Allergy related cat questions

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

Hi!

Starting to feel like our house really needs a cat or two! I so miss having them, snuggling with a kitty or having a haughty soul looking down on me

The issue is, DH is 'allergic'. I use the quotations because he had a cat as a child despite this allergy and was fine and loved having a cat.

So I've started to research hypoallergenic breeds, especially Siberian cats, but I really would prefer to rescue a cat so I'm guessing the likelihood of finding a hypoallergenic breed in a rescue centre is quite low? Also I'm aware hypo means less allergenic rather than not allergenic, and I guess there's no way of testing how he'll react.

Also, if we do get as far as looking at breeders (my initial reaction to that thought is that they'll be all cruel and immoral), how do I make sure they're kind ones? I've found myself on some Siberian breeder websites and they're all about the pedigree names and stuff which I don't really know anything about or see as a selling point

As you can tell I am at the very beginning of considering a cat. What do you think, can we just not have a cat if DH is kind of mildly allergic? He's not anti the idea but obviously you can't really try before you buy can you?

Bump? :)

I'd be querying the allergy. It can't be that bad if his parents had a cat.

You know what men are like, a sneeze is flu, a rash is meningitis , a headaches a brain tumour.

You could always go and visit somewhere with cats e.g. a friend with cats, or the nearest RSPCA centre, and see how badly (if at all) he reacts to them.

go to a shelter and see how dh reacts.

if he reacts just a little bit, don't get a cat.
would be unfair to have to rehome due to a known allergy.

HOW is he allergic! I'm allergic to one of mine but weirdly unless she gets round my face or I touch her and then touch my face I'm fine.

British shorthairs :)

DP not great with cat hair, says their the least bothersome - he loves cats has had many.

My ex when I got PFC (precious first cat) was also a bit allergic and they didn't set off his allergies either

But please if you decide to buy from a breeder please buy from a good one, my breeder is also a judge so I'm happy to pass over her details for a good recommendation in your area

My husband is also mildly allergic, and we have a lovely Burmese who he hasn't had any issues with. We went to the GCCF Supreme Cat Show last year to look at the different breeds and to see if he had any kind of allergic reaction as we walked round (he only had issues in the long haired cat sections). When we decided a Burmese was the breed we wanted, I contacted some fairly local breeders from the Burmese Cat Club website, and we visited a very nice lady who had been breeding Burmese for about 20 years. She didn't have kittens available at that time, but we were able to meet her 7 adult Burmese, who were gorgeous, and test for any allergic reaction again. She was clearly a lovely, kind person, and we would have felt very comfortable buying a kitten from her.

She then recommended one of her friends, who has been breeding Burmese for 25 years, and who just happened to have a boy kitten available. We visited the litter, and the breeder was a lovely, calm lady who was very experienced and knowledgeable about her cats. We are now the proud owners of this beautiful boy!

I think it can be helpful to contact breeders listing their details on the relevant breed's club website. Speak to them on the phone to get a sense of whether you like/trust them, and maybe ask to visit them even if they don't currently have kittens available. Also ask questions, such as whether their breeding adults have tested negative for any diseases or health conditions, such as Burmese hypokalamia. Visiting also gives you the chance to see if your husband has an allergic reaction.

Interestingly, as a previous poster said, my husband also had no reaction to my parents' British Shorthair cat either.

My DH is moderately allergic but most certainly wouldn't have coped with a cat in the house as a kid. If your DH has a mild allergy it's possible he acclimatised to the one he had, but now he's not living with one he reacts to others. Have you seen him with other cats?

We got a Siberian nearly a year ago and DH has no trouble with him. He's an absolute joy - more dog than cat like in temperament, unbelievably amiable with the kids and very human focused.

I understand your worries about pedigree breeders, and many of them stipulate that you keep them as indoor cats which I struggled with. That said the one we found was perfectly pleasant and down to earth. Most Siberian breeders will do an allergy sitting where you can cuddle a cat for an hour or two and see what happens.

As you can see I am a great Siberian fan However if you don't fancy paying £ for a kitten then it might be worth exploring the details of your DHs allergy a bit further!

That was me minta and I'm very biased towards the British shorthair aka mcvitues cat advert breed!

but also love the Burmese so cute :)

Has he been allergy tested? If not how do you know he's ' allergic '?

Yes he was allergy tested as a teen (I think, maybe child).

Good idea to have a session with some cats! Sounds fun whatever the outcome glad it's not necessarily a no go :) I love cats :) Going to keep researching over the weekend.

SIL has a Russian Blue which is less of an allergy risk and she's fine. DH is less allergic than her and has grown to accept my two boys (Burmese). He says the longer contact in his case then the more the allergy disappears.

KittensandKnitting British Shorthairs are gorgeous, aren't they - such cuddly teddy bears!

I am very biased :) I have three :) 2 creams (1 boy and 1 girl) and one very naughty blue one :) she has been watching O2 adverts and taken it seriously as is currently running around like a loon!

My boy is definetly more like a little bear than a cat :) he is enormous!! and so snuggley when I'm home alone at night he comes for cuddles and "spoons" and snuggles up in the same way when watching the telly - they all have lovely temperaments lovely lovely cats but they eat LOADS!!!

A colleague was talking about something called petal cleanse (I think) which she said helps her Dh with his mild cat allergies. Apparently she rubs it on the cats fur a couple of times a week and it helps remove the allergen. Might be worth a google.

A colleague was talking about something called petal cleanse (I think) which she said helps her Dh with his mild cat allergies. Apparently she rubs it on the cats fur a couple of times a week and it helps remove the allergen. Might be worth a google.

Oops sorry double post!

Watching with interest. We had a cat until I was about 6 or 7 and then they weren't really a part of my life for many years. Until I met DH. His parents had cats and I was ill every time I went to see them (couldn't stay for more than five mins without an inhaler) so have avoided touching any for a long time.

DH would love a cat though and I am reluctant to home one that I need to take pills for every day and then possibly feel poorly. Feel it's a risk to see if I would become immune....

That's really interesting :) who knew such a thing existed.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B019IO93V0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1469805169&sr=8-1&keywords=petal+cleanse+cat&pi=SY200_QL40

Ooh available on amazon. Reviews look good. Wonder if it actually works?

I have ordered some :)

DP can handle the puddings but it does bother him a little bit if this can eliminate it all together even better ;)

They also do a dog one so will be sending some to my mum, her pooch sends me into a sneezing frenzie!!

Great suggestion :)

Let me know if it helps!

I wil do!

Ds and dh are both allergic to cats. Dh is ok once he gets "used" to a cat and also if doesnt touch his face.
Ds has positive allergy test but seems ok most of the time, but was in a bit of a state when we was at rspca.
We adopted a moggy 5 years ago and they seem fine with her