Breeds of Cats That Are Hypoallergenic

Breeds of Cats That Are Hypoallergenic. There are no breeds of cat that are 100 percent hypoallergenic for people allergic to cats, according to Bernadine Cruz, spokeswoman for the American Veterinary Medical Association. People allergic to cats are not allergic to the cat's fur but to a protein in cat saliva and dander called Fel-D1. Some breeds produce less of this protein than others.

Allerca Cats

Specially bred by the Allerca company, these short-haired cats have been genetically altered to not produce Fel-D1. There are two varieties, the Allerca GC and the Ashera GD. The latter combines the desirable Ashera coat patterns that mimic big cats like leopards with the lack of Fel-D1 glycoprotein. This is not technically a breed sinceparent cats cannot produce hypoallergenic kittens, as of the time of publication. But the cost of an Allerca GC kitten starts at $6,950 while the Ashera GC costs $22, 950, as of the time of publication.

Hairless Cats

Hairless, or mostly hairless, cat breeds still produce Fel-D1, but produce much less of it because they do not shed hair attached to dander. But since each person suffers from cat allergies differently, even a hairless cat may set off allergic reactions. There are many bald cat breeds, including the first bald breed and most commonly available, the Canadian Sphynx. Other rarer breeds include the Don Sphynx, the Russian Peterbald and the Ukranian Levkoy, according to the "ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats." Not all members of these breeds go bald. Kittens can cost thousands of dollars.

Rex Cats

Rex cat breeds helped to create the hairless, or Sphynx, cat breeds because some individual cats were lightly furred or developed bald patches. Rex cat breeds possess kinky or wavy coats that shed less than the normal short- or long-haired cat. Rex cats have a natural mutation in their genes that causes their unusual coats. Often the whiskers curl up to the face. They often have large ears and lean bodies. Rex cat breeds include the Cornish rex, Devon rex, Selkirk rex, and the American wirehair.

Siberian

This new cat breed is touted as being naturally hypoallergenic, but no studies exist proving that Siberians are any more hypoallergenic than any other breed of cat. Information is all anecdotal from Siberian cat owners and breeders. Siberian cats were tested for Fel-D1 by the allergy testing company Interior Biotechnologies and found to have lower levels of the protein in their saliva, but the lab admits they do not know what a normal level of the protein is for all cat breeds. Siberian cats also are very expensive.

References

• Scientific American; What Makes a Dog Hypoallergenic? Jordan Lite; November 2008
• "The Everything Cat Book"; Karen Leigh Davis; 2006
• The Consumerist; Allerca, Where's My $4,000 Hypoallergenic Cat?; Simon Brodie
• "ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats"; James R. Richards; 1999
• Web MD: Do Hypoallergenic Cats Exist?; Daphne Sashin