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Hypoallergenic kitten

8 replies

EenyMeenyMo · 20/09/2017 17:43

Have finally decided that we are going to get a cat as we really want one- DP is not so keen but has been persuaded by DS (or rather he says its up to me and I'm calling his bluff).
DP has always said that he is allergic to cats (very limited evidence) so i had said we would get a hypoallergenic cat- either a siberian forest or a russian blue.
I'm just not sure if its the right thing to do. Is there a substantial difference in reactions if you are allergic? where do you get them from- when I've had cats in the past they've always been moggies either from friends or rescue centres . i wouldn't choose a pedigree but i'm not sure if you can get casts with sufficient Russian Blue/Siberian strain to get the benefit whilst not being pedigree?
does anyone have any experience

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Indigo90 · 20/09/2017 17:52

I know you said you did not want a pedigree but we got a Devon Rex for that reason. The breeder let us come and spend the afternoon at her house cuddling her cats before we bought him.

My DS used to react to cats (runny eyes and sneezing) but only had a very mild reaction after a whole afternoon of cat cuddling so we went ahead. The cat sleeps on his bed now and he has no reaction at all to cats - we have since acquired a moggie too. So I'd say our experience is that continued exposure seems to reduce allergies.

That said, my understanding is for most cats it is the dander and saliva from grooming people react to. If you have the cat of any breed from a kitten you can get it used to being wiped over every day with allergy wipes (yes that's a thing) and even give it the occasional bath - some cats don't mind water especially if introduced to it young.

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Doobigetta · 21/09/2017 12:58

If you want it to be hypoallergenic it'll have to be a pedigree, but there's no guarantee. If you PM me I'll give you the details of the breeder we got our Siberian from.

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Doobigetta · 21/09/2017 12:58

Mandatory photo...

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Isadora2007 · 21/09/2017 13:00

Our son was allergic to our Siberian. It wasn't too bad though and it was like he managed to build up a tolerance as he ended up able to have the cat on his bed with no reaction. Siberians are gorgeous natured too. Though ours were meant to be indoors they definitely were not suited to indoor life and sadly both were killed on the road.

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ElizabethShaw · 21/09/2017 13:02

Isn't it cat saliva that people tend to be allergic to?

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Doobigetta · 21/09/2017 16:35

That's really sad, Isadora. I did see one breeder (not the one we went with) who made clients sign a thing saying they'd keep their cats indoors. I don't agree with that at all. They are big, bright, curious, active cats. They need to be allowed out. Mine is only seven months and only goes out for a couple of hours at a time, but I can see how much she gets out of it. I'm sure your two had happier, better quality lives than if you'd kept them in, even if they were sadly shorter than they should have been.

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Trollspoopglitter · 21/09/2017 16:40

Ooo, what a beauty! I think it depends on the cat. We have a breed that's not very streetwise and overly friendly to strangers and we're advised by breeder most people kept them as indoor only. Our have had a cat proof garden, have been taken on a cat lead and now finally we live in a place where they can roam outside with reasonably little danger. One is absolutely miserable indoors and longs to be outside. The other sometimes chooses to stay indoors for days at a time.