Are Siberians Really Hypoallergenic?
You or someone else in your household has cat allergies. You are looking for the perfect hypoallergenic cat and come across the Siberian Forest Cat. How in the world could this cat be hypoallergenic?? It is so fluffy!
Myths
The first myth I am going to debunk is when you are allergic to cats, you are allergic to their fur. This is incorrect. The allergens people react to in cats are proteins found in their saliva and skin glands. When a cat grooms itself, it transfers this allergen to its fur, skin, and surrounding environment. Most people are reacting to the protein called Fel d 1.
Debunked myth #2: Many people think hypoallergenic means allergen-free however it actually means low allergen. When you search for a cat that you won’t react to, you search for ‘hypoallergenic’ thinking it will 100% work for you. It might. But it also might not.
Fel d 1
Different cats have different levels of Fel d 1. When I say cats, I mean the individual cat, not the breed (although breeds can have lower levels of Fel d 1, such as Siberians, each cat is slightly different).
The Siberian Forest cat has low levels of Fel d 1 across the board. So even though they have a lot of fur, they can be a really good fit for someone allergic to Fel d 1.
Allergy Testing
If you are looking at Siberians for this purpose, I highly recommend testing your allergies first. There are two things we can do to test if a cat is a good fit for you.
One. Have some one-on-one time with a Siberian. I charge a small amount (that goes towards the cost of your kitten) to meet with you and you can snuggle the kitty in a closet, car, or some other small place for 30-60 minutes. If you don’t have an allergic reaction, I am confident you won’t at home.
Two. There are saliva tests that can be done to measure the Fel d 1 levels in a cat. This is more expensive but sometimes necessary to know if a specific cat is a good fit for you.
So are they Hypoallergenic?
Yes. Siberians have lower levels of the Fel d 1 protein than many other breed making them low allergen for many people with cat allergies.
If you have any questions about allergies please let me know. I am always happy to help!
