Category: Hypoallergenic Cats

Hypoallergenic cat breeds are cats that cause less allergic reaction to people. Just as there are hypoallergenic dog breeds, there are breeds of cats that don’t shed. These include the allergy free Bengal cat, Donskoy, Sphynx, and the Peterbald cat. The Russian Blue cat, Siberian and Siamese are also allergy free cats.

Allergy free cats produce a protein called Fel d 1. This is unlike dogs that produce Can f 1 allergen. Fel d 1 is an uteroglobin. It is mostly responsible for allergic reactions to cats.

Cats also produce Fel d 4. But this is less than the Fel d 1 they produce. Studies have found out that these cat allergens are produced in sebaceous glands. A cat’s salivary glands also produce the allergens.

However, a cat’s saliva has the greatest quantity of Fel d 1. Cats deposit more of these allergens on their fur and skin whenever they lick themselves.

Hypoallergenic Cats: Are there Allergy-free Cat Breeds?

A Siberian cat is hypoallergenic and great for cat allergy sufferers. Image source.

We acquire cat allergens when we come into contact with a cat’s fur, skin, saliva and urine. In addition, male cats produce more of cat allergens than female cats. The study also found out that neutered male cats cause less allergies than males that are not neutered.

A cat’s urine has some allergens too. But the saliva is also the biggest source of Fel d 4  – as well as Fel d 1. Surprisingly, the study also found that cats who have short hair may produce a little more allergens than long-haired cats. This is significant because many people associate cat allergies with cat hair instead of saliva. The levels of hormones may also lead to cats causing more allergies.

Furthermore, the hypoallergenic Siberian cat is one of the most hypoallergenic cat breeds. Consequently, a Siberian cat is a good bet for people who show dangerous or severe reactions to cats. Another breed of hypoallergenic cats is the Russian Blue. These hypoallergenic cats, including the popular hairless Sphynx, are great for cat allergy sufferers.