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NEWS:Gemma has been awarded 2nd Best Siberian Cat in the South Central Region and Best Brown Classic Torbie in TICA for 2009-2010. Congratulations Gemma & ForestWind Siberians!

UPDATE: Pendraig launches new Golden Siberian Cat program.

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Siberian Cats are Hypoallergenic

Siberian Cats are for many, a hypoallergenic cat.  That is not to say they are allergy free however.  Each person and each cat is an individual and reactions can vary depending on various circumstances.  It is important if you have allergies and are searching for a cat that you determine first your level of allergies and your ability to tolerate your reactions.  Next you need to realize that even a hypo-allergenic cat can require special care in order to prevent your allergies from becoming worse.  And lastly, yet most importantly, you need to be sure you are finding an authentic, purebred and healthy cat as there are many people out there ready to swindle you with their unregistered, so-called “Siberian Cats” when in fact they are likely nothing more than long haired street or shelter cats.

Defining Hypo-Allergenic Cats

There is a lot of confusion as to what Hypo-Allergenic means.  Despite popular opinion it does not mean that something is “allergy free”.  Hypo means, under or less.  Thus Hypo-Allergenic means less or under allergy causing.

It has become a fairly well established fact that Siberian Cats, generally speaking, produce less of the FEL-D 1 Protein in their saliva which is what most people are actually allergic.  Cats groom themselves and the saliva dries on fur and skin, flakes off and travels all over the room.

For reasons unknown Siberian cats have less of this protein than your average mixed breed or street cat.  We at Pendraig Siberian Cats have a hypothesis that we will discuss later.

It is not possible to have an allergy free cat but it is very possible to obtain a hypo-allergenic Siberian Cat and for many allergy sufferers this means that they can finally have a cat in their life.

However, some people react badly anyway.  Often this is associated with severe allergy symptoms, people who are allergic to many different substances and asthma.  Those with mild to moderate allergies seem to do best with the Siberian Cat.
That being said there are methods to reduce reactions.

Tips for Reducing Allergic Reactions to Your Siberian Cat

There are a number of ways to reduce the likelihood, duration and severity of your reaction to your Siberian Cat.

First and foremost make sure that you buy an authentic, purebred Siberian cat or a cat from Russian Foundation parents.  Avoid lines that look more like Persians or Himalayans as a general rule.  Buy a kitten only from a reputable breeder who is willing to supply you with a contract, health guarantee and registration papers that certify your kitten is a purebred Siberian Cat.

If the breeder refuses to supply these things then do not buy the cat!  You cannot possibly be sure of that breeder’s integrity especially if they are refusing to supply you with the very basic documentation for your kitten.   For more on How to Buy a Purebred Siberian Cat see our article (coming soon!).

Cat Allergy Testing

Once you have located a reputable breeder and ascertained that they do indeed have registered purebred Siberian cats you can request to visit with cats of their lines.  This is sometimes helpful if you are dealing with severe allergic reactions however it has limited uses.  Many responsible breeders will not allow visitors to their catteries because of safety reasons.  Allowing virtual strangers met through the internet, or from magazine advertisements, is not considered smart in this day and age.  Also a nursing queen should be protected and sheltered not subject to visits and germs of unknown individuals.  If you do meet your breeder somewhere with some cats you may have a reaction to the cats they bring, yet would not to the kitten you are hoping to buy.  Or vice versa!
We have found fur samples and other such testing to be unreliable.  Some breeders still perform these but we have heard it is with mixed success.

Those with moderate to low allergies may be able to take more of a risk especially if the breeder has references from allergy homes.  As always, do your homework carefully.  Ask a lot of questions and do not let a breeder pressure you into a purchase.

Vacuum Daily

Other strategies to reduce allergic reactions include purchasing, and using daily, a high quality allergy vacuum such as the Dyson Allergy.   By keeping the hair in your environment to a minimum you can greatly reduce the likelihood you will become overwhelmed by the allergens and have a bad reaction.

Using all natural cat litters is very important also.  Many people with cat allergies are also sensitive to dusts and chemicals and the clay clumping litters are full of both!  The dust and chemical scents get all over your cat when they use the litter box and then all over you, all over your furniture and your house.  We highly recommend low allergen, all natural, and environmentally friendly cat litters such as World’s Best Cat Litter and Feline Pine Cat Litter.  We use these in conjunction with Litter Robots.

Buy a Kitten

Kittens typically have less allergen than adult cats.  These increase with time but the nature of most allergies is that as long as the threshold is not reached the body copes and de-sensitizes over time.  As the kitten matures your body gets a chance to develop more and more of a tolerance towards the allergens from your cat.  You can also develop your allergy reducing routine so that it is firmly in place by the time your cat is mature and creating adult levels of allergens.

Bathe Your Kitty Regularly

Regular baths can help reduce allergies because they wash the allergy causing proteins off the fur and skin.  However over-frequent bathing can cause dry fur and skin and make the problem worse so it is important to strike a careful balance.  We recommend bathing most cats once a month, or twice a month at most.  This should help reduce allergy levels but not cause dry skin and hair problems.

Use a healthy, non-toxic and environmentally friendly shampoo!  Remember that you may also have chemical sensitivities and many shampoo products for humans and pets alike are really quite toxic!  They contain all types of chemicals and fragrances.  You can learn more about cosmetic toxins (for humans) on the Skin Deep Website.

Raw Diets Help Reduce Allergens & Shedding

What you feed your cat is just as important as everything else.  It has been noticed by several raw feeding cat homes that even non-Siberian cats become less allergy causing when fed a balanced 100% raw diet.  Unfortunately there are no studies to prove this however the fact that raw fed cats shed about 75% less fur than other cats could easily explain this result.   We are happy to help each and every kitten buyer to explore the raw feeding options and develop a feeding and care plan that fits their lifestyle, budget and abilities.

Improve Your Own Diet

It may sound strange but the real source of allergies is within the individual.  A combination of diet and other factors can cause a person to develop allergies.  Adding a healthy probiotic, eating whole foods and reducing the intake of MSG, mercury, trans-fats and other toxins can greatly improve your overall health and help your body to better tolerate environmental allergens.  For more information on improving your allergies through diet please visit the Weston A Price Foundation Website.

Create an Allergy Free Safe Haven

The last thing, but also extremely important, is to create an allergy free safe haven for sleeping.  This means that you cannot allow your pets to sleep in your bedroom.  If you are allergic to cats this is especially important as cats have a tendency to enjoy sleeping on your pillows and bedding.  Someone with even mild allergies can develop severe reactions after lying on a pillow for 6 hours or more that is covered in cat fur and cat allergens!
For many this is a great sacrifice to make as their cats are important sleeping companions so it is not the option for everyone.  Make priorities and do what you can to reduce your likelihood of having severe reactions and you may find you can live quite happily with your hypo-allergenic Siberian Cat.

We hope that this article can help understand the hypo-allergenic qualities of Siberian cats and also how to cope with cat allergies so that you can live in harmony with your Siberian cat or kitten.

We are located near Austin, Texas USA