Very allergic to cats. What are my options in terms of getting one?

[Anonymous]

OP, the PP who said that people are not allergic to the hair forgot that cats groom themselves and lick their hair constantly. So the allergens are everywhere. I am about the same level of allergic to cats and dogs but am totally fine with our poodle mixes but have immediate reactions to all breeds of cat.

[Anonymous]

np here. Great posts re: Siberian Cats.

[Anonymous]

Op, do not!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should not get a cat. Your allergies will be awful and could lead to the development of asthma. You could explore allergy shots, but these take some time. Are you allergic to dogs? If not, I would consider getting your DD a dog instead.

Yes, excellent point. And even more important, may never work! Our allergist told us it was 50/50 whether allergy shots work in the long run, and it may take years to see a difference. Since they were not covered by insurance, and required us to come in twice a week for years, we opted to give our cats up. Best decision we ever made. I am not allergic to our dog, but the cat allergy was absolutely awful.

[Anonymous]

None. Zero. Zip

[Anonymous]

There are other ways to address her mental health. You think a pet will be a solution, but it rarely is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are other ways to address her mental health. You think a pet will be a solution, but it rarely is.

agree it may not work, but it worked for my kid in 2020. Of course, now I have to have a dog for the next 14 years....

[Anonymous]

My husband is also VERY allergic but did well with our Balinese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband is also VERY allergic but did well with our Balinese.

PP here. This was our breeder: http://www.provenancecats.com/home.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Siberian’s are pretty close to hypo allergenic for most people. I think it’s less than 5% of people that are allergic to cats are also allergic to Siberian’s. They produce a very small amount of the histamine in their Saliva that causes the allergic reaction compared to normal cats. They are long haired cats (extremely soft fur), so you do have to put up with lots of hair - but of course, that’s not what people are allergic to. If you speak to a breeder, they can give you a piece of cloth with the cat saliva on it to test whether you are the small percent allergic to this breed. I’m highly allergic to cats but my DS desperately wanted one as a kid, so after extensive research, I found the Siberian cats - went with the neva masquerade variety - and never had a problem from day one. Even one of my best friends who is very allergic to cats - can’t breathe when she walks into a house with a cat - had no reaction over the years. Best decision we ever made and the cat was a lifesaver for our teen the last 2 years of Covid isolation.

+1

We have 2 Siberians and not only are they great cats, but none of our friends with cat allergies have ever had a problem around our cats.

[Anonymous]

Being around something you're allergic to contributes to fatigue as your body is trying to fight the histamines constantly. It's pretty awful.

Can she get a therapy feret or something?

[Anonymous]

OP, don't do it. Get a rabbit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being around something you're allergic to contributes to fatigue as your body is trying to fight the histamines constantly. It's pretty awful.

Can she get a therapy feret or something?

As someone who has allergies to common things OP, don't torture yourself by getting a cat. Try any other per you are not allergic to, before a cat.

[Anonymous]

We are all allergic to cats and have always had them. I am less allergic to my own cats than other people’s. We have regular DSH but have friends who swear by Russian Blue or Bengals for super allergic family members.