best cat for cat allergy sufferers?

Our friends came over today with their 3 sons and the little one (5) wants a cat real bad after petting Milo and Rene. The mother is slightly allergic to cats so I recommended a Sphynx or a Bengal. Any cat experts out there that can offer insights or advice?

 

I'm pretty sure the Cornish Rex and the Devon Rex don't shed. Those might be good choices for allergy suffers to look into. I've also heard that Russian Blues don't shed much either.

 

yup. Cornish and Devon rex.. my DREAM cats. the deon is hairless save for some curly little whiskers... the cornish has a fine layer of downy tightly curled hair over their bodies.

though with rare cats like this, not only do they come with a big price tag ( 650.00 last time i checked around here for only ONE breeder in nova scotia) but also other cautions such as sun burn and stuff

 

Hi Vene. Cat allergies are from the dander (skin) and saliva. It has nothing to do with the fur. I read a study once which said that people were more allergic to darker furred cats, as opposed to lighter furred cats. Apparently, darker furred cats produce more a certain type of protein (I can't remember the name of it). Also, male cats produce less of this same protein than female cats. So, perhaps your friend could get a very light colored male cat? Unless of course there are cats out there that are proven to cause less allergies than other cats. I don't know of any personally.

 

yes...the dander...some cats dont produce alot...they dont lick themselves that much :m27: ...the saliva produces the dander (microscopic) and it goes everywhere in the house...on the walls, furniture, carpeting, anything that is in the house...curtains...etc. :shock:

there is a product called allersafe, and it will neutralize the dander. you spray it everywhere in your house. allerpet is a solution to wipe on the cat.. :m10: .to neutralize the dander... i have a "blueair" air purifier that will clean the air in a room three times in one hour. it takes dander out of the air.

they have also found that if you keep the air purifier in the bedroom at night....and the kitties out of the room ...people have far less allergies when they get a nights sleep without allergens in the air.

i did all this...even spraying that stuff on the walls...carpets...everywhere... my house guests who were here for a week had no reactions to otis...and they were highly allergic to cats. :m5:

make sure they have a hepa vacuum cleaner too.

 

Well, I have a couple of friends that have cat allergies and it does not bother them to be around my cats, however, as Lynnhaz stated, it is not the fur but the dander from them cleaning themselves, that people are allergic to.

With a Sphynx there is no shedding to help to aggrivate the situation further. Most people with mild to modersate allergies can handle living with a Sphynx.

However, if your friend was to look into this, I would HIGHLY recommend them going to a breeders house and spending time with them as they are VERY expensive to purchase. There are some Sphynx breeders out there that have retired Sphynx at a huge discounted price. These kitties a re typically under 3 years old and are very well socialized. The only reason for adopting them out, is that as breeders, we cant possibly keep every kittie that is at our home at one point or another.

Its actually a good idea to adopt a retired show/breeder kittie..(As long as they were well cared for) because by the time you get them, they have been spayed/neutered, and are current on everything they should be!!!

I hope they are able to find the right kittie for their family!!!

 

THE BEST CAT FOR ALLERGY SUFFERERS LIKE ME AND MY MOM, IS A SIAMESE, THEY DON'T SHED LOTS, AND I DONT KNOW BECAUSE NOW THAT WE HAVE OUR CAT, A LILAC SIAMESE, WERE NOT ALLERGIC TO ANY CATS ANYMORE.....SO I RECCOMNED MY CAT TO YOU, S-I-A-M-E-S-E! THEY'RE PLAYFULL, LOVE TO GET PETTED, A LOT OF THEM DONT GO OUTSIDE...AND THEY'RE REALLY TALKATIVE!

Gud luck~

 

My son and I are slightly allergic to cats. We get stuffy noses if Pumpkin, Monty, or Milo come in 1-2 feet of us. This started after they turned 1 year old. Monty has coarse long brown fur with heavy dander, while Pumpkin and Milo has soft medium to long orange/yellow and grey/silver/white fur. Grooming them frequently with the Zoom groom, getting the Dyson yellow vacuum (hepa filter), and changing their diet from Iams to Wellness, Chicken Soup, Solid Gold, et. has definitely cut back on our allergy attacks. Monty made the most difference with the Wellness food. He sheds less dander and fur and he is definitely happier and healthier (less diarrhea too) We never did get any allergies from Rene, our Bengal. She has a very rich velvety coat that does not shed much. And recently, Pumpkin has been napping with me and I have no ill effects! :shock: Keeping our cats out of our rooms and beds is not an option for us. :mrgreen:

So I'm very inclined to highly recommend a Bengal to our friend. Of course I'm going to throw in other breeds as well. Besides the Sphynx, I'm going to recommend Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Siamese and have Allersafe handy! Hope I didn't miss any other breeds! Our friend had to give up a yellow Lab a few years ago because of her allergies.

The only problem our friend and our son have in common is rubbing the fur in their eyes causing bad reactions thus needing Benadryl. But with the new changes in our household, my son is Benadryl free when it comes to any cats!

I'm recommending our friend adopt a cat through rescue or retired kitties. They all deserve great homes!

 

:qm1: Thanks everyone for your inputs!

 

Siamese don't shed a lot(?) My 2 and one foster do. I'm allergic and they kick up my allergies. Most people develop a tolerance for their own pets once they adjust to their dander. I use Becanese (a prescription) for my cat allergies and I'm fine now.

But yes Siamese do indeed shed

 

Mary, can't scratch off the Siamese on the list because they are so beautiful, and unique and special and loyal and smart... I will let our friends know that Siamese shed like other cats and they can take precautions. :qm1:

 

there is probably alot of truth to the idea that people develop some immunity to their own animals. i say that because my mom is very allergic to everything it seems...but especially animals. bad asthma too. i grew up with siamese. my mom gradually adjusted to them...still had allergies, but not really to the cats. or if it was, she had just decided that she wanted cats anyway. she now has a maine coon and a yellow and white kitty. she still has allergies. but i think she somehow adjusts to her own cats. :wink:

the combination i posted earlier is a good one if someone is really struggling. i say this because one of my friends that stayed in my home is extremely allergic...to the point of hives, throat closing...really bad symptoms. and his comment was..."i cant believe this...i can feel my body wanting to have a reaction...but its not happening". he was shocked. usually, he has to leave the house....if a cat is in it. he was fine...the entire time.

 

Lynn, where did you purchase your allersafe, allerpet, and Blueair purifier. They are handy to have for guests. A definite plus! :qm1:

 

you can also use a damp washcloth and wipe the cat down daily and save money on AllerPet (I'm friends witha woman that used to own a cat-only kennel and her husband is very allergic - she did this everyday with the cats entrusted in her care before her husband went into the kennel to help her feed/clean).

A story about adjusting to a cat - my SIL never ever had pets growing up cause she was/is allergic to everything. She's even allergic to toothpaste!!!! AquaFresh is the only toothpaste on the market she can use cause it doesn't contain this certain ingredient. I mean she was obviously allergic her entire face swelled up and the sink cracked - it was gross.

Anyway she would come to my house and you could see her getting red and blotchy from my cats....she would start out white and leave red and puffy and not breathing well. Then the little dumped kitten came into their lives.

They went to a BBQ and a kitten showed up (about 6 months old) skinny and obviously left behind (they found out the kitten's owners had moved a month previously and neighbors had kinda been feeding the cat.

Anyway the BIL and SIL decided to take the kitten in (she was also pregnant and they had a spay/abortion done). They've had Jilly now for 2 years and my SIL had to use an antihistimine for awhile and keep Jilly out of her bedroom but eventually she was able to cope and Jilly now sleeps with them!!!!

But when my SIL comes to visit me she still gets red and blotchy and after about an hour you can hear the change in her voice

 

i got my purifier and the allergan at a small store in scottsdale that sells only allergy products and environment friendly products.

the allerpet i got at the vet.

there are other purifiers out there. but i got one that was medium price range. they are around 500.00-600.00. they have some that are a couple thousand. then they have some that are a couple hundred. i wanted a good one. the only thing is you have to change the filters every six months...and that is $100 a pop :roll:

 

:shock: :roll: :qm1: