Siberian Owners...question re: Allergies!

Hi! We have a deposit on a Siberian kitten that we will be able to take home in May. My husband has a cat allergy. We went to a friend's house who has a domestic shorthair. He was fine with him and the cat even sat on his lap for about a half hour. But when we left, his eyes were red and itchy. I know that Siberians have a "hypoallergenic" fur...but can someone please share some positive experiences with me in regards to Siberians and allergies. I am nervous that my husband will have a problem with this breed. I am trying to get to go to the breeders house to see if my husband has a reaction, but until then I want someone to make me feel better! lol Thanks!

I think that your best bet would be to get your husband to the breeders house & expose him to Siberians... that's the only way to know for sure.

I don't have a Siberian, but I did consider getting one once & did a little research on the breed. They are not hypoallergenic, but they seem to be less likely to cause allergic reactions to some people.

I believe the theory is that their salvia is lacking a certain protein that other cats have. As far as I know, there isn't any scientific research to support that theory... just the fact that many people with cat allergies aren't effected by Siberians. It doesn't mean that one can't be allergic to Siberians... it just depends on the person.

I think the only true hypoallergenic cats are the ones that are genetically engineered, which a company is actually working on... CNN.com.

I wish you both lots of luck with your Siberian, they are wonderful cats. Hopefully your husband will be will be one who is not effected by them.

Ive been allergic to cats since i was little. I decided that i wanted a bengal and did all kinds of research. Before they got here i got me some allergy meds, hepa purifiers, vaccum with a filter lol. Come to find out i dont need any of it!!!! The 1st days i just had itchy eyes but after a month no problems at all.

On the other hand my 8 yr old is suffering from her allergies. So i have to give her benadryl everyday.
Im fine and shes not, but it seems like her allergies are better than b4.

Theres nothing 100% to say ur hubby wont have a reaction, so good luck!

My boyfriend claims to have 'breathing problems' around my year old Sib boy. I tried an experiment and boarded my cat with a friend for a short period of time. Strangly enough, DBF was able to abandon his inhaler after only 3 or 4 days.

So we're still struggling. Is he, or isn't he? I spoke with the breeder and he said in 8 years of breeding Siberians, ours is the first instance he has had with someone having an allergic reaction to these cats.

If you can get to the Siberian cattery, have your husband spend time with the adult Sibs, not the kittens. And males, if possible, if you plan on getting a male kitten. I saw a report that showed adults have more instance of Fel-D1 protein than kittens, males more than females, and intacts more than neuters.

I hope this helps you. I love my fuzzy kitty.

Heres a quote off the internet:

Contrary to popular belief, people are not allergic to cat fur, dander, saliva, or urine - they are allergic to "sebum," a fatty substance secreted by the cat's sebaceous glands. More interesting, someone who is allergic to one cat may not be allergic to another cat. Though there isn't (yet) a way of predicting which cat is more likely to cause allergic reactions, it has been proven that male cats shed much greater amounts of allergen than females. A neutered male, however, sheds much less than a non-neutered male.

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I really wish people would stop promoting ANY breed as hypoallergenic. Any cat with (or without) fur can cause an allergic reaction depending on how highly allergic the person is to begin with. Most times people are allergic to the saliva, not the actual fur or to the dander in the fur.

So there is NO guarentee that any breed will be ok. There are some breeds that seem to be less allergic to people. I wish you luck, but don't count on it.

One thing your husband has to do is to wash his hands after petting the cat and keep the cat away from his face. Also do NOT let the cat sleep in the bedroom - pick one room that is "cat free" for best results. You can also try wiping down the cat every day or every other day with distilled water - that seems to work on cutting down the allergies.

When you comb the cat, be sure to get rid of all the fur. Pick one area for grooming.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

There are some breeds that seem to be less allergic to people.

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Hehe, I read this line as the cat not being allergic to the people.

I completely agree though.

I think it is different from person to person how they react one the siberians cats.
It is a known ting some of the Siberians don’t have fel D1 what people react one some have non-adder have a bit.

My self have asthma and are react very must one cats but I have hade up to 7 siberians in my house and have hade non allergy of this cats at all.
So I think people just have to tray and see what happen.
But I bath my cats every 14 days this is also for the show and I dray them with a dryer.
So they are always clean and smell nice.
When it is summer and pollen I don’t to have them out in the run.
As pollen can stick to the cat heir and you get sick of the pollen not of the cat.
And I don’t let my Siberians go to getter with adder cats in the show place ore adder places.
I did go to my friend house before getting my cats and tested if I reacted to her cats and she have 3 cats one the floor as was bath and that went good.
Kitten we can react more of I have seen and know some people tell me the males can somebody as are allergies react more one end a female but this is just if the males are bath at all.
It is possible to test a Siberians to see how must fel d 1 it have with DNA.
I did send my test to the UK.

Mabriga

I, as well, have cat allergies and can tollerate Siberians. I currently have a whole male and a female. My mother also has allergies but no reaction to Sibs. On the other hand, I have a cousin that is fine with my female but reacts to my male. I agree with everyone above. Your husband must been able to spend time with adult Sibs, in the same line as the kitten that you want to get. Sometimes people react more to one line then another even though it is all the same breed.
If he is truly not allergic to them, then I guantee that you both will love the breed. They are great cats!!!

Hi
If you know the breeder you are baying a siberian of way don’t you ask if she have a siberian you can have home for a day oh so.
Then you will se if your husband react one the cat.