Answer 4

I would say it is trial and error. Allergies can be quite temperamental. I am allergic to cats and my parents have 3 sometimes when I am at home I am extremely allergic go blotchy and itchy as well as my eyes streaming and sometimes swelling up other times I am fine.
I find it varies from cat to cat even those of the same breed you just gotta find one you aren't allergic to. Its a shame you can't try a cat for a week or two first.

Answer 5

You can try hairless/nearly hairless breeds like Sphynx (Canadian Hairless), Don Sphynx (Donskoy/Donsky), Peterbald (St Petersburg Hairless), Hawaiian Hairless (Kohana).

But keep in mind that:
"There are no hypoallergenic cats. Male cats produce substantially more of the Fel d 1 protein than female cats. Also neutered males produce less than non-neutered males. These factors, however, do not guarantee a female or a neutered cat will be safe for an allergic individual."

Answer 6

I find it varies from cat to cat even those of the same breed you just gotta find one you aren't allergic to. Its a shame you can't try a cat for a week or two first.

Answer 7

"Some people who suffer from cat allergies can tolerate living with Sphynx cats. However, depending on the type and severity of the individual's allergic reactions, there are still people who cannot live with this breed. "

Answer 8

I agree with Maureen - Siamese cats. I am allergic to cats, too - my skin goes all red, blotchy and itchy and it affects my breathing as I am an asthmatic. Also if I get scratched, I swell up quite a bit. I had two Burmese cats at one time (I rescued them), but had to give them away soon after as I reacted so badly to them. However, I have two Siamese cats (used to have three but our old lady unfortunately died recently), and I do not react to them at all. I agree, their fur is finer than most cats. Hope that helps.

Answer 9

it depends. people who are allergic to cats are allergic to either two things. either the cat saliva or the hair. if your allergic to their saliva then you cant get any cat. now if your allergic to their hair (which my dad was) you can get a hairless cat such as a cornish rex. we had a cornish rex but he got hit by a car. but anyways theyre great cats, expensive though, about $400. theyre a really good breed of cat tho...

Answer 10

They have modified a cat so that it does not produce any allergic reations. Something to do with it's saliva i think and they are a snip at 5 grand per cat, so treat yourself and buy 2!