What cat should I buy?

[user1497207858]

I am looking into buying a cat but I have no idea what one to go for.

I am semi allergic, however the longer I stay with a cat the more I get over the sneezing.

I was looking at Russian blues as I've heard they are good with allergy suffers, then I looked at the price!!!

I am ideally looking for a cat that wants to be loved and cuddled but is also independent enough to be left alone on its own in the day.

Any suggestions?

Poppyfields21 you just joined mumsnet to post on this thread? Are you a breeder?

Seriously, if it makes one lurker consider one of the hundreds of thousands of lovely kittens and cats in rescue then it's worth it.

Cats aren't more deserving of a home because they look a certain way or been bred to make someone else money.

There is also some quite serious welfare problems emerging from car breeding, but why should you give a shit about that either?

I would rather be sanctimonious than actively persuade someone not to rescue.

I have Ragdolls, they are lovely but are people really suggesting them to someone with allergies or have you all missed that part?

They moult A LOT, they climb all over you, they need LOADS of affection. They would make constantly ill if you were allergic!

I believe that Siberians are supposed to be hypoallergenic but it depends on your specific allergy and what triggers it. Maybe ask a breeder to visit and see how you react. Or visit a cat rescue and see if you can work out what triggers the allergy.

I second the idea of visiting breeders to see how you react - but my DH was/is allergic to cats but has been fine with our three Siberians - they are enormous cats though so be warned! But very affectionate - Hope you find your cat

From what I understand ragdolls don't have an undercoat which is what people are generally allergic to. I think what ever cat you go for if you have an allergy it would be wise to spend some time with it before committing to ensure you don't have a bad reaction.

I would spend some time at a cat rescue centre to see if you can work out which ones you react less to (and then adopt one from there if you find one that you love!). It'd be awful to get one then find you couldn't keep it. Bengals are beautifully affectionate and independent but malt a lot in the summer so would be no good allergy wise I don't think.

People aren't allergic to undercoat. They are generally allergic to dander or saliva.

The best cats for being friendly etc are moggies. In my experience they are better than prue breeds, many pure breeds are highly strung and more demanding.

Just get a lovely moggie kitten from a rescue.

My dh is allergic to cats, but my mum had a fluffy/long haired moggie, and he didn't make dh sneeze at all. Our moggie is also a fluffy/longhaired moggie and he isn't allergic to him, it does seem as if the different hair doesn't trigger allergies as much

Your chinchilla isn't pooing in fear

They poo hundreds of times a day. The time to worry is if they stop or pass loose motions.

Also if the price of a Russian Blue isn't achievable how do you plan to pay for vet bills? Even if you have insurance most vets want payment upfront which you claim back, and then if your pet is unfortunate to become seriously ill the bills can run into the thousands and may not all be covered by insurance.

Ragdolls do have an undercoat. And it's usually salvia people are allergic to hence why you can still be allergic to hairless cats.

MsMims - yes I know chinchillas poo hundreds of times a day, I have to clean it up everyday. It was a joke

MsMims - I would never pay the price of a Russian Blue.

I can afford vets fees.

The two are not connected, there are many reasons why I would not pay for a pedigree kitten.

@whereismyparachute

I thought it would be obvious that my point was that in my opinion all children in need of homes are more important than cats, but I don't see you advocating for them.

Steppe Clearly there's a big difference between choosing not to buy a pedigree and not being able to afford one. Not sure why you posted that really, it's irrelevant if you can afford one but choose not to.

The sentiment of adopting a cat from a rescue centre is lovely, but they are so fussy about who they will rehome to. We were told no on the basis of having a 2 year old I might add that I'm a sahm, we live in a house and were willing to install a cat flap.

In the end we bought a British blue from a breeder - not that I would recommend them for anyone with an allergy!

MsMims - Op doesn't say she can't afford one, she said she was shocked at the price. You on the other hand posted:

Also if the price of a Russian Blue isn't achievable how do you plan to pay for vet bills?

I was making the point that you can be shocked at the price and not want to spend that on a cat, but still be able to afford vets bills.

Seems a reasonable response to your post, not sure why it is irrelevant???

Uh oh OP! You aren't allowed to say in the litter tray you want a particular pedigree from a breeder on MN.... despite the high proportion of posters with pedigrees ;-)