by ACFA
One of the major problems with cat ownership these days seems to be in the area of allergies. I’m not sure if more people are allergic to cats than in the past or if fewer people are willing to tolerate even mild symptoms. I suspect it is a combination of the two. Whatever, I get lots of requests from people looking for a hypoallergenic cat. There is no such thing.
Most people who are allergic to cats are allergic to a protein in the cat’s saliva. The cat leaves the saliva on its hair when it grooms. The less saliva present on the coat, the less likely an allergic reaction will occur. Some cat breeds have coats which, due to length or texture, don’t hold as much saliva as others. Those are the breeds of cat which are less likely to trigger an allergic reaction and can therefore be tolerated by more people with allergies. Breeds with which many people with allergies seem to do well are: Cornish Rex, Devon Rex and Sphynx. The two Rex breeds have very fine, short hair. Sphynx have almost no hair.
There are several other breeds whose breeders claim them to be good with allergies. Siberian breeders, for example, say that their cats do not have the saliva protein which triggers allergies. I have seen no documentation on any breeds other than the three mentioned above which prove them to not cause allergies for any reason. More research needs to be done. A general and logical rule of thumb is that the less hair a cat has, the less saliva the coat will hold. Therefore, single coated breeds, like Burmese or Siamese, should be easier to tolerate than double coated breeds, like American Shorthair, or any of the long-haired breeds.
A minority of people with cat allergies are actually allergic to the dander on the skin. There are no breeds which don’t have dander. A partial solution for an allergy of this type, as well as for the saliva triggered allergy, is regular bathing of the cat. This will remove both the dander and the saliva and greatly reduce the allergens. Many allergic people are able to live quite well with a cat who gets frequent baths.
If allergy is a consideration in having a cat for your family, you must do a test before you get the cat. Don’t buy a cat of a breed you have heard is good with allergies only to find out after you get it home that the allergic person reacts. It is not fair to the cat to take it to a new home and send it back. Take the allergic person to a home or cattery where cats of that breed live. Spend some time with the cat sitting on laps and rubbing on hands and faces. If an allergic reaction is going to occur, let it happen there instead of after you have taken a cat home and become attached to each other. Most reputable breeders of those breeds known to be popular with allergy sufferers will not sell a cat to a home with allergy problems without a test first.
Don’t give up the thought of adopting a mixed breed cat just because of allergies. Use the shorter, finer coat guideline to select a cat. Then have the allergic person do the holding and touching test, away from all other cats if possible. Allergies are variable and somewhat unpredictable. You may just get lucky.
