You might be looking at this blog because you are interested in a Siberian or it might be that you know our family and are just catching up on the latest. Either way, welcome.
As you may know, I’m allergic to cats and so it comes as a huge surprise that we’re going to be a cat owner. So I thought I’d offer some information on the scientific studies on Siberians and why they think some people don’t have severe
allergic reactions to Siberians. Also, I hope that I’m part of the informal study that many breeders are doing to see if their breeding lines will be tolerable to allergic people.
The following is an excerpt from
Lundberg Siberian’s website about allergies and Siberians (
http://lundbergsiberians.home.comcast.net/allergies.html), which was taken without permission but I hope credit will count and they won’t mind too much.
ABOUT FELINE ALLERGENS
Q. Are Siberian cats hypoallergenic?
Some Siberian cats have much lower levels of feline allergen than traditional domestic cats. Siberians have enjoyed excellent placement rates in homes with cat allergies, but no pet should be considered fully hypoallergenic.
Q. What causes cat allergies?
The majority of cat allergies are caused by a small stable protein called Fel-d1. This allergen is found only in cats, not other animals. Fel-d1 is very small and remains in the air for a long duration.
Q. Where is the allergen found?
Fel-d1 is produced by salivary, skin and anal glands. During grooming, Fel-d1 from saliva becomes airborne. Allergen from skin glands remains on the fur for a long time. Litter boxes can also contain substantial amounts of Fel-d1 from excretions.
Q. Do long hair cats cause more reaction?
Fur length is not related to feline allergens. Long hair does not increase or decrease the amount of allergen produced. Some people may have problems with eye irritation caused by the fine hair in the undercoat. This is most common during early spring when cats tend to shed more.
Q. Does neutering affect feline allergen production?
Multiple studies have shown neutering sharply reduces Fel-d1 levels and allergic reactions. The allergen is hormonally controlled, and non-neutered males produce the highest levels. After neutering, allergen levels drop sharply in both males and females. We recommend early neutering in households with cat allergies.
Q. Are people allergic to dogs also allergic to cats?
About 20% of people allergic to cats also react to dogs, horses and other pets. These reactions are to allergens other than Fel-d1. When an individual is highly allergic to dogs and cats they are unlikely to benefit from Siberian cats with reduced levels of Fel-d1. We do not recommend keeping pets in these situations.
After reading this and many other web sites (some that are very scientific and not layman friendly at all) I thought there was a good chance for me. I’ve also started taking an allergy medicine. Wish me luck. I’d love your comments about your experiences with cats and allergies.
This is Anna Shea from last week (all pictures courtesy of Prekrasne Siberian Cat) but I think every post needs a picture. Don’t you? -jlr
Kerry, a friend of the family, is a cat person and is in heaven having heard that I’m coming over to the other side…CATS. She loves to hear the ‘Dog to Cat Convert’ stories. Yet, I should mention that this conversion is still in progress. I’m remembering fondly the mother and six puppies we fostered for the Humane Society last summer.
Anna Shea has that “about to explode fur ball” look at 7 weeks, don’t you think? Wish we had lots to share this week but it’s quiet, it’s hot, and we’re getting our heads around the fact that school starts in three weeks. However, we’ve been having some amazing thunderstorms with superb lightning shows.
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Anna is six weeks old today and we only have eight more weeks until it’s time to bring her home. Anna has been dubbed, “Anna the Brave” as she was the first to almost get over the gate, the first to make it to the top of the Kitten Tree, and never even makes a peep when left alone. Sue (her breeder) says that she is rambunctious as all the other kittens but is more reserved in her personality. Sue wrote in her weekly report to us, “Anna is doing the classic kitten hop – she chases her brothers or sisters while doing this little stiff legged hop with that tail straight up. It’s hysterical.” She’s met the dogs without effect and is the sixth largest in weight of her litter of seven.
A new picture of Anna Shea to the left. Sue says she named this picture of Anna, "The Future Cover of TICA Trend Magazine". She's becoming a little fluff-ball and all is well in her little kitten world. I'm completely ignorant regarding everything about cats, let alone showing cats. However, I'm learning by reading and soon I guess I'll be learning about kittens by doing! -jlr.JPG)
Happy 4th of July! Anna Shea is almost five (5) weeks old (tomorrow) and she's just 1/2 oz away from a pound in weight. She's really going to town on her cat food. She was the biggest in the litter but soon after the boys took over, but she's still the largest female. Sue, her breeder, says she's the first to scoot over to the food dish. Sue says she's a very sweet kitten and crawls all over her.
